Buddy the Elf is back…although not like anyone could imagine. Will Ferrell unexpectedly dressed up as his iconic character from Jon Favreau’s 2003 Christmas comedy “Elf” while attending the Dec. 29 hockey game between the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers. Only this iteration of Buddy was looking quite disheveled with five o’clock shadow and a faux cigarette in his mouth.
Ferrell is fan of the Los Angeles Kings and regularly attends their games, but never as Buddy the Elf. FanDuel Sports Network broadcaster Carrlyn Bathe reported live from the game and spoke to Buddy, who told her that “it was a tough holiday season” and “he’s looking for a Kings win.”
“Elf,” which earned over $220 million at the worldwide box office at the time of its release and remains a Christmas classic, stars Ferrell as a human raised by Santa’s elves. He travels to New York City to meet his biological father, played by James Caan. Ferrell revealed during an interview on the “Messy” podcast earlier this year that Caan was originally not a fan of his performance.
“James Caan, may he rest in peace, we had such a good time working on that movie,” Ferrell said. “He would tease me. I like to do bits but I’m not like ‘on’ all the time. In between set ups, [Caan] would be like, ‘I don’t get you. You’re not funny.’ And I’m like, ‘I know. I’m not Robin Williams.’ And he was like, ‘People ask me: “Is he funny?” And I’m like, “No, he’s not funny.”‘ It was all with love but at the same time…”
But Caan changed his mind after seeing the final cut of “Elf” at the movie’s premiere. “He was like, ‘I’ve got to tell you: I thought everything you were doing while we were filming was way too over the top. Now that I see it in the movie, it’s brilliant,’” Ferrell remembered.
Ferrell previously revealed that he once turned down a $29 million offer to star in an “Elf” sequel.
“I would have had to promote the movie from an honest place, which would’ve been, like, ‘Oh no, it’s not good. I just couldn’t turn down that much money,’” Ferrell said about the simple decision to reject “Elf 2.” “And I thought, ‘Can I actually say those words? I don’t think I can, so I guess I can’t do the movie.’”
Who knows where Buddy the Elf will pop up next? The Los Angeles Kings next play the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 1.