Full Name Jonathan Meath Employer Andanzura Nationality American Name Jonathan Meath | Alma mater NYU (1979) Role TV Producer Occupation TV producer,
Santa Home town Harrisville | |
Born September 16, 1955 (age 68) ( 1955-09-16 ) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Residence Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. Years active c. 1980s-present (television career)
2007-present (as Santa Claus) Education Phillips Academy, New York University Nominations Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program Similar People Lou Berger, Michael K Frith, Brian Henson, James Still, Greg Lee | ||
Jonathan Meath (born September 16, 1955) is an American TV producer based in Boston who is notable for children's television production. He was Senior Producer of the TV game show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? He produced Zoom (1999) and The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. He co-founded a production company called Andanzura. In addition, he is notable for having a dual career as a professional Santa Claus. He made numerous appearances in various media as Santa, including ABC's Good Morning America show, and at New York's Radio City Music Hall with The Rockettes. He appeared on the cover of Boston Magazine as Father Christmas. He was described by National Public Radio and Time Magazine as a "top Santa", and appeared as Santa in a Delta Airline's in-flight safety video. He is featured as Santa in Coca-Cola’s worldwide 2016 holiday advertising campaign both in print and commercials titled “A Coke for Christmas."
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Television career
Meath attended Phillips Academy and graduated in 1974 with the school's first co–educational class. As a student he directed his friend and classmate Dana Delany in a video. He graduated with honors from New York University in 1979. During the 1980s Meath worked at CBS, Business Times, The Creative Establishment, MTV Networks and Greenwood Productions in various capacities. During 1996–1998, he produced twenty shows for the Jim Henson Company called The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. He produced for PBS 295 half-hour episodes of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, as well as 80 episodes of Zoom.
Career as Santa Claus
Meath, as he got older and his hair began to whiten, noticed that children sometimes called him Santa. He is slightly overweight – he has described himself as an organic Santa – and his wife bought him a red suit. He attended schools to learn the craft of being a Santa. He appeared in parades. He is a professional vocalist. In 2012, he appeared as Santa at Radio City Music Hall for the Christmas Spectacular show in New York City. According to one source, Meath uses his real beard but conditions it with a "shimmer-like shampoo known as Cowboy Magic, and uses hair gel for his mustache. His role as Santa was described in numerous publications. In 2009, he appeared in a thirty–second television commercial spot for the Boston Red Sox baseball team. Sometimes the task of being Santa requires physical exertion:
When he’s not listening to children’s wish lists...you can find him "training" for the momentous Christmas sleigh ride by swimming, running, and flying down a two-story tall slide made out of ice at the hotel’s ice sculpture exhibit.
Charity work
Meath promoted charity events such as the Red Sox's "Jimmy Fund Fundraiser" (2008), the Nature Center in New Canaan, CT, and the Dana–Farber Children's Clinic (2009). As Santa, he visited children who are cancer patients in hospitals. In addition, he supports the non–profit performing group Revels and has sung as a tenor on two of their CD albums.
Personal life
Meath has one child and lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts. His mother was activist and historian Mary Stewart Hewitt. He is the great great grandson of businessman and sportsman John Malcolm Forbes and the great great great grandson of railroad industrialist John Murray Forbes. Through this, Meath is distantly related to John Kerry. Meath's daughter, Amelia Randall Meath, is a member of the alternative folk band Mountain Man and Sylvan Esso.
Awards
Additional source for awards: Phillips Academy website