Actor David Krumholtz said that he receives approximately $2,000 per year [1] in residual checks from the 1994 film The Santa Clause.

The revelation provides a rare glimpse into the financial realities of long-term residuals for actors in legacy films that remain popular decades after release.

Krumholtz, who played the character Bernard the Elf, detailed his earnings in an interview with Page Six that was republished by Yahoo. He said that the payments are relatively small despite the film's continued presence on television and streaming platforms.

According to Krumholtz, the payment structure for these residuals is based on a specific scale. He said that the amount decreases as the film is aired more frequently over time.

"They’re minimal because the movie plays so much," Krumholtz said.

He further explained the mechanism behind the declining payments, saying, "It’s a grade scale – every time it plays, you make less."

Residuals are payments made to creators and performers when a production is reused, such as through syndication, or home media sales. While some high-profile stars negotiate significant backend deals, many supporting actors operate under standard union scales that can diminish as a project ages.

Krumholtz's experience highlights the gap between a film's cultural longevity and the ongoing financial returns for the cast. While The Santa Clause remains a staple of the holiday season, the actual checks delivered to the actors reflect the tiered nature of industry contracts.

“They’re minimal because the movie plays so much.”

This disclosure underscores the volatility of residual income in the entertainment industry. It demonstrates that frequent airing of a classic film does not necessarily result in proportional wealth for the cast, as contractual 'grade scales' can actually reduce payments as a movie becomes more saturated in the market.