Why The Cast Of Scrooge: A Christmas Carol Sounds So Familiar

Since its publication in 1843, Charles Dickens' novella "A Christmas Carol" has undergone a staggering number of adaptations in virtually every media form, from feature and made-for-TV films to live theater and radio productions, graphic novels, and even operas and ballets. But that massive list doesn't even begin to scratch the sheer number of movies, TV episodes, and animated efforts inspired by Dickens' enduring tale of redemption and transformation. 2022 alone saw two new, distinct takes on "Christmas Carol": the Apple TV+ musical comedy "Spirited" (with Will Ferrell as Dickens' miserly protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge) and the Netflix animated musical feature "Scrooge: A Christmas Carol."

The animated "Scrooge" is actually drawn from another "Christmas Carol" adaptation: The 1970 live-action musical "Scrooge," which starred Albert Finney in a Golden Globe-winning turn in the title role. Though it received mixed reviews upon release, the film ultimately earned four Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, including two each for Leslie Bricusse's songs, which have been carried over to the Netflix production. 

The 2022 "Scrooge" features an impressive cast of performers who bring Dickens' characters to vivid life, including an Oscar winner, several Emmy nominees, two Members of the Order of the British Empire, and one Marvel Cinematic Universe star. If you're wondering why the cast of "Scrooge: A Christmas Carol" sounds so familiar to you, here's the place to put the faces to the voices.

Oscar winner Olivia Colman offers an energized take on the Ghost of Christmas Past in "Scrooge: A Christmas Carol." She's in some ways closer in spirit (no pun intended) to the version depicted in Dickens' novella than the genteel elderly woman played by Dame Edith Evans in the 1970 "Scrooge." Colman's Ghost is an ethereal figure, sporting the bright light described by Dickens as emanating from its head (here, a literal candle), and also possesses the surprising strength of Dickens' Ghost, which she proves by slapping Scrooge across the face to prove that her form has substance. Colman's Ghost also has a lot more chutzpah: she's a fast talker who razzes Scrooge and adds a note of levity before the sad reveal of Scrooge's lost relationship with Isabel (voiced by Jessie Buckley).

Colman graduated from television comedies in her native England during the early 2000s to award-winning turns in dramatic series like "Broadchurch" and feature films like "The Iron Lady" and "The Lobster." She netted a Golden Globe for the 2016 AMC/BBC miniseries "The Night Manager," following it up with an Oscar win for her performance as Queen Anne in "The Favourite." A second Golden Globe and an Emmy came with her run as Queen Elizabeth II in the third and fourth seasons of "The Crown," as did Oscar nominations for "The Father" and "The Lost Daughter." Her busy schedule includes voice-over work for "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' and Marvel's upcoming "Secret Invasion" series for Disney+.

As the ghost of Jacob Marley, Sir Jonathan Pryce warns fellow Welshman Luke Evans of his impending paranormal visitations in "Scrooge: A Christmas Carol." Pryce has had relatively few voice acting roles in his lengthy career as an actor — he was among the actors providing the English-language dub for the French animated feature "Renaissance" — but as a live-action performer, Pryce has appeared in dozens of hugely successful films and television series, netting top awards and nominations for his work.

Adept at both lead and character parts and both American and English roles, Pryce's film career includes appearances as Governor Weatherby Swann in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series and the U.S. President in the "G.I. Joe " films, as well as such popular titles as "Tomorrow Never Dies," "Ronin," and "Glengarry Glen Ross." He collaborated with Terry Gilliam on several occasions, most notably in "Brazil" and "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations as Pope Francis in "The Two Popes." Pryce's television career is equally diverse and acclaimed, with two Emmy nominations and appearances in "The Crown," "Wolf Hall," and "Game of Thrones" (as "the High Sparrow"), while his stage work has netted two Tony Awards, including a celebrated Broadway run in "Miss Saigon."

In Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Nigel Fezziwig employed Scrooge as a young man, giving him the opportunity to see that a successful business owner didn't have to be stingy or mean-spirited. Most adaptations of the novella, including "Scrooge: A Christmas Carol," similarly use Fezziwig as a conduit for Scrooge to meet Belle, the woman whom he loves but also loses to his greed. In "Scrooge," Belle is Fezziwig's daughter, which only compounds the loss he feels when the Ghost of Christmas Past reminds him that he broke away from Fezziwig and Belle to pursue money.

Scottish actor James Cosmo, who voices Fezziwig in "Christmas Carol," is a familiar face to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic for his burly presence in films like "Highlander," "Braveheart," and "Trainspotting." An astonishingly prolific actor with credits reaching back to the mid-1960s, Cosmo graduated from minor roles to character turns in the late 1990s thanks to "Braveheart," which led to appearances as men of action in "Troy," "Wonder Woman," "Outlaw King" with Chris Pine, and a two-year run as the formidable Old Bear, Jeor Mormont, on "Game of Thrones." Cosmo also finished fourth on Season 19 of "Celebrity Big Brother" and dispensed mystical financial advice as a very Jeor-like spokesperson for the Bank of Scotland in a series of popular television commercials.

Stage actor Trevor Dion Nicholas is accustomed to playing outsized characters, having originated the role of the Genie in the London production of "Disney's Aladdin." That experience made him an ideal choice to play the Ghost of Christmas Present, an equally king-sized spirit who attempts to convince Scrooge of the pleasures of Christmas and generosity. The Ghost also warns him about the perils of ignoring others in need, informing him that if Bob Cratchit's son, Tiny Tim, doesn't see a drastic change in his circumstances, the child will most certainly die.

Nicholas, a native of West Virginia, appeared in various theater productions before signing on as an understudy to James Monroe Iglehart's Genie in the Broadway run of "Aladdin" in 2014. He debuted in the role on London's West End in 2016 before tackling George Washington in the London production of "Hamilton." Between these efforts, Nicholas also lent his distinctive voice to several animated projects, including "Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2" and the UK series "Moley," which also featured the voices of Warwick Davis, Stanley Tucci, and Julie Walters.

Child actor Rupert Turnbull voices Bob Cratchit's youngest son, Tiny Tim, in "Scrooge." Information is limited on Turnbull — his bio at London's Bridge Theatre mainly notes that he studied at the Sylvia Young Theatre School — but he appears to have amassed an impressive number of credits in a short period of time. In addition to a 2017 appearance opposite Rory Kinnear in the farce "Young Marx" at the Bridge Theater, Turnbull played Tim Roth's ill-fated son on the Sky Atlantic series "Tin Star" in 2017, and enjoyed guest appearances on "The Alienist" (with Luke Evans) and the UK series "Mrs. Wilson" and "Professor T."

Turnbull's feature work is limited. He had an uncredited role as a boy with red hair in Disney's live-action "Christopher Robin," and a minor appearance in "Nativity Rocks!", the fourth entry in the British family comedy film series "Nativity!" His turn as Tiny Tim appears to be his most substantial role to date.