A lot has happened in Hollywood since Elf was released in 2003. The timeless Christmas comedy, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell, has grown into one of the holiday season’s most beloved films. In Elf, Buddy (Ferrell) — a human who was raised as an elf at the North Pole — embarks on a trip to New York City to meet his biological father for the first time. Buddy runs into trouble when his real dad Walter Hobbs (James Caan) — who is the curmudgeonly executive vice president of a children’s book publishing company — initially rejects the opportunity to connect with his son.
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What follows contains tons of laughs and holiday joy, as Buddy eventually establishes a bond with his new family. Elf’s impressive cast contains many well-known actors, from Zooey Deschanel to Peter Dinklage. Many of the film’s performers proceeded to feature in high-profile projects that audiences will instantly recognize.
Will Ferrell
A generational comedian, Ferrell has taken on a variety of projects on the acting and producing ends over the years. A year after Elf‘s release, he starred in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, which landed another iconic character on his resume. Ferrell counts numerous appearances on network TV comedy specials such as Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The star recently played the Mattel CEO in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie in 2023. Before that, Ferrell headlined the 2021 Apple TV+ miniseries The Shrink Next Door. His recent credits as a producer include the critically acclaimed HBO series Succession, Mark Mylod’s 2022 film The Menu, and the 2023 Todd Haynes movie May December.
James Caan
Before Elf, Caan was best known for 1972’s The Godfather, 1981’s Thief, and 1990’s Misery. Following his role in the holiday movie, Caan starred in the NBC dramedy series Las Vegas. The actor’s other notable projects since 2003 include the 2008 film Get Smart and 2009’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Caan passed away in 2022 at the age of 82. His last acting appearance came in 2023’s Fast Charlie.
Zooey Deschanel
In Elf, Deschanel played Jovie, the Gimbel’s employee with whom Buddy falls in love. The Emmy-nominated actress went on to star as Jess Day in the hit Fox series New Girl from 2011 to 2018. Her noteworthy film credits include 2007’s Bridge to Terabithia, 2009’s 500 Days of Summer, and 2016’s Trolls. Deschanel most recently appeared in the Apple TV+ series Physical, the 2023 film Trolls Band Together, and 2024’s Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart was already a Hollywood legend when he took on the role of Papa Elf in the 2003 Christmas flick. The Emmy winner had previously headlined The Bob Newhart Show in the 1970s, followed by Newhart in the ’80s. After Elf, Newhart took guest roles in network TV shows like ER, Desperate Housewives, NCIS, and The Big Bang Theory. Newhart died in July 2024 at the age of 94. His final acting appearance was in the Young Sheldon Season 3 episode “A Baby Tooth and the Egyptian God of Knowledge,” which aired in 2020.
Ed Asner
Ed Asner belongs to the exclusive club of actors who have donned Santa’s quintessential red suit in a movie. After appearing in Elf, the seven-time Emmy winner went on to voice Carl Fredrickson, the elderly man at the heart of Disney Pixar’s Up in 2009. Asner died in 2021 at the age of 91.
Mary Steenburgen
Oscar-winner Mary Steenburgen played Walter’s wife Emily Hobbs in Elf. In 2008, she reunited with Ferrell in Step Brothers, playing the mother of his character. Steenburgen’s other notable films since Elf include 2011’s The Help, 2013’s Last Vegas, and 2021’s Nightmare Alley. She has also appeared in popular TV series such as Justified, Orange is the New Black, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Steenburgen is set to feature in the upcoming comedy movies Lets Have Kids! and The Dink.
Daniel Tay
Daniel Tay is best known for portraying Walter’s son Michael Hobbs in Elf. He has since moved on from acting, as Tay’s most recent on-screen credit was in 2007 when he played young Bobby in the film Brooklyn Rules.
Faizon Love
Faizon Love, who played the manager of Gimbel’s in Elf, has featured in dozens of comedy movies and TV shows over the last 21 years. Among his most prominent roles are that of Damon Phillips in Just My Luck, Sha in Black-ish, and most recently, Vernon in The Last Stop in Yuma County. In the way of other Christmas flicks, Love took on the role of Santa Charles in 2022’s Santa Games.
Peter Dinklage
The character of renowned children’s book author Miles Finch in Elf was Peter Dinklage’s second major Hollywood role. He later went on to play one of TV history’s most iconic characters in Game of Thrones‘ Tyrion Lannister. Dinklage’s performance over the show’s eight seasons won four Emmys. The actor also starred in 2021’s Cyrano, appeared as Eitri in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, and played Casca Highbottom in 2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Dinklage most recently voiced the goat Dr. Dillamond in Wicked, a role that he will reprise in 2025’s Wicked: Part Two. Dinklage’s lengthy slate of upcoming projects also includes an adaptation of the classic fairytale Rumpelstiltskin, director Bernard Rose’s medieval drama Lear Rex, Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman biopic, and Brad Anderson’s The Dwarf.
Amy Sedaris
In Elf, Amy Sedaris played Walter’s secretary Deb. In the last two decades, she has performed in a myriad of on-screen and voice-acting roles. Sedaris earned a pair of Emmy nominations for her comedy sketch series At Home with Amy Sedaris in 2018 and 2019. The actress previously featured in 2009’s Jennifer’s Body and 2011’s Puss in Boots. She notably played the character Peli Motto in the Star Wars Disney+ series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Sedaris has been cast in The Smurfs Movie, which will be released in 2025.
Jon Favreau
As he often does, the director of Elf also made an on-screen appearance in the movie. Favreau played the character of Ben, Walter’s doctor. Since 2003, the Emmy nominee has dabbled in more than a few significant franchises and IPs. As a director, his most notable projects include 2008’s Iron Man, 2010’s Iron Man 2, 2011’s Cowboys & Aliens, 2016’s The Jungle Book, and 2019’s The Lion King. Favreau has also portrayed the character Happy Hogan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2008. He served as The Mandalorian‘s showrunner and is attached to produce The Mandalorian and Grogu movie. Jungle Book 2 also figures in Favreau’s upcoming titles.
