Who plays the real Satan in Dear Santa? Everything to know about the actor behind the role

Dear Santa, a Christmas comedy film, revolves around the life of an 11-year-old dyslexic boy named Liam who misspells Santa as Satan in his letter to Santa Claus. Jack Black plays the role of Satan, a demon that grants the fourth-grade kid three wishes in exchange for his soul. When Satan pays a visit to Liam the day after he posts his letter, he does not clarify that he isn't Father Christmas.

However, when his best friend Gibby points out his error, Liam comes up with a clever solution. If he only uses two out of his three wishes, the devil can't claim his soul.

Dear Santa effectively blends the feel-good vibes of holiday films with the darkness of adult comedy movies. Liam must navigate the complexities of being a dyslexic and shy pre-teen while staying true to the holiday spirit.

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Jack Black portrays his excellent comedic timing in Dear Santa (Image via Getty)

Despite being granted three wishes, he uses two of his wishes selflessly to help Gibby fix his teeth (he has an overbite) and help his parents avoid getting divorced. Only his first wish is seemingly a little less selfless—he wants to take his crush, his classmate Emma, to a Post Malone concert.

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Dear Santa: Jack Black plays Satan

Jack Black brings his excellent comedic timing and his high energy to the role of Satan in Dear Santa. Despite the film reportedly receiving a tepid response from viewers, Black’s enthusiastic portrayal of the demon has received praise. Some said it was the saving grace of the movie.

One critic on the popular reviewing website Rotten Tomatoes wrote:

"Black's manic energy generates some goofy laughs in this holiday comedy with a thin premise that’s otherwise short on seasonal cheer."

Another critic said:

"Although I’m not really sure who this weird little holiday movie is made for, the premise is funny, Jack Black is a hoot, and the irreverent jokes made me laugh. It’s actually not that bad, despite all things pointing to it being unwatchably awful."

In the movie, besides focusing on the three wishes granted to Liam, director Bobby Farrelly also portrays family dynamics between Liam and his parents. Having recently lost their son Spencer and moving into a new town, Liam's parents enlist the help of a psychologist when they hear that he's making deals with the devil.

His parents also have many arguments, sparking his need to rescue them from a divorce as his third wish.

Besides Black, Dear Santa stars Robert Timothy Smith in his acting debut as Liam Turner, Keegan Michael-Key as Liam's psychologist, Jaden Carson Baker as Gibby, Kai Cech as Emma, Brianne Howey as Molly Turner and Hayes MacArthur as Bill Turner. Viewers are rewarded by a brief cameo of Ben Stiller as Lucifer.

The movie is written by director Bobby Farrelly's sibling Peter Farrelly and Ricky Blitt.

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Jack Black's career highlights

Jack Black is an American actor, comedian, and musician who is known for playing unique roles in family and comedy films. He has played roles in The Cable Guy, Mars Attacks!, School of Rock, and The Holiday.

In Nacho Libre, Black combined elements of sports and comedy to portray a Mexican professional wrestler and missionary. He has played roles in the Jumanji movie series, Goosebumps, and High Fidelity.

He gained fame for his performance as a substitute teacher and an amateur rock music enthusiast in School of Rock.

Black's most recent roles include the voice of Panda in the Kung-Fu Panda series and Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Black’s newest movie, Dear Santa, is available to stream on Paramount+.