Alexandra Breckenridge never expected to play Santa Claus — but a nearly forgotten TV appearance from more than a decade ago quietly paved the way. The Virgin River star leads Netflix’s new holiday rom-com My Secret Santa, premiering Dec. 3, in a role that pushes her far outside her usual dramatic comfort zone.
Breckenridge plays Taylor, a struggling single mother who disguises herself as an elderly man to land a job as Santa at a luxury ski resort, all to secure her daughter’s future. The actress revealed that producer Howard Braunstein specifically remembered her comedic turn in a single episode of Fox’s short-lived 2014 series Rake — and never forgot it.
That performance convinced him she could pull off the physical comedy, prosthetics, and voice work required for the role. For Breckenridge, the casting was both surprising and rewarding, allowing her to explore comedy while delivering heartfelt emotion beneath the holiday humor.
