The Original 'Elf' Cast Looks So Different 17 Years Later

Good Housekeeping

Mon, December 7, 2020 at 12:30 AM UTC

The Original 'Elf' Cast Looks So Different 17 Years Later — In 2003, the holiday comedy *Elf* hit the box office just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now, more than 17 years later, fans still welcome the winter season and all of its festivities with Buddy (**Will Ferrell**), the ever-optimistic elf. Whether you’ve only recently discovered the classic Christmas flick or it's your 100th time watching the movie, you have most likely wondered what Will, **Zooey Deschanel**, and the rest of the *Elf* cast is up to now. While you press play (again), check out our full rundown of where the cast of the hilarious Christmas movie ended up. You may be surprised to realize that you've spotted the actors more than once over the past decade.
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Then: Will Ferrell — **Will Ferrell** brought this iconic Christmas movie to life with his hilarious portrayal of Buddy the Elf. That said, while he wasn't as big of a star then as he is now, he was making fans laugh years before the comedy premiered in 2003. In 1995, Will joined the cast of *Saturday Night Live* during which he gained popularity for his impression of former President George W. Bush. After departing from the late night show in 2002, Will appeared in other classic movies like *Austin Powers*, *A Night at the Roxbury*, *Superstar*, and *Zoolander*.
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Now: Will Ferrell — Since *Elf*, Will has continued to act and score notable roles in *Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy*, *Talladega Nights*, *Blades of Glory*, and *Step Brothers*. In addition, he's added writer and producer to his résumé. Will is also the executive producer of hit shows like *Booksmart*, *Succession*, *Dead to Me*, and *Motherland*. Today, he's still married to wife, **Viveca Paulin**.
**RELATED:** The Actual Reason Why Will Ferrell Left *SNL*
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Then: Zooey Deschanel — **Zooey Deschanel** made her film debut in the 1999 comedy drama *Mumford*. She quickly became known for portraying witty characters in *The Good Girl* and *The New Guy*. Before playing opposite Will, Zooey guest starred in the hit sitcom *Frasier*.
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Now: Zooey Deschanel — Zooey's acting career picked up steam after *Elf*. She's best known for *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*, *Failure to Launch*, *Yes Man*, and *500 Days of Summer*. On the small screen, Zooey landed the lead role of quirky school teacher Jessica Day in the Fox sitcom *New Girl*. Throughout the show's seven seasons, she earned an Emmy Award nomination and three Golden Globe Award nominations. Zooey has also had a successful music career, forming the duo She & Him in 2008. On a personal note, she's been dating *Property Brothers* star **Jonathan Scott** since 2019.
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Then: James Caan — From the start of his career in the 1960s, **James Caan** made an impression with his performances in *The Glory Guys*, *The Godfather*, *Brian's Song*, *The Gambler*, and *Funny Lady*. By the '90s, the native New Yorker had earned an Emmy Award nomination, four Golden Globes nominations, and his own star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood.
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Now: James Caan — Today, at 80 years old, James continues acting. Following the success of *Elf*, he lent his voice to *The Godfather* video game franchise, in addition to the animation movie series *Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs*.
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Then: Bob Newhart — **Bob Newhart** began as a comedian appearing on *The Ed Sullivan Show*. Shortly after, he transitioned to acting in *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour* and *Catch-22*. Bob eventually brought together his passions of comedy and acting in the TV series *The Bob Newhart Show*. What's more, he also voiced Leonard the Polar Bear in the classic holiday animated movie *Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer* and starred in *Legally Blonde 2* before playing Papa Elf.
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Now: Bob Newhart — When *Elf* premiered in 2003, Bob was still going full force in the acting world. He's since appeared in ER, *Desperate Housewives*, *NCIS*, *Hot in Cleveland*, *The Big Bang Theory,* and *Young Sheldon*. Plus, after finding success with the TV movie franchise *The Librarians*, which had three installments, Bob became part of the TV series of the same name for four years. To this day, he remains married to his wife, **Virginia Quinn**, who he wed in 1963.
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Then: Mary Steenburgen — **Mary Steenburgen** was first discovered by actor **Jack Nicholson** in Paramount's New York office. After casting her in his 1978 Western comedy *Goin' South*, Mary was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Two years later, she won the coveted award for her performance in the 1980 comedy drama *Melvin and Howard*, for which she also earned an Oscar. Over the next decade, Mary was praised for her roles in *Ragtime*, *Tender Is the Night*, and *The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank*.
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Now: Mary Steenburgen — After portraying Emily Hobbs in *Elf*, Mary reunited with Will years later in the comedy *Step Brothers*. She then appeared in *Four Christmases*, *The Proposal*, and *The Help*. Her résumé also includes roles in *Orange Is the New Black*, *Curb Your Enthusiasm*, *The Last Man on Earth*, *The Conners*, *Grace and Frankie*, and *The Good Place*. Most recently, Mary lent her voice for the animated comedy *Bless the Harts*. NBC viewers may also recognize her from *Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist*. Last month, Hulu premiered its original holiday rom-com movie *Happiest Season*, where Mary portrays the matriarch. In 1995, she married actor **Ted Danson**.
**RELATED:** Inside Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson's Adorable Relationship
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Then and Now: Daniel Tay — **Daniel Tay** was only 11 years old when he made his acting debut as Michael Hobbs in *Elf*. Although he had a handful of roles in the following years, Daniel bid farewell to the acting circuit in 2009.
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Then: Peter Dinklage — For **Peter Dinklage**, 2003 was a memorable one. While celebrating the success of *Elf*, he was also earning praise for his role in *The Station Agent*. He scored his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for the lead role of Finbar McBride, a man who finds peace in an abandoned New Jersey train station. In the decade leading up to this, Peter appeared in a dozen movies and TV shows.
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Now: Peter Dinklage — *Game of Thrones* wouldn't have been the same without Peter's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in the hit HBO drama. Throughout *GoT*'s eight seasons, he was nominated a total of nine times for an Emmy and took the award home four times for Outstanding Supporting Actor — he also won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Aside from *GoT*, Peter has been featured in *Death at a Funeral*, *The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian*, and *X-Men: Days of Future Past* among many more films. In 2005, Peter married **Erica Schmidt**.
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Then: Edward Asner — In 1957, **Edward Asner** kicked off his acting career with the TV series *Studio One in Hollywood*. In the '70s, the Missouri native rose to fame thanks to his role of Lou Grant on *The Mary Tyler Moore Show* and its spin-off *Lou Grant*. He followed up this triumph with award-winning performances in the TV series *Rich Man, Poor Man* and *Roots*. By the time *Elf* arrived at the box office, Edward had been nominated for 15 Emmys, winning seven times. Most notably, Edward was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1981 to 1985.
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Now: Edward Asner — All in all, Edward, 91, has over 400 credits to his name, including movies, TV series, and voice acting. In 2009, the actor brought Up's protagonist Carl Fredricksen to life. What's more, Edward has also voiced characters in *King of the Hill*, *Family Guy*, *SpongeBob SquarePants*, *American Dad*, and others. On TV, he's starred in a variety of popular shows, such as *Grace and Frankie*, *Dead to Me*, *Modern Family*, and *Blue Bloods*.
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The Original 'Elf' Cast Looks So Different 17 Years Later

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In 2003, the holiday comedy Elf hit the box office just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now, more than 17 years later, fans still welcome the winter season and all of its festivities with Buddy (Will Ferrell), the ever-optimistic elf. Whether you’ve only recently discovered the classic Christmas flick or it's your 100th time watching the movie, you have most likely wondered what Will, Zooey Deschanel, and the rest of the Elf cast is up to now. While you press play (again), check out our full rundown of where the cast of the hilarious Christmas movie ended up. You may be surprised to realize that you've spotted the actors more than once over the past decade.

New Line Cinema

Here's the lowdown on where all your favorite characters ended up.??

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The Original 'Elf' Cast Looks So Different 17 Years Later

The Original 'Elf' Cast Looks So Different 17 Years Later

The Original 'Elf' Cast Looks So Different 17 Years Later

Then: Will Ferrell

Now: Will Ferrell

Then: Zooey Deschanel

Now: Zooey Deschanel

Then: James Caan

Now: James Caan

Then: Bob Newhart

Now: Bob Newhart

Then: Mary Steenburgen

Now: Mary Steenburgen

Then and Now: Daniel Tay

Then: Peter Dinklage

Now: Peter Dinklage

Then: Edward Asner

Now: Edward Asner

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