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Will Ferrell says Ted Danson predicted Elf‘s success during a set visit while supporting his wife Mary Steenburgen
Ferrell recalls initial doubts about the film, fearing audiences might not embrace its family-friendly tone
Elf became a holiday classic, grossing over $228 million and resonating with both family and college-aged audiences
Will Ferrell says that, while he didn’t necessarily foresee the overwhelming success of his 2003 film, Elf, someone else did: Ted Danson.
The film starred Ferrell, 59, as the suspiciously tall, titular elf, Buddy, who learns he’s actually a human and sets out on a quest to find his biological dad in New York City. Danson’s wife, Mary Steenburgen, starred in the film as Emily, who marries Buddy’s dad after he fathers his son with another woman and then welcomes Buddy into their home.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ferrell said Danson, 78, was visiting his wife while they were making the film.
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Will Ferrell as Buddy in ‘Elf’ (2003).
Credit: New Line/courtesy Everett Collection
“Ted Danson came and visited Mary Steenburgen on set one time,” Ferrell recounted. “We were in Vancouver. Like in fact, I have this memory of when we were shooting the scene where we’re decorating the Christmas tree, and I bounce off the couch and put the star on and then tear the whole thing down.”
He continued: “And Ted was there that day, and he was like, ‘This thing’s going to be gigantic.’ I go, ‘How do you know, Ted? Really?’ Like, from your mouth to God’s ears, you know? And he was like, ‘No, you can just feel it.’ I’m like, ‘Okay. All right.’ So, always trust in Ted Danson.”
Danson was ultimately right, as Elf grossed over $228 million at the box office and has since cemented itself as a true Christmas classic, some 23 years after it was first released.
Elsewhere in the interview, Ferrell recounted not knowing what the reception to the movie would be like, particularly considering its more family-friendly slant compared to his other roles in buddy comedies like Wedding Crashers.
“I remember getting a call from my manager when they were doing some test screenings, and they did back-to-back screenings with two different audiences,” he said. “So they wanted to see how it was going to play. So, the one was really more a family [audience], and it played great, and they were really happy.”
Ferrell added: “And then he called me going, ‘I’m looking at the crowd that’s lining up for this second screening, and it looks like a bunch of USC frat guys and I’m just telling you, we might get eviscerated,’ and so when that crowd liked the movie, too, we were like, ‘Oh, okay.'”
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Speaking on the July 14 episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Ferrell recounted having serious doubts while making the film, and worrying that people would say, “That guy was so funny, and then he made this movie, he played a giant elf.”
Ferrell thought to himself at the time, “This is either going to be a home run, or it’s going to be a complete strikeout.”
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