Talent agency Scene to Believe recruiting dozens of WA Santas in lead up to Christmas
Talent agency Scene to Believe is on the hunt for dozens of West Australians to spread the spirit of Christmas and dress up as Santa, Mrs Claus and their elves this festive season.
Santa character manager Viviana Diaz said the demand for Santa's had skyrocketed and said she was looking to hire around 40 Santas this Christmas.
'Every year we have more and more bookings (for people to meet Santa), more people are looking for joy and hope,' she said.
'Everyone that is Santa is here because they have it in their heart, it's just lovely to work around kind people.
'You don't have to look like Santa, you have to have the personality to be Santa, so you have to be caring and sharing.'
Ms Diaz said successful applicants were sent to 'Santa School' to learn the secrets of Christmas.
'At Santa School we learn about posture, we also learn how to approach different personalities and how to connect with people,' she said.
'You are going to (learn) how to walk and how to perform your 'ho ho ho's.''
Ray Sorensen has been donning the red suit for the past eight years and says it feels like being on holiday 'all year round.'
'I just love it,' he said.
'I keep coming back purely because of the children and the people that I meet.
'It's a joy to watch (the children) overcoming challenges like the frightened child ... sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
'Generally children don't really understand (what's going on) until they (are told) three magic words: Christmas, Santa, presents.'
Mr Sorensen said the secret to being the perfect Santa was to 'be yourself' and 'love the children.'
'Don't expect anything, just go with them and get the empathy that you have within yourself,' he said.
'You'll have times when it's going to be really sad ... the tears and the joy make it all wonderful.'
His advice to young ones to stay on the nice list?
'Be kind, be helpful, tidy your room ... and pick up your clothes and toys,' Mr Sorensen said.
'It's just the little things that you do to make your parents and grandparents happy, it's those little things that make the difference.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Chris Columbus: Home Alone reboot would be a 'mistake'
Chris Columbus thinks it would be a "mistake" to reboot Home Alone. The 66-year-old filmmaker directed the 1990 Christmas classic and its 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York - which were both written by John Hughes and starred Macaulay Culkin - and he believes it would be impossible to capture the magic of the films so far into the future. He told Entertainment Tonight: 'I think Home Alone really exists as, not at this timepiece, but it was this very special moment, and you can't really recapture that. I think it's a mistake to try to go back and recapture something we did 35 years ago. "I think it should be left alone.' His comment came after Macaulay recently teased potentially reprising his role as Kevin McCallister if the salary was right. But he said during a screening of the film and a Q+A session: 'I have ideas, but I don't have time to write anything with my two children." Following the first two movies, the Home Alone franchise continued with Home Alone 3 (1997), Home Alone 4 (2002), Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012) and Home Sweet Home Alone (2021), but with other child actors at the forefront. And in 2018, Ryan Reynolds was attached to produce an R-rated reboot for Fox titled Stoned Alone, but the project has not progressed. Meanwhile, Chris previously admitted he wished he could erase US President Donald Trump's cameo from Home Alone 2: Lose in New York, branding his appearance a "curse". In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, he declared: 'I just wish it was gone. 'If I cut it, I'll probably be sent out of the country. I'll be considered sort of not fit to live in the United States, so I'll have to go back to Italy or something.' The seven-second appearance by Trump came when Macaulay's character checked into the Plaza Hotel and asked a man in the lobby for directions, seemingly oblivious to the fact it was the then-owner of the facility. Trump gave a simple reply and walked off screen. In a 2020 interview with Business Insider, Chris said the future president 'bullied his way into the movie' after only allowing filming to take place at the hotel if he could have a cameo role. He said: 'We paid the fee, but he also said, 'The only way you can use the Plaza is if I'm in the movie'.' However, Trump later claimed Chris had 'begged' him to be in the movie. He wrote on his Truth Social platform: 'I was very busy, and didn't want to do it. He added: 'They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history! That little cameo took off like a rocket… now, however, 30 years later, Columbus (what was his real name?) put out a statement that I bullied myself into the movie. Nothing could be further from the truth.'
7NEWS
2 days ago
- 7NEWS
Former Home and Away stars Kate Ritchie and Isla Fisher share a peek into their 31-year friendship
Actress Isla Fisher has shared a sweet tribute to her close friend and former Home and Away co-star Kate Ritchie. On Thursday, Fisher posted a series of photos on her Instagram story to celebrate the radio host turning 47. 'Happy Birthday to the most beautiful soul inside and out! I (heart emoji) you!,' Fisher wrote alongside a throwback picture titled '31 years of friendship'. Fisher and Ritchie starred alongside each other on Seven Network's beloved soap Home and Away more than three decades ago. Fisher played Shannon Reed from 1994 to 1997 and Ritchie played Sally Fletcher from 1988 to 2008, with a brief reappearance in 2013. The two have remained close friends since first meeting on the show, with the pair often documenting their catch-ups when they're in the same country. In December, Ritchie flew to London — where Fisher currently lives — for a special Christmas reunion. 'I'm really good friends with lots of Aussies,' Fisher told 9honey at the time. 'I love Kate Ritchie.' The former TV star returned to the airwaves on August 8, following a six-month mental health break from her Nova radio show Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie. Ritchie had announced in February she was taking a break from the show. At the time, The Daily Mail had published photos of Ritchie on the phone looking distressed. The mum-of-one called out the paparazzi for invading her privacy, bravely revealing the toll it had taken on her health. Speaking on-air about her return, Ritchie revealed she was overcome with gratitude by all of the support she has received. 'The amount of people who have reached out to me over this period of time, and since earlier in the year, has been absolutely mind-blowing,' Ritchie said. 'So if you're listening and you were one of those people that reached out, or stopped me in the street. 'Or even just smiled at me over the tomatoes in Harris Farm. 'For people to bother to actually say, without being intrusive, 'Hey, it's really nice to see you, hope you're doing well. I can't wait to hear you back on the radio' ... 'Thank you for bothering, because I read all of those messages and they made all the difference.' Ritchie added kindness is what kept her going during this challenging time. 'Despite all of the support and the love I feel, I didn't do it for anyone else — I did it for me,' Ritchie shared.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Sky News AU
‘They're starting to pull back and are less committed to her brand': Netflix ‘don't know what to do' with Meghan Markle
Netflix are reportedly 'slowly pulling back' from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry despite agreeing to a new 'first look' deal with the Sussexes. The Sussexes recently rolled over to a new 'first look' deal with the streaming giant following the expiration of their five year, $100 million contract. That contract produced the wildly popular Harry and Meghan 'docu-series' spilling royal secrets, but subsequent projects like Polo disappeared without a trace. Under the terms of the updated deal, Netflix has first run at any Sussex projects in the pipeline but is under no obligation to green light or fund Harry and Meghan's ideas. Celebrity chef Jameson Stocks, who said earlier this year that he declined an offer to work on Markle's cooking series, believes Netflix will struggle to utilise the Sussexes. 'I think Netflix will get to a point where they won't know what to do with her anymore and she might end up in an office job at Netflix headquarters,' he told the Express newspaper on Thursday. The TV chef also speculated that Meghan's decision to focus on the cooking and lifestyle space may end up limiting her career prospects. 'She won't stray from cooking, and Netflix along with other investors have invested heavily in her and her lifestyle brand (As Ever),' he said. 'Netflix's recent temporary contract extension, which is paid per show, suggests they're starting to pull back and are less committed to her brand than they were a few years ago. 'It seems to me that Netflix is placing a few more bets now, hoping to recover some of the money they've lost…. Netflix are a powerhouse, they can take the hit financially.' The warning comes after Netflix dropped the 'season two' trailer for With Love, Meghan. In the trailer, Markle showed a glimpse of her upcoming celebrity guests, including the likes of celebrity guru Jay Shetty and model Chrissy Teigen. While the timing of the trailer appeared to show the streamer's confidence in the Duchess of Sussex, those episodes were actually already in the can and were shot back-to-back with the first season last year. It is understood the first original project under the Sussexes' new deal will be a Christmas-themed special entitled With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration.
