Charlie From The Santa Clause Grew Into A Straight-Up Hunk
When actor Tim Allen first donned the Santa Claus suit, the Home Improvement star became an instant holiday icon. But as his The Santa Clause character Scott Calvin says, it was his son Charlie — played by actor Eric Lloyd — who helped make him Santa. And in the decades since the film's 1994 release, Lloyd transformed from an adorable 8-year-old boy into an absolute hunk.
Born David Eric Lloyd Morelli in 1986, the actor launched his career at the age of 2 when cast as a young Fred Savage in multiple episodes of The Wonder Years. Now worth an estimated $500,000 (per Celebrity Net Worth), Lloyd has all but disappeared from in front of the camera — but those who grew up with the classic Disney film still get starstruck when they meet him.
"People will say, 'Did I go to high school with you, or something?' and I'll say, 'I don't know, maybe!'" Lloyd told ABC in 2015. "It's one of those films that when anyone that does recognize me it's because they really enjoyed the film. It's those people that watch it every year and are true fans of it. It's very humbling, the fan base. They really do love the movie, so it doesn't bother me at all."
Yet, while he's remembered for what he's done, the former child star certainly hasn't slowed down since his early days in show business. In fact, his time behind the scenes inspired his current life ambitions.
Some jokes flew 'a little over [Eric Lloyd's] head' on the 'Santa Clause' set
For Eric Lloyd, making The Santa Clause was like living out every child's greatest fantasy. "It was awesome," Lloyd told ABC. "It was so much fun. What was very cool was they did have classic Santa toys like wooden trains, animatronic arms, a giant Eiffel Tower erector set, Legos... I thought Santa was real for years after the movie, too. I kind of rationalized that we were doing a documentary about Santa Claus."
Lloyd added that, although his on-screen father Tim Allen made the cast and crew laugh daily, much of the film's comedy "was a little over my head being a kid, but it was one of the reasons the movie worked so well." Regardless of his inability to comprehend the film's total impact at the time, Lloyd's proud to say he was part of this creative team.
"I didn't necessarily think it was going to be as big as it was," he added. "I got a renewed sense of pride in it when I saw the 20-year reunion video. You don't really think about how a kid's movie like that would be made today — with the idea of divorce in there, the dead beat dad and the intense humor. It makes me think of what a staple it is in the holiday film genre, so I'm definitely happy I was a part of it."
Eric Lloyd revealed some behind-the-scenes secrets from 'The Santa Clause'
In an effort to capture — and maintain! — the spirit of Christmas, The Santa Clause seamlessly blended the magic of the season and tricks of the trade to sustain the film's continuity. After all, you never knew that Eric Lloyd was missing his two front teeth for much of the movie, right? Because he was.
"One evening we went to a Toronto Blue Jays game," Lloyd told ABC in 2015. "I fell forward and hit my face and knocked both my front teeth out. I woke up in the next day with the executive producers, line producer and the director standing over my bed, leaning over me. Being a kid actor we had molds of my teeth, so we called a dentist for a flipper [false teeth] and snapped it in."
But the crew still needed to reconfigure the schedule to accommodate Lloyd. "Elf Judy and I pull up on a train, and I wave high, the train pulls off frame and my line was dubbed in afterwards," he added during a Reddit AMA. "Originally I was supposed to say that line when the train pulled up, but because my teeth & face were all mangled, they ADR'd it in post. That's why my mouth is such a weird smile and I have those big ol' cheeks — I still had front teeth but one was hanging on by one root and moving around." OK, who's up for a rewatch now?
Eric Lloyd now has his own production company, Lloyd Production Studios
After his early success, Eric Lloyd took time off to attend high school and college. Since graduating from Chapman University with his BFA in film production, Lloyd opened LP Studios, which offers both audio and visual production services for the film and music industries. He dabbled in music himself as a member of the band Radiomason, but ultimately decided to use his experiences to help others looking to make their way in the business.
When asked how his acting experience impacted his music career during a Reddit AMA, Lloyd said that, when it comes to production and working with bands and people, "being on set and dealing with a lot of directors has helped me deal with being in the studio, and getting performances out of artists when we're doing recording. There's a lot that's similar between directing actors and directing musicians (as a producer). It's definitely helped."
However, Lloyd hasn't ruled out a return to acting. "I'd love to act again and do something but I think I'm gonna make my own way in, starting through the music [and] my studio," he explained. "When I wanted to get back into acting, they wanted to put me in Disney TV shows." Lloyd hopes to one day act in the one-hour dramas and indie films he loves so much. We also hope this beloved child star gets to shine again soon!