Bad Santa: Tim Allen Cursed In Front Of Children On The Set Of 'The Santa Clause'

Tim Allen has been raising plenty of eyebrows in recent months, namely due to his controversial political statements and his staunch defense of his hit TV show Last Man Standing, which ABC has since decided to cancel. However, it seems that Allen has long made a habit of surprising his audiences, and may have even ended up on Disney’s naughty list during the making of The Santa Clause.

Bad Santa

For those who haven’t seen the film, #TheSantaClause follows an ordinary guy called Scott Calvin (Allen) who is essentially forced to become the new incarnation of Santa. Though the quality of The Santa Clause series noticeably declined with each installment, the first remains a firm favorite for family viewing over the festive season, thanks to Allen’s snark and the magic on display.

But whilst The Santa Clause itself remains as heart-warming as a good helping of Christmas pudding, it sounds as if everything wasn’t always as merry on set. Indeed, during an interview on Norm Macdonald Live, Allen revealed that he was in big trouble (mmm-hmm) when he decided to lash out irrationally during the film’s production:

"We're doing a Jerry Bruckheimer opening with a periscope, and it was a big opening where the camera comes around, catches me and the North Pole...[in] this big shot, it was a great deal.”

The scenes that #TimAllen describes will definitely sound familiar to fans of The Santa Clause. Certainly, with his mention of the North Pole it can only be one of two scenes: either when Scott and Charlie (Eric Lloyd) first arrive at Santa’s workshop, or when they set out on their redesigned sleigh the following year. According to Allen though, things soon took a turn for the worst when the elves/children surrounding him became a bit fractious;

"And there's four kids behind me, they're just in the background... And the big kid [kept pinching] the little one, and they're like 'He pinched me first! [...] We've already established these kids [in the shot], so you can't stop this whole thing... ' And I'm like 'Guys, it doesn't matter.'... [but at this point] that’s take #27.”

Oh dear, we can see where this is going already. There’s a reason why that age-old maxim about not working with kids and animals is still used to this day. Even the best-behaved kids begin acting out when they are bored, but it seems that these particular children were so disruptive that they pushed Allen beyond the point of no return,

“It gets right to here, we're two seconds from cut, and the kid [goes] 'He pinched me again!’ And I just went ‘Fuck!’

Oh Tim! That’s not very Santa-like at all! But wait – it gets better!

“...The whole set went quiet... all these kids froze....and in the ear piece, you can hear ‘Santa just said "Fuck.’ And they had a Disney guy [come in and say] 'He said, "Fuke." It's a Swedish word. It means "take a break."

Hoo boy! That’s simply hilarious, especially when you consider that unnamed studio exec's reaction. After all, #Disney is notoriously strict when it comes to preserving its family friendly image; just ask Johnny Depp.

In the gag-reel for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Depp stepped in and similarly reprimanded his co-star Tom Hollander, for his bad language on the set, although thankfully, there were no kids in that scene. Whilst Depp was obviously joking around at the time, his ribaldry does hint at how strictly Disney maintains its reputation. So what where the consequences of Allen’s angry outburst? A lump of coal in his stocking, or a stern telling off? Mysteriously, all Allen revealed was this:

‘I learned my lesson."

Nope, that doesn’t sound ominous at all! Nevertheless, we’re pleased that everything progressed a lot smoother afterward, and it’s great to hear these kinds of humorous tales from Allen. Many will warmly remember him from his Home Improvement days, and despite his more recent altercations, it’s nice to see Allen flex his funny bones again.

Judging from Allen's schedule, we’ve got even more to enjoy! #LastManStanding may be canceled and Allen may (or may not) have hung up the beard and red hat for good, but he isn’t done with Christmas just yet. In fact, Allen’s heading to the holiday season once again for the dark Netflix comedy, El Camino Christmas. Plus, Tim’s set to reprise the role of Buzz Lightyear for Toy Story 4, which is due out in 2019!

(Source: Norm Macdonald Live via Comicbook.com)