Nigel Hawthorne A Conversation with
A Conversation With Nigel Hawthorne (Nick)
Q: What is the story about? A: The theme of the story is that Santa is coming to the end of his 200-year reign and has to find somebody to take over. The trouble is that he looks at the world and he sees people who are very cynical. He remembers Lucy, a little girl who sat on his knee, and how special she was. He seeks her out, but by that time she's grown quite tough and cynical. However, he believes that underneath all that, there's somebody really quite extraordinary. And so his quest in the film is to not only persuade Lucy to take over the job but also convince her that she is the right person.
Q: What did you like most about your role in this film? A: The best part is working with Whoopi Goldberg. She is extremely talented and an extremely nice lady. Her warmth and generosity have been very valuable to me. When I was asked to play Santa opposite Whoopi Goldberg I said, "Are you kidding? Of course I will."
Q: What is your favorite memory of Santa Claus? A: Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street would be my favorite memory of Santa because he seemed to epitomize Santa Claus for me and for many people. There's also a rumor, of course, that Santa wasn't really dressed in red until Coca-Cola took him up as a symbol. He became identified with red then. I did suggest that maybe he should be wearing green on this film. However, they said it really would be very difficult for children because they're so used to seeing Santa in red now.
Q: What is the meaning of Christmas for you? A: It is purely the celebration of the birth of Christ. That's what it is supposed to be. I remember when I was a child, we had three or four presents and a lot of sweets in our stockings. Nowadays, children seem to want so much. It has become more commercial and more of a chore rather than something pleasurable. What's interesting in this movie is that, during my character's quest to find his successor, he finds himself working at a home shopping network advertising products that are offensive to him and as far as he is concerned have nothing to do with Christmas. We seem to have lost the simplicity that began it all.
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