CNN
—

Thanks to meme culture, a whole new generation is enjoying the popular 2003 Christmas film Elf.

We now get the behind-the-scenes story of a particular scene that went viral.

According to Mark Acheson, who played Mailroom Guy in the film, not only was much of his scene improvised, but it almost didn’t make it into the film.

“I called my agent and he said, ‘Listen, they want you to come over and do a line with Will Ferrell.’ “Do you want to do it?'” Acheson told People magazine. “And I said: Yes, I would like to do that. I was just supposed to say ‘release for work’ and that was the end of it.”

Ferrell plays Buddy the elf, who is sent to the mailroom in his father’s office to stay busy. “Elf” director Jon Favreau got Acheson to improvise with Ferrell.

During the scene, Acheson’s character tells Ferrell that he is 26 years old but has “nothing to show for it.”

“You’re young, you’re so young,” Ferrell’s buddy says to “Mailroom Guy.”

But not everyone liked the joke, and Acheson said the improvised dialogue initially ended up on the chopping block.

“That’s why the producers wanted to cut the whole scene. I’m like, ‘Who’s going to believe this guy is 26?’ I mean, seriously,” Acheson said. “I think I was 46 at the time and older, 46. Because I’ve never looked young in my life.”

Favreau fought to stay in the film.

“He said the joke, that’s the funny part, right?” Acheson recalled. “He kept me. They didn’t want me but he did and thank God for me because it changed my career quite a bit.”

The scene is now being shared across social media.