A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for beloved actor, Ken Hudson Campbell, after the actor was diagnosed with cancer in October. Campbell reportedly needs invasive surgery to remove the tumor followed by months of chemo and recovery. So far the campaign has made $65,000 out of a $100,000 goal, showing there is lots of support for the actor out there.
The actor is most well known for his appearance in Home Alone, but more recently you may have seen him in films like Digging to Death or Above Ground. That said, his most iconic acting credit will always be the 1990 Christmas classic. But who did he actually play in the holiday flick?
Ken Hudson Campbell’s role in Home Alone
Although he’s not in the film for particularly long, his short scene is a heartwarming one. Campbell plays the grouchy Santa impersonator in the scene where Kevin asks for his family back instead of presents for Christmas. If you don’t remember the scene, then you clearly haven’t re-watched Home Alone enough times, but don’t worry you can check it out above.
It’s one of the best scenes in the movie and Campbell plays his character just right, balancing the cynical attitude of a real person working on Christmas Eve with the warmth you’d imagine the real Santa to have. Despite him only having one scene in the movie, many fans still remember him for this role over 30 years later.
It would be great to see Campbell return to the role if they were to make another Home Alone movie, and yes in case you’re wondering, they are still making them. The last film had Devin Ratray return as Buzz, so maybe we could see grouchy, working-class Santa return in the next film.
Ken Hudson Campbell’s other roles
Home Alone was actually one of his very first acting roles, Campbell went on to make a few TV appearances as well as a role in Groundhog Day in the early nineties. He continued to take small roles on shows like Seinfeld before landing a more substantial role in the Michael Bay blockbuster: Armageddon.
Since the turn of the millennium, he’s kept busy with more TV roles, movie roles and voice acting roles like Gravity Falls and the 2019 animated film, Wonder Park. Campbell is also returning to voice his character from Wonder Park in a 12-episode series coming out next year. However, battling cancer will make it hard for him to continue working, which is where the GoFundMe comes in, hopefully, with the generous donations of fans, the stress of medical bills can be alleviated somewhat.