Question
The Nightmare Before Christmas publicity still

Who voices Jack Skellington in "The Nightmare Before Christmas"?

Last updated: October 29, 2025

Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" introduced the world to Jack Skellington, the lanky Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who gets tired of the same spooky routine every year. Jack became an instant icon, but creating such a memorable character required more than just incredible stop-motion animation and Burton's twisted imagination. The voice behind Jack needed to capture both his melancholy existential crisis and his twisted excitement about Christmas. Who provided the speaking voice for Jack Skellington in "The Nightmare Before Christmas"?

Correct Answer: Chris Sarandon

(Source)

Danny Elfman wrote all of the music for "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and provided the powerful voice for Jack's soaring musical numbers, but director Henry Selick felt his speaking wasn't quite up to the level of his incredible singing voice. Elfman became attached to Jack while writing the songs, so it wasn't easy for longtime collaborator Tim Burton to break the news. According to Selick, "Danny wanted to kill us both." But the nightmare must go on, and after searching for someone who sounded like Elfman, they found their Jack in "Fright Night" alum Chris Sarandon. He actually nailed the voice so perfectly that most viewers never realized the voice convincing Halloween Town to give "Sandy Claws" a break was different from the one singing about the wonders of Christmas.

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