‘Elf’: Will Ferrell Actually Suffered Health Problems After Filming in This Iconic Scene
When you think of Will Ferrell’s best movies, there’s a good chance Elf comes to mind.
Released in 2003, the holiday classic sees him stepping into the role of Buddy, a human raised by Santa’s elves in the North Pole. The movie won Ferrell scores of praise upon its debut, but behind the scenes, there were a lot of tough times, including one scene that actually made him sick.
What is ‘Elf’ about?
Elf focuses on Buddy, who, after discovering his true identity, travels to New York to reunite with his family. His father is cynical businessman Walter Hobbs (James Caan), who is initially reluctant to accept the childlike Buddy into his life. But over time, they slowly begin to establish a relationship.
There’s 1 scene in ‘Elf’ that made Will Ferrell sick
Remember that scene where Buddy made his own breakfast pasta? The one where he took some cooked spaghetti noodles and then piled it with maple syrup, chocolate syrup, fudge Pop-tarts, and candy? In that moment, Buddy seemed to be in pure bliss, but Ferrell was actually struggling to scarf it all down.
“That was tough,” he once told the website Black Film of the scene. “I ingested a lot of sugar in this movie and I didn’t get a lot of sleep. I constantly stayed up. But anything for the movie, I’m there. If it takes eating a lot of maple syrup, then I will—if that’s what the job calls for.”
As we know, Ferrell’s hard work paid off. Elf eventually released to rave reviews and ultimately earned over $200 million globally against a $33 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). It has also become a top holiday film and regularly appears in Christmas cable programming.
Will there be an ‘Elf’ sequel?
Ferrell was approached about an Elf sequel in the years since the original film released. However, he turned the offer down, even with a $29 million check attached to it.
“That’s what was on offer for it. But I killed the idea of a sequel. I never liked it — $29 [million] does seem a lot of money for a guy to wear tights, but it’s what the marketplace will bear,” he once told The Guardian. “It’s insane, but it’s not my call. The studios perpetuate it and they make it hard to say no”
He also told USA TODAY he thought “it would look slightly pathetic if I tried to squeeze back in the elf tights: Buddy the middle-aged elf.” So, all in all, it doesn’t look like an Elf sequel will happen. But on the bright side, there are plenty of other amazing holiday movies to watch instead. See them here.
