In the realm of Christmas cinema, Jon Favreau’s 2003 masterpiece “Elf” has earned a special place in the hearts of audiences. The film, featuring Will Ferrell as the exuberant Buddy on a quest to find his biological father after being raised by elves, exudes timeless Christmas spirit. In celebration of this holiday classic, we delve into 17 intriguing facts that may have eluded even the most ardent fans.
- Jim Carrey Almost Stepped into Elf’s Shoes Before Will Ferrell donned the iconic elf costume, Jim Carrey was the initial contender for the role. However, Carrey opted for “Ace Ventura,” a choice that would ultimately define his career.
- A Legendary Voice Cameo During a farewell scene with stop-motion creatures, the polar bear club’s voices were provided by animation legend Ray Harryhausen, adding a touch of magic to the film.
- The First Babies Were Feral The baby portraying Baby Buddy was actually triplets, as twin boys initially chosen proved too fussy. The triplets, despite their gender, took on the role seamlessly.
- Classic Elf Outfits Inspired by Rudolph The elf costumes drew inspiration from the iconic outfits in the stop-motion TV special “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” a Christmas staple since 1964.
- Ferrell Turned Down a Lucrative Offer for Elf 2 Will Ferrell declined a staggering $29 million offer for “Elf 2,” expressing discomfort with the idea of a sequel solely for financial gain.
- A Niche Discworld Reference Buddy’s declaration of “Ocatrine” as his favorite color is a nod to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, particularly “The Colour of Magic.”
- Ferrell Kept It in the Family Will Ferrell’s brother, Patrick, made a cameo appearance as one of the security guards at the Empire State Building.
- Zwigoff Passed on the Opportunity Director Terry Zwigoff declined the offer to helm “Elf” but later directed another beloved Christmas film, “Bad Santa.”
- Another Nod to the Classics Peter Billingsley, known for his role as Ralphie in “A Christmas Story,” made an uncredited appearance as a supervisor elf in Santa’s workshop.
- Tunnel Vision Ferrell’s stroll through the Lincoln Tunnel caused minor traffic incidents, with drivers distracted by the sight of the actor in elf attire.
- Jack in the Box Shock To capture Buddy’s genuine reactions, director Jon Favreau operated the jack-in-the-box remotely during filming.
- Sugar Daddy Woes Will Ferrell experienced severe headaches and insomnia due to the consumption of sugar required for his role.
- No CGI for Elves Instead of CGI or dwarf actors, “Elf” employed the ‘forced perspective’ technique, creating two sets of different sizes to merge seamlessly.
- Caan on the Old Joanna In the film’s final moments, James Caan showcased his musical talent by playing “Auld Lang Syne” on the piano.
- Santa’s List is Real The “good list” shown by Santa to Michael featured the names of the movie’s crew members and their Christmas wishes.
- Life Imitated Art Before his acting career took off, Will Ferrell worked as a shopping mall Santa, with Chris Kattan, also part of SNL, serving as one of his elves.
- The Belch Maurice LaMarche, a renowned voice actor, delivered the memorable belch scene, a skill he had honed since childhood. Ferrell synchronized his lip movements accordingly.
