TV credits included Back in the Game, Magic City and a starring role on . He also made a cameo in another of his brothers movies, The Other Guys, in 2010, this time as one of two precinct detectives. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Im not the least bit embarrassed by this, nor should you be if youre in the same camp. Will Ferrell and Bob Newhart in "Elf,"2003. "We were going to do it, and I thought, 'Oh my God, I finally have a franchise movie. This development was great for the screenplay, but it's also the reason Elf almost never happened. Aside from the jokes, the singing, the nostalgia and the quotable scenes, Favreau and producer Peter Billingsley spoke with "20/20" about some of the behind-the-scenes antics and stories from the set. One such scene of his well-meaning mayhem featured Buddy playing hockey on a frozen pond. The stop-motion North Pole scenes in Elf were Jon Favreau's idea. "If it takes eating a lot of maple syrup, then I will if that's what the job calls for.". The friendly game becomes unintentionally violent when the too-big Buddy takes to the ice. When you watch Elf for the umpteenth time this Christmas season, be on the lookout for these moments you missed. Ferrell's brother Patrick Ferrell played one of the security guards that drags Buddy out of the Empire State Building. See the highest-grossing Christmas movies in America! After taking a brief break from the spotlight and struggling with various legal issues, depression and drugs Caan returned in pal Rob Reiner's terrifying Misery in 1990. If it takes eating a lot of maple syrup, then I willif that's what the job calls for. It's this spirit that gave Elf its candy cane-sweet center. So in the interest of spreading holiday cheer, here are 27 things you never noticed in Elf before. James Caan, as Buddy's biological father Walter, often seems uncomfortable as if he felt ill at ease on the set and used that feeling in his . It was one of those things.". Everyone knows the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear! Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. See How the Kardashians Are Decorating for the Holidays, Heidi Klum Admits She Loves Going Topless: See Her Sexiest Photos Ever, Streaking, Nude Selfies, Oh My! "I decided I wouldn't be able to. 'Elf' showcased James Caan's soul - The Washington Post But this sugary diet played havoc on Ferrell, who admitted, "That was tough. He was a lot of fun.". On the first watch, you notice Will Ferrells Buddy the Elf. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Hes prickly, but not a complete jerk, tough but vulnerable. This challenge extended to other scenes. Photos from 19 Secrets About Elf Revealed - E! Online Because it took over a decade for the film to finally be made, the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective star never ended up taking on the role. In the scene at Walters office where Buddy answers the phone, he says, Whats your favorite color? Her Inner Circle Is Not Surprised. Will Ferrell, Jon Favreau, and Joe MacLeod in "Elf," 2003. 9. When asked about the cult-classic success of the film, Will said it was just obviously one of those where the stars aligned and 15 years later, its crazy.. Here are eight things you might not know about the movie "Elf.". In a 2020 Rolling Stone interview, director Jon Favreau recalled Caan's "great sense of humor" on set. Whats going on? He chose to wear her "Wanda" nametag anyway. And the third. "I was raised in a Jewish family, and we celebrated Hanukkah but also had a Christmas tree. But even if you recognized him, you probably didnt notice he is also credited as playing Himself. Whatta creep. Will walks by in the outfit, the elf outfit, which he tried to stay in character. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. She plays Gail inThe Last Man On Earth, has appeared inThe Connersas Marcy, andmadeher Christmas movie return inHappiest Seasonon Hulu. But Will would bust his balls a lot. July 8, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT. The production department even changed the stitching on Caan's chair to his new nickname overnight. Jason LaVerisGetty Images. James Caan and Will Ferrell in "Elf," 2003. Caan is survived by five children and four . People recognizing me from Saturday Night Live going, You OK? Plus, The New York Times called it, "A splashy, peppy, sugar-sprinkled holiday entertainment." I had never been involved with it." This article was originally published on Dec. 22, 2017, Rachel McAdams Would Be Part Of 'Mean Girls: The Musical' On This Condition, Paramount+s 'Fatal Attraction' Series Follows The Movies Alternate Ending, Molly Ringwald Turned Down 'Pretty Woman' Due To An Early Script's Ick Factor, Jennifer Aniston Reveals The One Sequel She Would *Never* Do, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. You're going to read an . But while trying to do a rewrite, he had an epiphany. Life & Style is part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. What seems craziest to fans is the fact that despite the films success, there was never a sequel. It was hilarious because little kids could care less about the elf. The purity of her singing, I thought, was really nice," the director added. As producer Cale Boyter told Netflix, "Legally, we thought we had made a deal, and everything was cool." And Santa is Ed Asner?! Club, "I know Will was attached to an Elf 2. The first time I met him I just put him in a bear hug and yelled Dad! I thought that would break the ice, he told the entertainment website Blackfilm in 2003. Greg Doherty/Getty Images for The Salvation Army. The actors literally only had one shot to bust it apart. Ive got houses in LA, Paris, and Vail, Miles says when hes angry at Buddy for calling him an elf. In a 2020 Rolling Stone interview , director Jon Favreau recalled . Edward Chiodo told Art of the Title. In a 2010 PEOPLE profile, Scott called his dad "one of the greatest actors of all time" and said his father had "always been there for me no matter what." But she didn't dye her hair for this role. Actor James Caan at home playing a guitar on April 16,1970 in Hollywood, California. I create a huge echo chamber with my tongue and my cheeks, and by doing a deep, almost Tuvan rasp in my throat, and bouncing it around off this echo chamber, I create something that sounds very much like a sustained deep burp. The Academy Award-nominated star of The Godfather was hired to play Walter in part because Favreau wanted a stern persona to play against Ferrell's giddy Buddy, and Caan took the comedy of Elf seriously. Originally cast as Michael . Whenever wed go into an Italian restaurant, theyd put on The Godfather soundtrack. I liked the notion of being involved with Will in his first solo movie after SNL, but it wasn't quite there.". On your next Elf rewatch, take a second to pause and admire the scale Lego model of the New York skyline that Buddy builds for the Gimbels Santaland. Bob enjoyed a long run inThe Big Bang Theoryas recurring character Arthur Jeffries before the series ended. But when Elfwas moving into production, he was considered a wildly improbable choice for the character. Walter Hobbs | Elf Wiki | Fandom Unfortunately, it was in [Jons] contract to direct any sequels, so it was just one of those things, lamented James. This explains why he's most proud of his cameo as Mr. Narwhal. TIL: After filming ELF, Will Ferrell gave James Caan the - Reddit And, in some ways, Elf highlights a certain natural progression of his career. Elves thrive on the four main food groups (candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup, of course), but one of the dumb things we all ignored in Elf was that Buddy, as a human, would probably be very ill, if not dead, on this diet. 8 photos. No explanation is given. the New Girl star told Stylecaster. James Caan (left) portrayed Sonny Corleone, song of gangster patriarch Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) in the celebrated 1972 film. The article has been updated. But he said the actual fight between the characters had to be done in one take. "One actress they were looking at was good at skateboarding," Deschanel said, and when the director found out Deschanel could sing, he added her now-iconic shower duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Buddy. 1 min read. Though immortalized here and in the 1947 classic Miracle on 34th Street, the department store closed its doors in 1987, its 100th year of operation. Eventually, something just clicked in Jimmy, and he just went with it. TIL: After filming ELF, Will Ferrell gave James Caan the GODFATHER trilogy with a note saying "Great working with you. According to Berg, on his first day on set, he gave a speech in which he asked to be called Jimmy the Dream. He told Rolling Stone that it was an essential part of the movie'sretro Christmas feel, with a particular nod to Rankin/Bass. Caan met a new generation of fans when he played the straight-and-narrow biological father to Will Ferrell's Buddy in 2003's Elf. His specific casting in that role adds to obviously why it works so well., Caan has a great sense of humor. Elf proved to be a big break for Zooey Deschanel, who played down-on-Christmas department store elf Jovie, whom Buddy falls in love with. Though uncredited, that lengthy belch came not from Ferrell, but from noted voice actor Maurice LaMarche, who might be best known for Brain of Pinky and the Brain. But [my Elf character] is the ne plus ultra Santa, and all of the others were [in] preparation for this!. But anything for the movie, I'm there. Costume designer Laura Jean Shannon,tasked with finding the perfect look, revealed it wasn't accommodating Ferrell's 6-foot-3 frame that was the hardest part of her job. And theres Caan theres Sonny Corleone, Paul Sheldon, Tony Archer, Brian Piccolo, the dude from Thief as the gruff, absent father who needs to learn the meaning of Christmas. Its also the sound of the laughing hyenas featured in the Magic Kingdom area at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Even the paper decorations were time-consuming. While Miles is referring to the ski resort town of Vail, Colorado, Tyrion memorably was kept prisoner at the Eyrie, which is located in the Vale of Arryn also known simply as the Vale in GoT Season 1. "It's sort of romantic, but it's sort of weird, too.". As he told The Washington Post some 42 years ago, Everyplace I go, I spend half my time undoing Sonny Corleone.. Billingsley has been a producer on several of Favreau's film and television projects. 2023 E! "And we made the deadline, made the screening, positive reviews, the stop-motion sequences tested through the roof, really popular, so they stayed in the movie!" Though his career was already impressive, he has only continued to cement himself as a comedy legend! "We were gonna do it. She can be heard saying shell be declawing eight kittens on the phone. This man is actor and comedian Matt Walsh, best known for playing Mike McLintock on Veep. According to him, Rays has a lot of imitators but the real ones on the 11th. Actually, while there was a Famous Rays Pizza on 11th street, the first and original Rays Pizza opened in 1959 on Little Italys Prince Street.