Krumholtz is handling this with humor and grace, laughing about his meager earnings while highlighting how the residual system works against actors over time. He's staying positive and focusing on his current projects.
The internet is having a field day with this one — $150 a year for a role in one of Disney's most profitable holiday franchises? People are questioning why actors even bother fighting for better residuals when the math is this brutal.
Krumholtz spoke to Page Six on May 26, 2026 at the press day for 'Are You Now or Have You Ever Been.' He estimates his annual Santa Clause residuals at $150 per year, while Oppenheimer brings him just $12.73 per check.
The math doesn't lie — decades of beloved work in a holiday classic franchise barely puts gas money in Krumholtz's tank. Meanwhile, studios continue raking in millions every December. If this isn't proof that the residual system is broken, nothing is.
Remember Bernard the Head Elf from 'The Santa Clause'? The guy who made Christmas magic happen for Tim Allen's Scott Calvin? Well, turns out that role has earned David Krumholtz approximately $150 per year — and he's not exactly thrilled about it.
Speaking with Page Six at a press event on May 26, 2026, the 48-year-old actor pulled back the curtain on Hollywood's brutal residual system in a way that's equal parts educational and devastating. "They're minimal because the movie plays so much," Krumholtz explained. "This is how residuals work: every time it plays, you make less.
It's a grade scale." Translation? The more beloved a film becomes, the less individual checks get — a twisted economics lesson that most fans never consider while binge-watching holiday classics in December. Krumholtz played Bernard across two films in the franchise — 1994's original 'The Santa Clause' and its 2002 sequel — but notably did not return for the third installment in 2006.
He did, however, pop up in Disney+'s 2022 streaming series continuation of the franchise. Despite that recent appearance, the numbers clearly haven't budged meaningfully in his favor. For context on just how wild this residual situation is, consider: Krumholtz says his current biggest earner isn't a Christmas movie at all — it's Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer,' which dominated theaters in 2023 and cleaned up at award season.
When Page Six pressed him for an actual number from that film's residuals, he jokingly shot back, "That's none of your business! What kind of question is that?" before admitting the uncomfortable truth: "It's $12.73. It's enough to buy a hot dog in New York." $12.73.
From one of the biggest films of the past decade. Meanwhile, Krumholtz has built an impressively diverse career spanning '10 Things I Hate About You,' the 'Harold & Kumar' franchise, and six seasons of CBS's 'Numb3rs.' He's currently gracing off-Broadway stages in New York City Center's revival of 'Are You Now or Have You Ever Been,' a production that uses original transcripts from the House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings.
He plays comedy writer Abe Burrows, who famously cooperated with investigators during those dark days of entertainment industry blacklisting. "It's essentially cancel culture in those times," Krumholtz noted, drawing parallels between historical McCarthy-era tactics and modern public scrutiny. "If someone was attempting to cancel me today for what I felt was an unjust reason, I suppose I'd do anything to get out of it.
I love acting, and I love my career. I need it." He didn't blame Abe but observed that his character "didn't do a very good job at being opaque about his desire to get the hell out of trouble." Whether he's dissecting Hollywood's financial inequities or embodying complex historical figures facing impossible choices, Krumholtz continues proving he's far more than just a pointy-eared elf. But let's be real — when your holiday legacy pays less than most people's streaming subscriptions, it might be time to renegotiate some contracts.
