Will Ferrell starred as Buddy the Elf in 2003
Everyone’s beloved elf is making a return, but not in the way you might imagine.
Buddy the Elf is undoubtedly one of the most iconic Christmas characters, thanks to Will Ferrell’s unforgettable performance in the 2003 holiday classic Elf.
Though it’s been over two decades since Ferrell portrayed Buddy, he decided to bring the character back to life at a recent hockey game between the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, December 29.
However, this time, Buddy seems to have had a bit of a rough holiday—Ferrell was spotted at the game with a cigarette in hand, a far cry from the cheerful elf we all remember!
The actor, a regular at hockey games to support his team, the Los Angeles Kings, drew plenty of attention from those in attendance as he made an unexpected appearance in his Buddy the Elf costume—something he’s never done before while watching the sport.
FanDuel Sports Network broadcaster Carrlyn Bathe caught up with Ferrell during the game, where the 57-year-old actor shared that it had been “a tough holiday season” and that he was hoping for a Kings win. It seems Buddy hasn’t had the best of times in Santa’s workshop this year.
Ferrell’s high-energy portrayal of Buddy helped make the character a holiday favorite, especially when paired with his co-star James Caan, who played Buddy’s father. Their dynamic was a perfect match.
Earlier this year, Ferrell revealed that Caan, who passed away in 2022, didn’t quite find him funny. During an appearance on the MeSsy podcast with Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Ferrell shared that Caan once told him he didn’t “get” his comedic style.
“James Caan—may he rest in peace—we had such a good time working on that movie,” Ferrell recalled. “He would tease me.”
“We’d be in between setups, and he’d say, ‘I don’t get you. You’re not funny. You’re not funny,’” Ferrell recalled. “And I’d reply, ‘I know! I’m not Robin Williams.’”
“He’d go, ‘People ask me, ‘Is he funny?’ And I’d say, ‘No, he’s not funny!’” Ferrell continued. “It was all with love.”
This playful teasing had a clear influence on their on-screen dynamic.
Ferrell, known for Megamind, added, “I love that the whole time, he’s not acting. He’s truly annoyed with me.”
“Like, ‘Will this guy shut the f**k up? Jesus!’” Ferrell joked. “So I literally drove him crazy in that movie, just acting like that kid.”
However, after filming wrapped on Elf and before its release in 2003, Caan’s opinion of Ferrell’s performance shifted.
Ferrell recalled, “He said, ‘I gotta tell you, I thought everything you were doing while we were filming was way too over-the-top.’”
