Will Ferrell Reveals James Caan Disliked Him During ‘Elf’ Filming

Elf is one of the most beloved movies of the 21st century, but it turns out that star James Caan wasn’t a fan during filming. In a recent interview on the MeSsy podcast, Will Ferrell shared that Caan often told him he wasn’t funny during the shoot. Ferrell explained that Caan was teasing him, but he genuinely believes that the actor was annoyed with him at the time.

Ferrell recently joined actors Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler on their podcast to discuss his legendary career, including the 2003 Christmas classic Elf. Ferrell mentioned he was uncertain while filming the movie, fearing it would “be disastrous.” He recalled, “I like to do bits, but at the same time, I’m not ‘on’ all the time. In between setups, he’d be like, ‘I don’t get you. You’re not funny. You’re not funny.'”

Ferrell continued, “And I’m like, ‘I know I’m not Robin Williams, I’m not like-‘ He’s like, ‘People ask me, like, is he funny?’ I’m like, ‘No, he’s not funny.'” Ferrell emphasized that all this teasing came from a place of love. After the movie’s premiere, Ferrell finally received “the best compliment” from Caan, who admitted, “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 said he believes that this tension between him and Caan made the movie even better. He mentioned, “I love that the whole time, like he’s not acting. He’s truly annoyed with me. He’s like, ‘Can this guy shut the f- up? Jesus.’ So I literally drove him crazy in that movie, just acting like that kid. But that was so funny, he’s walking out, shaking his head and going like, ‘Great job, I thought you were way too over the top. But no, it’s brilliant, it’s brilliant.'”

Caan passed away in July of 2022 at the age of 82. He was already a legend for his portrayal of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, making him an amusing choice for the straight-laced father in Elf. Caan suffered a heart attack on July 6 and passed away later that day, sparking a wave of heartfelt tributes across the industry.

Elf has become a holiday classic for many families, proving that the comedy wasn’t just a fleeting success. The movie isn’t currently available on major subscription streaming services, but you can expect it to appear somewhere towards the end of the year.

Source: Popculture