James Caan Initially Not a Fan of Will Ferrell’s ‘Elf’ Performance, Compliments Him Post Premiere

During an interview with Extra, Will Ferrell shared an amusing anecdote about his late co-star James Caan and their time filming the beloved Christmas movie ‘Elf‘. Ferrell revealed that Caan was not initially a fan of his performance as Buddy the Elf, stating he wasn’t funny and teasing him throughout the production.

Ferrell admitted to sometimes driving Caan ‘crazy’ on set with his overenthusiastic portrayal of Buddy. Despite the friendly teasing, it wasn’t until the premiere of the movie that Caan had a change of heart about Ferrell‘s comedic abilities.

Walking out of the movie theater after the premiere, Caan took Ferrell aside and gave him one of the best compliments he could receive. According to Ferrell, Caan mentioned that he initially found Ferrell‘s performance over the top during filming, but after seeing the final cut, he thought it was ‘brilliant’.

In the interview, Ferrell recalled how Caan had been genuinely annoyed with him on set, unsure of the humor Ferrell was bringing to the character. However, the final product won Caan over, and he praised Ferrell for his performance as Buddy the Elf.

James Caan played the role of Buddy’s biological father in ‘Elf‘, a movie directed by Jon Favreau that has become a timeless Christmas classic. The film’s enduring popularity, even over a decade after its release, showcases the magic of Ferrell‘s portrayal of the iconic character.

Despite the success of ‘Elf‘, Ferrell recently revealed that he turned down a significant offer to star in a sequel to the movie. The actor cited his honesty and integrity, saying he couldn’t promote a film he didn’t believe in, even for a substantial sum of money.

Listening to Ferrell‘s recount of his experience filming ‘Elf‘ sheds light on the behind-the-scenes dynamics that can shape an on-screen performance, ultimately leading to heartwarming moments like Caan‘s change of heart post premiere.