Released in 1996, Jingle All the Way tells the story of Howard Langston, who sets out to find his son the most in-demand toy of the year in time for Christmas. Langston, as played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, starts his journey on Christmas Eve of all days, and quickly realizes that the Turbo Man action figure he’s looking for is sold out all over the place. Along the way, he encounters a postal worker named Myron (Sinbad) with the same ultimate goal as him. Chaos ensues as the two keep running into each other while trying to track down the elusive gift for their kids.
Shot in just five weeks, the movie seemed to come together almost by accident. For starters, Schwarzenegger only got involved after a Planet of the Apes remake he was supposed to star in was delayed. Home Alone director Chris Columbus, who produced Jingle All the Way, was also attached to the unrealized Apes movie. On top of that, when Sinbad’s name was first mentioned to the producers, they turned him down.
One of the big rumors that’s made the rounds over the years is that Joe Pesci was originally up for Sinbad’s part in the movie. Around the time of its release, Entertainment Weekly reported that Columbus had been courting Pesci. Director Brian Levant was quoted as having said at the time, “Arnold versus Joe, physically, it’s not a fair fight.” “Sinbad’s 6 foot 5, 240 pounds,” he elaborated, “So it’s more like, clear the ring, you know?”
Years later, Levant told MEL magazine that the producers actually wanted Danny DeVito for Myron, but he wouldn’t do it for some reason. “I’ve also heard Joe Pesci was considered, but I don’t believe that was the case,” he said in 2022. “I think Chris Columbus’ connection with Pesci from Home Alone is where that comes from.”
Levant originally wanted Myron to be played by Jim Belushi, who ended up settling for the mall Santa role. When Sinbad eventually came in to read for the part, Levant loved his energy. Oddly, Sinbad thought he’d messed up the audition because he’d dropped the script pages and decided to improvise instead. His agitated improv was what landed him the gig. He later called it “one of the strangest auditions” he’d ever had.
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