Actor Hal Landon Jr. is the antithesis of Scrooge

Hal Landon Jr. is just “Hal” to most people who know him — or Scrooge.

Landon has played the bitter old miser, who finds himself on a journey of self-redemption, for 35 seasons at South Coast Repertory.

As the central character in “A Christmas Carol,” Landon has seen generations grow up with the theater production in Costa Mesa.

When he takes the stage this Friday to mark his 36th season of playing the cold-hearted curmudgeon who despises Christmas, Landon will no doubt find an audience of folks who have been watching him for years in a role that he has cherished for half his life.

“So many people tell me they come year after year and that Christmas doesn’t start until they see ‘A Christmas Carol,’” Landon said last week as he sat on the theater’s terrace. A promotional poster featuring him in costume was hanging nearby. “It’s such a great part.”

Landon said he has no plans to slow down, since he wants all of his current and future grandchildren to see him on stage playing the iconic role.

But the challenge for him is to be spontaneous and stay in the moment with each show without anticipating what is coming next.

Landon said one way he keeps his performance fresh is by approaching his character’s demeanor from different angles. He’ll read a different Dickens novel and compare Scrooge to other villainous characters to find inspiration.

“Scrooge comes off a pretty nice guy compared to them,” said Landon, who has also enjoyed a movie career, having had parts in “The Artist,” “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.” His father, actor Hal Landon Sr., also appeared in “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.”

His television credits include roles in “Mad Men,” “My Name is Earl” and “CSI: NY.”

At 74 and with neatly combed gray hair, Landon said it takes less time for him to get made up now. When he was 38 years old and first playing the misanthropic penny-pincher, he would spend almost two hours in the makeup chair.

He said he doesn’t have to use any age-enhancing items anymore, except for the addition of a little more hair. But almost in defiance of his age, he still performs his signature somersault-into-the-hat trick before audiences. He’s missed the hat only once, during his first year as Scrooge.

To stay in shape for the stunt — which has the actor doing a somersault over a bed in such a way that his head picks up the hat as he continues over and lands on his feet — Landon said he works out at 24 Hour Fitness, including lifting weights three to four times a week.

Marc Masterson, South Coast Repertory artistic director, said Landon’s role at South Coast Repertory is vital beyond his record-breaking run in “A Christmas Carol.” The actor, a founding artist at the theater, has contributed to the legacy of South Coast Repertory and the American theater, Masterson said.

The play’s director, John-David Keller, was previously quoted as saying Landon has the ability to make the role look like a new performance every year.

“The thing I love about Hal more than anything else is he never stops working at it,” Keller said. “He invests himself in the show every time he does it.”

Landon’s acting career started more than four decades ago with a play he was doing in San Francisco. A cast member had said she was a designer at a newly founded independent professional theater in Orange County called South Coast Repertory.

Landon was interested in the new arts institution, so he visited and saw the production at the time, “Let’s Get A Divorce.”

He liked the vibe of the theater so much that he auditioned for roles. He has appeared in South Coast Repertory’s “The Fantasticks,” “Hamlet,” “The Drawer Boy,” which earned him a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award nomination, and others.

When it came to the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, many actors auditioned, but Landon said he got it based on his looks.

“I think it was because I was the thinnest and the baldest,” he said with a grin.

Published more than 150 years ago, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” remains as one of the most revered Christmas stories. Its Scrooge is so miserly that has name has become synonymous with stinginess and a lack of Christmas spirit.

The covetous and tight-fisted man reborn on Christmas Day as a generous and friendly Englishman was Dickens’ means of condemning greed and showing how people can open their hearts, Landon said. The story also highlights the harsh plight of the lower and working classes and establishes the idea of Christmas charity toward those less unfortunate.

“Hal is unique in the theater,” said Masterson. “I love this production because people come every year anticipating the show, seeing if he’s going to do it. He’s customized it, and it’s become a touchstone for the holidays at South Coast Repertory.”

Landon, who lives in Lake Forest, said one his favorite years was the time one of his two daughters played in the show.

He said his wife sees him perform every year, and the older of his two granddaughters has watched him delight audiences.

Like Dickens, his hope is to spread a message of compassion and remind theatergoers of the show’s second-chance mantra.

“I’d be content if there’s that uplifting of spirit and we can infuse a joy in their hearts,” Landon said. “That’s a really great feeling.”

*

IF YOU GO

What: “A Christmas Carol”

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and noon and 4 p.m. Sundays until Dec. 27

Where: South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

Cost: Tickets start at $47

Information: (714) 708-5555 or visit scr.org