What happened to the orphaned children of Santa Claus: The Movie and what do they look like now?

Santa Claus: The Movie is an iconic 80s Christmas classic that has stood the test of time.

But while the festive flick sees the touching tale of a woodcutter saving the legend of Santa Claus, the truth behind what happened to the two orphaned children of the 1985 movie may come as a shock. 

Released on November 27, 1985, it brought joy to the box office as it made a staggering £16.9million. 

With Carrie Kei Heim starring as Cornelia and Christian Fitzpatrick as Joe, the holiday production saw some of the most talented child acting in the 80s.

But after nearly four decades following its debut, Carrie and Christian have not followed through on their glitzy showbiz careers.

MailOnline has looked back over the two child stars and looked at where they are today.

Santa Claus: The Movie is an iconic 80s Christmas classic that has stood the test of time

Santa Claus: The Movie is an iconic 80s Christmas classic that has stood the test of time

MailOnline has looked back over the two child stars and looked at where they are today

Carrie Kei Heim: Cornelia 

Carrie Kei Heim portrayed the sweet little redhead child, Cornelia, who was the niece to the flick's villain, B.Z.

Representing the heart and innocence of Christmas, the young orphan lives in a wealthy but loveless home and is forced to obey the rules enforced by a strict and inattention nanny.

But during one faithful snowy night, Cornelia reaches out to a homeless orphan boy named Joe.

She offers Joe food, and before they know it, they have embarked on a quest to save Santa Claus and his elf Patch from her uncle's cruel plans.

While she was not as prominent as Joe or Santa in the plot, he character left a last impression on the nation as people today still sing her praises for portraying such a touching representation.

Carrie, now aged 51 and born in Tokyo, continued as a child actress for some time and landed herself in some huge films, including The Parent Trap 2.

She also starred as Sarah in a 1985 The Equalizer episode after making an appearance in 1982 on Saturday Night Live.

But deciding acting wasn't going to be her future, she ditched showbiz and has not appeared on a film or TV set since 1986.

Carrie took a huge career u-turn and studied law at Pennsylvania Carey Law School and is now a successful lawyer and writer.

She also obtained a BA in French from Vassar College as well as a BA in Hunter College from Hunter College.

Now residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Carrie is a self-employed writer and Writing Instructor on Grub Street.

Now an avid fan of literature and novels, the only connection Carrie has to her acting days is her Instagram bio, where she dubs herself 'that redheaded girl from those 80s movies.

Carrie is also happily married to Peter K. Binas after they tied the knot in May, 2005.

She is a mother to one daughter, Katie, aged 17, and a chunky English Bulldog, Molly, aged 10.

The family also owns a sweet African Side Neck turtle, Irving.

Carrie Kei Heim portrayed the sweet little redhead child, Cornelia, who was the niece to the flick's villain, B.Z. Deciding acting wasn't going to be her future, she ditched showbiz and became a lawyer and writer

Carrie Kei Heim portrayed the sweet little redhead child, Cornelia, who was the niece to the flick's villain, B.Z. Deciding acting wasn't going to be her future, she ditched showbiz and became a lawyer and writer

Carrie took a huge career u-turn and studied law at Pennsylvania Carey Law School and is now a successful lawyer and writer (pictured in 2024)

Carrie took a huge career u-turn and studied law at Pennsylvania Carey Law School and is now a successful lawyer and writer (pictured in 2024)

Now residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Carrie is a self-employed writer and Writing Instructor on Grub Street

Now residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Carrie is a self-employed writer and Writing Instructor on Grub Street

Carrie is also happily married to Peter K. Binas after they tied the knot in May, 2005

Carrie is also happily married to Peter K. Binas after they tied the knot in May, 2005

She is a mother to one daughter, Katie, aged 17, and a chunky English Bulldog, Molly, aged 10

She is a mother to one daughter, Katie, aged 17, and a chunky English Bulldog, Molly, aged 10

Christian Fitzpatrick: Joe

Christian Fitzpatrick played the central role of down-and-out street urchin Joe.

Joe was a homeless boy living in New York City, struggling to survive the winter.

Hardened by the realities of life as an orphan, Joe grew to be a proud survivor and was initially wary of Cornelia and Santa's help.

But after a plate of hot food and a magical evening helping Santa give out gifts, Joe quickly grew into a believer and made it onto the nice list.

His character eventually saw him join forces with Cornelia to help save Christmas before going to live in the North Pole with Santa Claus and Mrs Claus.

Three years after his brilliant performance, Christian then went on to star as Clipper in the comedy film Vice Versa opposite Judge Reinhold in 1988.

Despite appearing destined for fame, Christian has had no other film roles listed on his IMDb biography.

But it looks like he's still trying to resurrect his acting career.

A LinkedIn page in his name describes him as a former Screen Actors Guild member actor who is looking for acting and voice-over work.

He detailed his education as having attended Piven Theater Workshop Evanston, Illinois, and Second City Etc Chicago, Illinois.

Christian Fitzpatrick played down-and-out street urchin Joe in the 1985 film. Despite appearing destined for fame, Christian has no other film roles listed for the actor

Christian Fitzpatrick played down-and-out street urchin Joe in the 1985 film. Despite appearing destined for fame, Christian has no other film roles listed for the actor

Despite appearing destined for fame, Christian has had no other film roles listed on his IMDb biography

Despite appearing destined for fame, Christian has had no other film roles listed on his IMDb biography 

Christian does not have an active and public social presence, and his LinkedIn profile has not been updated for 14 years

Christian does not have an active and public social presence, and his LinkedIn profile has not been updated for 14 years

Very little is known about the child star as he has stayed out of the spotlight since his starring role in the Christmas classic (pictured in 2016)

Very little is known about the child star as he has stayed out of the spotlight since his starring role in the Christmas classic (pictured in 2016)

Christian does not have an active and public social presence, and his LinkedIn profile has not been updated for 14 years.

Very little is known about the child star as he has stayed out of the spotlight since his starring role in the Christmas classic.

But, it is believed that Christian is still residing in Chicago and has decided to stop pushing a career in show business.

In Santa Claus: The Movie, Joe is more than just a sidekick, he is the heart of the story that bridges the gap between Santa's timeless magic and the modern-day struggles of the real world.