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Two words send chills throughout Victorian London: "Bah! Humbug!" At least until – 183-year-old spoiler alert! – Ebenezer Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas.
Everyone knows the plot of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella "A Christmas Carol" by now – it's one of the most influential, and adapted, literary works ever. It's been turned into plays, movies and TV shows, from straightforward retellings to parodies and creative reimaginings. Scrooge himself is one of pop culture's most timeless characters, and the latest take is from a fellow icon: Johnny Depp puts on a top hat and a bad
attitude for director Ti West's "Ebenezer" (in theaters now), where the title miser gets taken by a trio of phantoms – the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, naturally – on an eye-opening journey of self-discovery.
Where does Depp rank in the Ebenezer pantheon? Here are the 20 best screen Scrooges, ranked.
20. Matthew McConaughey ('Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,' 2009)
OK, so Matthew McConaughey is greedier about lovers than money here. This makes the list simply for the massive swing from the usual "Christmas Carol" formula, with McConaughey on the charm offensive as a womanizer who learns to be less of a scoundrel. Plus he gets a ton of help from Emma Stone as a lively teen girl ghost.
19. Luke Evans ('Scrooge: A Christmas Carol,' 2022)
This twist on the story is a sing-song spectacle rather than supernatural spectacular, and it takes Scrooge on a weirder and more psychedelic trip than other adaptations. Evans voices Ebenezer with the right amount of haughtiness – even if he's a bit too terrified all the time – for one of the versions best to entertain youngsters.
18. Jim Carrey ('A Christmas Carol,' 2009)
While the motion-capture animation style is sort of weird, Jim Carrey's over-the-top silliness comes through as Scrooge is put through cartoonish shenanigans in his quest to stop being such a jerk. And Carrey's Ebenezer is definitely a grump, even if not an impressively nuanced one.
17. Daniel Smith ('Scrooge, or Marley’s Ghost,' 1901)
Let's give it up for the OG. This "Scrooge" was the first cinematic adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," and the footage that still exists is a fascinating watch with its use of visual effects and Daniel Smith putting that premier stamp on Ebenezer as the ghost of his dead partner Jacob Marley tries to show him the error of his ways.
16. Kelsey Grammer ('A Christmas Carol: The Musical,' 2004)
Kelsey Grammer is no stranger to playing a grouch. (Frasier Crane, anyone?) He sings plenty and also completely hams it up as the Scrooge of the 2004 NBC TV adaptation of a 1990s Alan Menken musical. Grammer is an OK choice, even if he could've been way more crotchety, for a colorful, rather safe version of Dickens' story.
15. Vanessa Williams ('A Diva's Christmas Carol,' 2000)
The lineup of folks who've played Scrooge is pretty much a sausage fest. The character has always been kind of a diva, though, and this "Christmas" remix casts the extremely game Vanessa Williams as Ebony Scrooge, an egotistical and chilly pop superstar who's alienated everyone around her and could use a ghostly comeuppance.
14. Christopher Plummer ('The Man Who Invented Christmas,' 2017)
The dramedy flips the script on Charles Dickens and his holiday masterpiece. Played by Dan Stevens, the British author is desperate for a literary hit and visited not by spirits but his own creation, Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), who acts as a cranky source of motivation for Dickens to finish "A Christmas Carol."
13. Ryan Reynolds ('Spirited' 2022)
In a musical buddy comedy that puts a modern spin on the traditional "Carol," Ryan Reynolds is a snarky, Scrooge-y PR guy who creates chaos and conflict for his clients. He's labeled unredeemable, though the good-hearted Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) goes out of his way to give him a second chance.
12. Mister Magoo ('Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol,' 1962)
For those who grew up on Frosty and Rudolph as holiday staples, Mister Magoo (voiced by Jim Backus) was many kids' first exposure to the Dickens classic. The animated TV special veered meta with the source material, as the nearly blind and crabby Magoo plays a fun and adorable Scrooge in a stage production of "A Christmas Carol."
11. Seymour Hicks ('Scrooge,' 1935)
By the time British actor Seymour Hicks played the title role in 1935, he had portrayed Scrooge on stage many times and also starred in a 1913 silent film. So there was a scowling, lived-in gravitas and even a hint of madness that Hicks brought to Ebenezer in a "Christmas Carol" influential in its use of sound.
10. Johnny Depp ('Ebenezer,' 2026)
Scrooge might be a stretch for some actors. Among the weird menagerie of characters that Johnny Depp has played over the years, Ebenezer's just another one of the guys. In Ti West's horror-tinged movie, Depp brings a deliciously sarcastic wit but also palpable regret to his Scrooge as the aging skinflint goes on a revelatory quest to get right with Christmas.
9. Guy Pearce ('A Christmas Carol,' 2019)
The FX miniseries expands the scope of "A Christmas Carol" and immerses Guy Pearce's steely Scrooge in psychological horror. Pearce's performance benefits from just having a lot more runway to explore with the character, with an especially nasty backstory that really makes him a heel but nicely sets up the satisfying turn.
8. Scrooge McDuck ('Mickey’s Christmas Carol,' 1983)
Scrooge McDuck (voiced by Alan Young) is sort of a no-brainer to portray his namesake. Disney's Oscar-nominated animated short plays it surprisingly straightforward tackling Dickens, with Mickey Mouse getting the spotlight as Bob Cratchit but Scrooge stealing the show as, well, Scrooge. It's a close second to McDuck's real greatest hit, "Ducktales."
7. Reginald Owen ('A Christmas Carol,' 1938)
Reginald Owen took over for Lionel Barrymore when the latter dropped out, and he wound up headlining a hit film that took Dickens' story to a new level of recognition. And portraying a winning contrast between irascible misery and freeing catharsis, Owen became the face of Scrooge for a moviegoing public – his most famous role in a deep filmography.
6. Michael Caine ('The Muppet Christmas Carol,' 1992)
The magic of the legendary Michael Caine's performance as Scrooge comes in how straight he plays his Scrooge alongside the beloved Muppets. The thespian treats Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie the Bear and more like true costars, be it with resting mean face early on or his infectious glee later in the song-filled delight.
5. Albert Finney ('Scrooge,' 1970)
Albert Finney won a Golden Globe for playing old Ebenezer in a "Christmas Carol" that might put off the more hardcore Dickens nuts who like the darker stuff. Yet it's easy to at least appreciate if not adore this earnest, humorous and ultimately rousing performance that keeps the lighthearted and musical "Scrooge" humming.
4. Bill Murray ('Scrooged,' 1988)
"Scrooged" is the best Christmas movie ever. And a big reason why this modern Dickens reimagining works so well is Bill Murray. His outrageous and go-for-broke turn as ruthless, ratings-obsessed TV executive Frank Cross powers the pitch-perfect blend of slapstick and black humor with a great big beating heart.
3. Alastair Sim ('A Christmas Carol,' 1951)
When it comes to bringing a true warmth to the testy Scrooge, no one did it better than Alastair Sim. For sure, his portrayal of Ebenezer also leans into the needed haunted tragedy in the popular 1951 adaptation, but when that giddiness hits after a fateful visit from the Ghost of Christmas Future, you're in for something special.
2. Patrick Stewart ('A Christmas Carol,' 1999)
In the late 1980s and '90s, Patrick Stewart took a one-man "Christmas Carol" stage play around the world, performing as all the characters. He needed to do only one in the TNT TV movie: The "Star Trek" icon's Scrooge is an acting masterclass, unfolding the well-told character arc with effortless charm and an unmistakable magnetism that's missed even more given his recent death.
1. George C. Scott ('A Christmas Carol,' 1984)
George C. Scott probably isn't a lot of folks' top Scrooge pick, and he's better known for other roles ("Patton," "Dr. Strangelove"). However, Scott gave us the most complete Scrooge of them all in a supernaturally grounded TV movie version of Dickens' narrative. There's not a false note from the Oscar winner as he moves from a gruff businessman who can't be bothered with Christmas or kindness to a redeemed figure finally seeing the error of his ways. Scott brilliantly captures the authenticity that made "A Christmas Carol" a holiday classic, and even among some heavyweight Scrooges, he brings a believability and commitment to arguably the world's most famous ghost story that's unmatched.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The best Scrooges of all time, from Johnny Depp to Patrick Stewart
