«Elf: Behind the Scenes Stories and Unexpected Revelations»
16 july 2024 в 22:28
It’s been almost 11 years since the release of the popular and beloved Christmas movie «Elf», and interesting stories are still happening to this day.
It turns out that the atmosphere on set was not as filled with Christmas spirit or joy as many might think. According to Buddy himself, Will Ferrell, who shared during an interview on the «MesSy» podcast on July 9th, his late co-star James Caan was irritated with the 57-year-old actor for trying to joke around.
The actor, who passed away at the age of 82 from a heart attack, played the role of Walter, Buddy’s biological father, whom he searches for after leaving the North Pole. Throughout the film, we see the grumpy father as he interacts with Will’s character, which, ironically, was also his true feeling in real life.
«I literally drove him crazy in this movie», - shared the actor from «Anchorman 4». «Between takes he would say, 'I don’t get you. You’re not funny… And I would respond, 'I know. I’m not Robin Williams'».
«Elf» has become a classic Christmas movie for several generations. From iconic lines to the performance of the song «Baby, It’s Cold Outside», it led Will to become one of the faces that symbolize the Christmas spirit. The film also starred Zooey Deschanel, Jon Favreau, Peter Dinklage, and others. Despite the great success and recognition the film received, Will admitted that he thought the film would ruin his career. During the interview, he said, «It was very strange to come out of 'Saturday Night Live', where I was known for provocative, not necessarily family-friendly things, but for pushing the envelope… I just looked at myself in the mirror in an elf costume and thought, 'Oh, buddy, this better work. This could be your last movie'».
Ironically, when the film hit theaters, «The Godfather» reconsidered how he had treated Will on set, realizing that his «over-the-top» behavior was exactly what Buddy the Elf needed. He recalled to hosts Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler the moment when James realized he was funny: «He said, 'I need to tell you, I thought everything you were doing during filming was too loud. Now, seeing it in the movie, it’s brilliant… It was so funny… He walked away, shaking his head and saying 'Great job'»
It turns out that the atmosphere on set was not as filled with Christmas spirit or joy as many might think. According to Buddy himself, Will Ferrell, who shared during an interview on the «MesSy» podcast on July 9th, his late co-star James Caan was irritated with the 57-year-old actor for trying to joke around.
The actor, who passed away at the age of 82 from a heart attack, played the role of Walter, Buddy’s biological father, whom he searches for after leaving the North Pole. Throughout the film, we see the grumpy father as he interacts with Will’s character, which, ironically, was also his true feeling in real life.
«I literally drove him crazy in this movie», - shared the actor from «Anchorman 4». «Between takes he would say, 'I don’t get you. You’re not funny… And I would respond, 'I know. I’m not Robin Williams'».
«Elf» has become a classic Christmas movie for several generations. From iconic lines to the performance of the song «Baby, It’s Cold Outside», it led Will to become one of the faces that symbolize the Christmas spirit. The film also starred Zooey Deschanel, Jon Favreau, Peter Dinklage, and others. Despite the great success and recognition the film received, Will admitted that he thought the film would ruin his career. During the interview, he said, «It was very strange to come out of 'Saturday Night Live', where I was known for provocative, not necessarily family-friendly things, but for pushing the envelope… I just looked at myself in the mirror in an elf costume and thought, 'Oh, buddy, this better work. This could be your last movie'».
Ironically, when the film hit theaters, «The Godfather» reconsidered how he had treated Will on set, realizing that his «over-the-top» behavior was exactly what Buddy the Elf needed. He recalled to hosts Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler the moment when James realized he was funny: «He said, 'I need to tell you, I thought everything you were doing during filming was too loud. Now, seeing it in the movie, it’s brilliant… It was so funny… He walked away, shaking his head and saying 'Great job'»
© Kolganov Andrey
