• The popular holiday film “Elf” was released in theaters in 2003.

• Will Ferrell has been involved in other projects such as Step Brothers and Will & Harper.

It’s been over 20 years since the modern Christmas classic “Elf” hit theaters.

The film follows Buddy (Will Ferrell), a human raised by elves working in Santa’s workshop, as he travels to New York City to find his biological father.

Here’s what the film’s stars have done since their roles in “Elf.”

Ferrell starred in “Elf” the same year that “Old School” premiered.

In 2002, Ferrell left his appearance on Saturday Night Live to prepare to make a name for himself in the film industry.

In 2003, Ferrell starred in “Elf” and the R-rated comedy “Old School.”

Ferrell told Entertainment Weekly in 2007 that before taking on the role of Buddy the Elf, he had asked that the film be lighthearted and that he looked to the film “Big” when crafting his character’s childlike personality. oriented by Tom Hanks.

Ferrell’s career was very successful after “Elf.”

Since bringing Buddy to life, Ferrell has appeared in over 20 full-length features, including Anchorman, Kicking and Screaming, Step Brothers and Get Hard.

He also went behind the scenes as an executive producer, working on hit series like Netflix’s Dead to Me and HBO’s Succession, as well as top-rated films like Booksmart.

He also starred in “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” (2020) and has continued his journey as a producer with some of his recent projects including “Will & Harper” (2024) and “No Good Deed” on Netflix.

Deschanel wasn’t the first choice for the role of Jovie.

“Elf” was the ninth feature film Deschanel has appeared in since she began her acting career in 1998.

At the time of Elf’s premiere, Deschanel was a relatively new actress in Hollywood, having already made a few films, including All the Real Girls and Almost Famous.

In an interview with Variety in 2018, Deschanel said that she was the second choice for the role and ended up playing the role of Jovie in the film when the film’s first choice fell through.

And in 2003, she told liveabout.com that she believed she got the role primarily because she could sing.

A few years later, Deschanel became the star of a popular TV show.

After “Elf,” the actress starred in several major films, including “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” “500 Days of Summer” and “Trolls.”

In 2006 she formed a two-piece indie band called She and Him with M. Ward. The pair have released several studio albums together.

Deschanel landed her most notable role as Jessica Day on the Fox show “New Girl” in 2011. The series ended in 2018 after seven seasons.

She appeared in the short film “Katy Perry: Not the End of the World” as the pop star’s lookalike in 2020. Her most recent projects include lending her voice to the character Bridget in “Trolls World Tour” (2020) and “Trolls Band Together” (2023).

James Caan was an experienced actor before joining the cast of Elf.

Caan wasn’t a Hollywood newbie when he joined the “Elf” cast as Buddy’s father Walter.

The veteran actor had previously starred in films like Misery, The Godfather and Funny Lady.

Caan died in 2022 at the age of 82 after a long and successful career.

In 2013, Caan told AV Club that he remembered “Elf” as one of his favorite comedy productions.

After starring in the Christmas movie, he worked on television series such as NBC’s “Las Vegas” and continued to star in popular films such as “Undercover Grandpa.”

He also voiced a character in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and several video game characters from The Godfather.

On July 6, 2022, Caan died of a heart attack and coronary artery disease at the age of 82. His most recent films were “Queen Bees” (2021) and the upcoming thriller “Dark Harvest.”

Bob Newhart was also a well-known actor when “Elf” was released.

After singing Bernard in Disney’s The Rescuers and The Rescuers: Down Under and appearing in popular films such as In and Out and Legally Blonde 2, Newhart was a well-known actor before joining the cast of Eleven “ poked. “

He even had his own CBS television series called “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s, which ran for six years.

According to Variety, Newhart, who played the role of Papa Elf in the 2003 film, had to appear much smaller than his adopted son Buddy, which meant he had to stand several feet away from Ferrell while acting.

Newhart died in 2024 after appearing in films and television shows for years.

Although he continued his work in television, Newhart has only appeared in one feature-length film since the release of “Elf” – the 2011 film “Horrible Bosses,” starring Jason Sudeikis and Jason Bateman.

Newhart also made frequent appearances on shows such as TNT’s “The Librarians” and CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory.”

In 2017, he reprized his role as Papa Elf for a local television commercial.

On July 18, 2024, Newhart died at the age of 94. His most recent role was Professor Proton on the CBS “Big Bang” spin-off “Young Sheldon.”

Mary Steenburgen was an Oscar winner before “Elf.”

Steenburgen had been making his mark on Hollywood long before the release of “Elf,” with roles in films like “Back to the Future III” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.”

She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1981 for her portrayal of Lynda Dummar in Melvin and Howard.

The Oscar-winning actress once again brought her talents to the big screen when she starred as Buddy’s stepmother Emily in the film “Elf.”

Steenburgen was scheduled to appear alongside Ferrell again in 2008.

“Elf” wouldn’t be the last time Steenburgen appeared in a film with Ferrell. In 2008, the duo reunited in the comedy Step Brothers, in which Steenburgen once again played Ferrell’s mother.

Steenburgen has appeared in television series such as CBS’s “Joan of Arcadia” and Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.”

She also appeared in the films “Four Christmases,” “The Proposal,” “The Help,” and “A Walk in the Woods,” among others.

In 2020, she appeared in the highly anticipated Christmas film “Happiest Season” and has since appeared in the final seasons of several series, including “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”

She was last seen in the film “Book Club: The Next Chapter” (2023).

“Elf” was Daniel Tay’s second film.

Tay played Michael, Buddy’s half-brother, in the film, and his first major role was in “Elf.”

The only acting role he has had before was as young Harvey in the 2003 film American Splendor.

Tay hasn’t appeared in a film since 2007.

After the success of “Elf,” the child actor portrayed Doogal in the 2006 film of the same name. He also appeared in the 2006 films “Beer League” and 2007 “Brooklyn Rules.”

His last project was providing the voice of Bill Blue in Grand Theft Auto IV, released in 2009.

According to The Mirror, in the years since Elf premiered, Tay graduated from Yale University.

Dinklage wasn’t well known before “Elf.”

With the exception of 2003’s The Station Agent, Dinklage was a relatively unknown actor prior to his role in Elf.

In the film, Dinklage stars as Miles Finch, the seemingly grumpy best-selling author who doesn’t approve of Buddy.

Dinklage then starred in the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones.”

After “Elf,” Dinklage appeared in several popular films, including “Death at a Funeral,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

Most notably, Dinklage played the complex and popular character Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones.

He also appeared in “Avengers: Infinity War” and lent his voice to animated films such as “The Angry Birds Movie 2” and “The Croods: A New Age.” He starred in the film “Cyrano” in 2021 and appeared in Dr. Dillamond in “Wicked” his voice.

Ed Asner had an impressive career before “Elf.”

Playing Santa Claus in Elf may not have been a defining moment for Asner’s career, but for a generation of children, it is one of his most memorable roles.

Asner’s acting career dates back to 1957, when he appeared on the CBS television series “Studio One in Hollywood.”

He starred in more than 50 projects before joining the cast of “Elf” in 2003.

Even years later, Asner didn’t slow down.

Asner has kept his Hollywood career going. Since 2003, Asner has been credited with over 60 roles, including the TV short film “Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas”.

He appeared in the Netflix series Dead to Me and the Super Channel series Forgive Me.

He was most recently seen in the films Tiger Within and Rain Beau’s End.

In August 2021, Asner died of natural causes at the age of 91.

This story was originally published in December 2018 and was last updated on December 24, 2024.

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