Did You Know Mickey Rooney Auditioned For 'Bad Santa'? Here's What Happened

When most people think of Mickey Rooney and classic Christmas movies, the first things that likely come to mind are his iconic portrayals of jolly old St. Nick. Starting with the iconic Rankin/Bass stop-motion gem Santa Claus Is Coming to Town in 1969 and running all the way to 2008 with A Miser Brothers' Christmas, he was the voice of Santa for many throughout the years. According to writers Glenn Ficara and John Requa, however, Rooney was being considered for a much raunchier holiday-themed role - as Billy Bob Thornton's elf assistant Marcus in the black comedy Bad Santa. During an interview with Collider's own Steve Weintraub for Rabbit Hole, Ficara and Requa told the story of Rooney's audition and their inspiration behind Marcus.