The Grinch is a fictional character created by Dr. Seuss. He is best known as the main character of the 1957 children's book '' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' He has been portrayed and voiced by many different actors, including

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...

, Hans Conried, Bob Holt, Anthony Asbury,

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy t ...

Rik Mayall Richard Michael Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English actor, stand-up comedian and writer. He formed a close partnership with Ade Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University and was a pioneer of alternative ...

, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matthew Morrison and David Howard Thornton.

Character description

The Grinch is depicted as a green, pot-bellied, furry, pear-shaped, snub-nosed creature with a cat-like face and cynical personality. In full-color adaptations, he is typically colored yellow green. He has spent the past 53 years living in seclusion on a cliff, overlooking the town of Whoville. In contrast to the cheerful Whos, the Grinch is misanthropic, ill-natured, and mean-tempered. The reason for this is a source of speculation; the consensus among the Whos is that he was born with a heart that they say was "two sizes too small". Though always hateful, he especially hates the Christmas season, making particular note of how disturbing the various noises of

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

time are to him, including the singing of

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...

s. Unable to stand the holiday any longer, he decides to destroy it once and for all. Aided by his pet dog, Max, he meticulously designs a red suit to disguise himself as

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

and breaks into the Whos' homes on

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

while they sleep to steal everything they own, right down to the last crumb of food they have, and dump it off of a nearby mountain. Although he pulls off the theft successfully, on Christmas morning, he is shocked to hear the Whos still singing cheerfully, happy simply to have each other. He then realizes that the holiday has a deeper meaning that he never considered. Inspired, he stops the Whos' belongings from falling off the edge of the mountain, and in the process, his heart grows "three sizes". He returns all the gifts he stole and gladly takes part in the Whos' Christmas celebration. The Grinch is still portrayed as a bitter and ill-tempered character in artwork or other media. In both the animated TV special and the 2000 live-action film, he is shown to have superhuman strength when he stops an entire sleigh loaded with presents from going over a cliff and lifts it over his head, and he is also described as " indingthe strength of ten Grinches plus two" during that moment of crisis. In the 2018 film, the Grinch has assistance saving all the Whos' stolen goods. With the character's anti-Christmas spirit followed by the transformation on Christmas morning, scholars have noted similarity to

Ebenezer Scrooge Ebenezer Scrooge () is the protagonist of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella '' A Christmas Carol''. At the beginning of the novella, Scrooge is a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas. The tale of his redemption by three spirits (the Ghos ...

from

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

' 1843 novella ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas ...

''. Cardiologist David Kass suggested that the rapid growth of the Grinch's heart at the end of the story indicates that the Grinch has the physiology of a

Burmese python The Burmese python (''Python bivittatus'') is one of the largest species of snakes. It is native to a large area of Southeast Asia and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Until 2009, it was considered a subspecies of the Indian pytho ...

. In Seuss's book, "no one quite knows the reason" for the Grinch's grudge. In contrast, the 2000 film adaptation provides a

backstory A backstory, background story, back-story, or background is a set of events invented for a plot, presented as preceding and leading up to that plot. It is a literary device of a narrative history all chronologically earlier than the narrative o ...

in his upbringing: abandoned in infancy in Whoville and left in the cold, unnoticed by the revelers at a Christmas party, the Grinch is taken in by two Who women. He proves an unruly schoolboy and is bullied by a schoolmate, Augustus May Who (later Whoville's mayor), but falls for a Who-girl named Martha May Whovier. Determined to impress her, he uses various family heirlooms to make an angel Christmas tree-topper for a Christmas gift exchange and vainly attempts to shave, then is mocked for his efforts by all at school but Martha and so conceives an abiding resentment. The TV special ''

The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat ''The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat'' (also known as ''The Cat in the Hat Gets Grinched'') is a 1982 American Emmy Award-winning animated musical television special and crossover starring ''The Cat in the Hat'' and The Grinch. It premiered ...

'' lays much of the blame on the absence of the Grinch's mother, who had been a positive, nurturing influence on the Grinch in her lifetime but died some time prior; when the Grinch is finally provoked to grieve at the end of that special, he returns to being good.

History

The first use of the word 'Grinch' in a work by Dr. Seuss appears in the 1953 book '' Scrambled Eggs Super!'' (one of the books withdrawn from circulation by the Seuss estate in 2021) about Peter T. Hooper, a boy who collects eggs from a number of exotic birds to make scrambled eggs. One of these exotic birds is the "Beagle-Beaked-Bald-Headed Grinch" who shares the later Grinch's cantankerous attitude. The name later appeared in the May 1955 issue of ''

Redbook ''Redbook'' is an American women's magazine that is published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the " Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines. It ceased print publication as of January 2019 and now operates an article-comprise ...

'' in a 32-line poem called, "The Hoobub and the Grinch." This version bears virtually no resemblance to the later character other than name, instead being a fast-talking salesman in the vein of Sylvester McMonkey McBean from ''

The Sneetches ''The Sneetches and Other Stories'' is a collection of stories by American children's author Dr. Seuss, published in 1961. It is composed of four separate stories with themes of tolerance, diversity, and compromise: "The Sneetches", "The Zax", ...

'' and the Once-ler from Seuss's later book ''

The Lorax ''The Lorax'' is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, the titular character, who "speaks for the trees" and confronts the Once-ler, a business magnate who causes ...

''. "The Hoobub and the Grinch" would be republished as part of the posthumous anthology '' Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories'' in 2014, in which the illustration draws this Grinch far differently. The Grinch, in his best known incarnation, made his book debut in the 1957 story ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas'', written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss, published as both a

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

book and in an issue of ''Redbook'' magazine. In 1966, the story was adapted into an animated television featurette of the same name, which was directed by

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, pro ...

and included the song "

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is a Christmas song that was originally written and composed for the 1966 animated special '' Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''. History The lyrics were written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, the music ...

serves as both the story's narrator and the voice of the Grinch, but the song was sung by

Thurl Ravenscroft Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft (; February 6, 1914May 22, 2005) was an American actor and bass singer. He was known as one of the booming voices behind Kellogg's Frosted Flakes animated spokesman Tony the Tiger for more than five decades. He was also ...

, as Karloff could not sing. In 1977, Seuss responded to the fan request for more Grinch tales by writing '' Halloween Is Grinch Night''. The Grinch is voiced by Hans Conried. This was followed in 1982, when Marvel green-lit ''

'', a TV film co-starring

the Cat in the Hat ''The Cat in the Hat'' is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by the American author Theodor Geisel, using the pen name Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red b ...

. The Grinch is voiced by Bob Holt. The special was produced by Dr. Seuss (though under his real name, Ted Geisel). Although not as successful as the original, the two films both received

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

. Several episodes of the 1996 Nick Jr. television show ''

The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss ''The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss'' is an American children's puppet television series based on characters created by Dr. Seuss, produced by The Jim Henson Company. It aired from October 13, 1996, to December 28, 1998, on Nickelodeon. It combin ...

'' feature the Grinch as the main antagonist, this time in puppet form. He was performed and voiced by Anthony Asbury from Season 1 (1996) to Season 2 (1998). A 2000 live-action feature musical comedy film based on the story, directed by

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...

and starring

as the Grinch, was a major success at the box office. A video game based on the film, simply entitled '' The Grinch'', was released on several consoles and PC in the same year. It was followed in 2007 by the release of the

Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in t ...

title '' Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''. The Grinch was portrayed on the stage when the story was turned into a 1994 musical by the Children's Theater Company out of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

. The show made it to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

by way of a limited run in 2006. Icelandic actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson portrayed the Grinch in the touring production of the musical from 2008 to 2015. The Grinch is also a minor character in the 2000 musical '' Seussical'', which is based on multiple Seuss works. The Grinch's story was adapted for a 2018 animated film by Illumination Entertainment, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character. On Wednesday, December 9, 2020, NBC aired the holiday live production, '' Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical Live!'' based on the Broadway stage musical. Booboo Stewart plays young Max, Amelia Minto plays

Cindy Lou Who ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' is a Christmas children's story by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It follows the Grinch, a grouchy, solitary creature who tries to cancel Christmas by ste ...

, Denis O'Hare plays old Max and Matthew Morrison stars as the Grinch. The musical includes songs from the original musical, such as "

". On October 7, 2022, XYZ Films announced that they were producing a horror film interpretation, starring David Howard Thornton as the "Mean One", a spoof of the Grinch character.

Voice actors and portrayals

In many different movies, specials, and television series, the Grinch has been voiced and played by many different characters throughout many films. In

' 1966 television special, the Grinch was voiced by

before he died three years later in 1969. Hans Conried voiced the character in '' Halloween Is Grinch Night'' while Bob Holt voiced the character in ''

'', a crossover with one of Dr. Seuss' characters

The Cat in the Hat ''The Cat in the Hat'' is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by the American author Theodor Geisel, using the pen name Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red b ...

. In an episode of ''

Tiny Toon Adventures ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' is an American animated comedy television series that was broadcast from September 14, 1990, to December 6, 1992. It was the first collaborative effort of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation a ...

'', the Grinch was voiced by

Homer Simpson Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' short ...

's voice actor

Dan Castellaneta Daniel Louis Castellaneta (; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Abraham "Grampa" ...

. Castellaneta would later work on another Dr. Seuss project in 2003's ''

'' as the voice of Thing One and Two.

Walter Matthau Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), '' King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...

voiced the character in ''Random House Home Video'', a few years before his death. ''

'' also features the Grinch, which he was voiced by actor Anthony Asbury. In ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...

'', the Grinch appeared as a cameo, being voiced by Wally Wingert. The Grinch was voiced by Corey Burton in Seuss Landing and ''Sneech Beach Area''. In

's 2000 '' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' film, the Grinch's first live-action feature, he was played by

. Despite the film having mixed reviews, Carrey's performance as the Grinch was praised by critics. In '' The Grinch'' video game, he was voiced by Josh Gerhardt. Late actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson played the character in '' Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical'' from 2008 until 2015. The Grinch also appeared as a cameo in '' Mad'', being voiced by Stephen Stanton. He also appeared as a cameo in ''

Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The write ...

'', voiced by the series creator

Seth Green Seth Benjamin Green ( ''né'' Gesshel-Green; born February 8, 1974) is an American actor, producer, and writer. Green's film debut came with a role in the comedy-drama film '' The Hotel New Hampshire'' (1984), and he went on to have supportin ...

. In

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

and Illumination's feature shortened to '' The Grinch'' directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney, he was voiced by

Dr. Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...

's actor Benedict Cumberbatch. As well as commercials and short films that Cumberbatch also voiced the Grinch in promoting the 2018 film. In the Grinch's third live-action feature, '' Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical Live!'', he was played by Matthew Morrison. *

('' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''), (1966), (1994; archive recordings, uncredited) * Hans Conried ('' Halloween Is Grinch Night''), (1977) * Bob Holt (''

''), (1982) *

(''

''), (1992) *

(''Random House Home Video''), (1992) * Anthony Asbury (''

''), (1996-1998) * Wally Wingert (''

''), (1999) * Corey Burton ('' Sneech Beach Area'', '' Seuss Landing Street Show''), (1999) *

('' How the Grinch Stole Christmas''), (2000) * Josh Gerhardt ('' The Grinch''), (2000) *

(''The Dr Seuss Collection'', audio CD) (2000) * Stefán Karl Stefánsson ('' Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''), (2008-2015) * Stephen Stanton ('' Mad''), (2010) *

(''

''), (2010, 2012, 2013) * Benedict Cumberbatch ('' The Grinch''), (2018) * Matthew Morrison ('' Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical Live!''), (2020) * David Howard Thornton ('' The Mean One''), (2022)

In popular culture

The Grinch has become an anti-icon of Christmas and the winter holidays, as a symbol of those who despise the holiday, much in the same nature as the earlier character of

. Over the years, the Grinch has appeared on various forms of memorabilia such as Christmas ornaments, plush dolls, and various clothing items. The grumpy, anti-holiday spirit of the character has led to the everyday term "Grinch" coming to refer to a person opposed to Christmas time celebrations or to someone with a coarse, greedy attitude. In 2002, ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...

'' ranked The Grinch number 5 on its "50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time" list. He also made a brief appearance on the television in ''

Home Alone ''Home Alone'' is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. The first film in the ''Home Alone'' franchise, the film stars Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Hea ...

'' and '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York''. The Grumple, from ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

,'' is a green monster who is an obvious parody of the Grinch. In the early hours of Christmas Eve 2018, a group of climbers put a giant Santa hat on

Antony Gormley Sir Antony Mark David Gormley (born 30 August 1950) is a British sculptor. His works include the ''Angel of the North'', a public sculpture in Gateshead in the north of England, commissioned in 1994 and erected in February 1998; '' Another ...

's colossal ''

Angel of the North The ''Angel of the North'' is a contemporary sculpture by Antony Gormley, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Completed in 1998, it is believed to be the largest sculpture of an angel in the world and is viewed by an estimated 33 ...

'' statue (20 metres; 66' high, wingspan 54 metres; 177') near

Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Millennium Bridge, The Sage, and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary ...

, north England. They had attempted to do this, unsuccessfully, for several Christmases. In the early hours of December 29, the pranksters returned, one of them dressed as the Grinch and the others as Santa Claus, and the Grinch "stole" Santa's hat.

References

External links

All about The Grinch
on

Official Website. *
Grinch
at

Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
from the original on February 5, 2016. {{DEFAULTSORT:Grinch Villains in animated television series Christmas characters Dr. Seuss characters Fantasy film characters Literary characters introduced in 1957 Male characters in film Male characters in literature Fictional hermits Fictional humanoids Fictional thieves Male film villains Male literary villains The Grinch (franchise) Male characters in animation