‘Home Alone’ Actor Ken Hudson Campbell Starts GoFundMe to Pay for Cancer Surgery

Ken Hudson Campbell, a prolific actor who is perhaps best remembered for playing Santa in the 1990 holiday hit Home Alone, is facing a battle with cancer.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Campbell with medical expenses, which includes an intense 10-hour surgery to remove part of his jaw bone and lymph nodes. This will be followed by a six-month recovery period and possible chemotherapy treatment.

“On October 27th, 2023, Ken was diagnosed with cancer, a tumor had elusively grown on the bottom of his mouth and it began encroaching on his teeth,” the campaign page reads.

“On December 7th, he is scheduled for a 10-hour surgery, during which a large part of his jawbone will be removed, along with his lymph nodes, and part of his leg bone,” the post continues. “Surgeons plan to reconstruct a new jaw for Ken from this leg bone, install it, and treat him with radiation.”

The campaign page also notes that Campbell lost his SAG-AFTRA health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic when he wasn’t getting enough work to qualify for the program.

“Even though physical therapy and speech therapy are covered, we are anticipating huge out-of-pocket costs for caregivers/skilled nursing, insurance premiums, medical equipment, transportation, dental implants, dentures and who knows what else,” the post added.

Born on June 5, 1962, in Elmhurst, Illinois, Campbell began his showbiz career as part of the Player’s Workshop of The Second City in 1983, becoming a member of the Second City’s touring show soon after. His first on-screen role came in Home Alone, which also starred fellow Second City alums John Candy and Catherine O’Hara.

In the film, Campbell plays the role of Santa, whom Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) asks to deliver a message to “the real Santa.” At the end of his shift and all out of gifts, Campbell’s Santa gives Kevin a handful of Tic Tacs.

Campbell went on to appear in various small but memorable character roles, such as in the films Groundhog Day, Armageddon, and Coyote Ugly, as well as the TV shows Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, Local Heroes, Baby Bob, Fantasy Island, and The Practice.

Ken Hudson Campbell on Local Heroes; Warner Bros. Television / Courtesy: Everett Collection

More recently, he appeared on an episode of Mike & Molly and Girl Meets World, in addition to the 2019 animated adventure comedy Wonder Park and the 2021 horror film Digging to Death.

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The GoFundMe page adds, “[Campbell] is a family man. A loving father of two children with an admirable lust for life, and a passion for acting, writing, & sports. It is possible that this procedure will affect his ability to work as an actor in the future. We are asking for your help so that Kenny can use the time ahead to return to health, and spend more time with family & friends.”