Where are the cast of Elf now?

The beating heart of the film and purveyor of our favourite quotes – “You sit on a throne of lies!" – seasoned funnyman Will Ferrell was the natural choice to bring Buddy to life. He played the naïve elf-raised human with charming conviction and copious amounts of whimsy and energy, and it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. The comedian-turned-actor followed the hit film with other comedy classics like Anchorman (2004) and Blades of Glory (2007), further cementing him as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

As well as starring in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023), Will has proved to be a dab hand behind-the-scenes, too. He wrote, produced, and starred in the Netflix hit Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020), and is producing the upcoming star-studded comedy Judgment Day, where he’ll also star alongside Zac Efron.

Legendary The Godfather actor swapped cigars for candy canes as Walter Hobbs, Buddy’s long-lost father and a work-obsessed book publisher. Known for his tough-guy roles, James initially told Time he turned the part down, but signed on after a strict “no tights” clause was added into his contract. He ended up being the perfect choice, learning to connect with his Christmas-crazed son and embracing the holiday spirit. 

James remained acting up until his death in 2022, with his one of his last roles being the sweet rom-com Queen Bees (2021). His action-thriller Fast Charlie (2023) was also released posthumously; co-star Pierce Brosnan told UPI the actor was often exhausted on set, but continued to give it his all. “It was really beautiful,” he remarked. “He was still a vibrant player and had a wicked sense of humour”.

Who’s that girl? Before Zooey Deschanel was charming audiences as the peppy Jess in New Girl, she played a slightly more reserved character in department store employee Jovie. While Buddy’s eventual love interest doesn’t quite share his holiday cheer, she’s undeniably charmed by it, and even ends up leading the store in a rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”. A trained singer, Zooey’s even released Christmas albums over the years – perfect holiday listening for Elf fans. 

Outside of New Girl (2011–2018), Zooey followed up other hits like (500) Days of Summer (2008) with her role in the Trolls film franchise as the voice of Bridget. She’ll also return to her rom-com routes in the upcoming flick Merv.

The loving stepmother of Buddy’s half-brother Michael, Emily Hobbs helps to connect Buddy with his skeptical father and help the vastly different father-son duo understand each other. A comedy veteran with award-winning films like Melvin and Howard (1980) under her belt, Oscar-winner Mary Steenburgen hilariously recalled to People that her first day on set was the infamous spaghetti and maple syrup scene, where she “spent the whole day trying to get my lines out without laughing”.

Mary’s role in Elf also kickstarted a pattern of playing mothers in comedy flicks, including Will Ferrell’s character Brennan’s mum in Step Brothers (2008). She also has three exciting looking films in the works, including sports comedy The Dink, where she’ll appear alongside Ben Stiller.

Buddy’s younger half-brother, Michael is initially bewildered by his older brother’s rambunctious personality, but the two soon form a sweet bond. Daniel Tay was just 11-years-old when he made his acting debut in the film, continuing his child acting career with roles in Brooklyn Rules (2007) with Alec Baldwin and voiced the titular character in Doogal (2005).

Daniel has since moved on from the acting world, earning a degree in economics from Yale University, and previously worked as an SAT instructor and Bilingual editor. He’s now studying medicine at Cornell, and is set to graduate in 2026 – Buddy would be proud!

Legendary actor Ed Asner brought some of his Lou Grant gruffness – his Emmy-award winning character on The Mary Tyler Moore Show – to his portrayal of Santa Claus, a no-nonsense businessman with a heart of gold. Ed reflected fondly on his role in a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, calling Will Ferrell “a genius” and “the funniest man I came across since Ted Knight”.

The actor went on to voice Carl in Up (2009) and its TV spin-off Dug Days (2021–2023), and also continued to bring joy to screens after he passed away in 2021, with posthumous roles in animated flicks like Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021).

Buddy’s loving adoptive father who rescues him from Santa’s sack, Papa Elf also serves as the film’s narrator – and what better choice than the legendary Bob Newhart? The actor, like Will Ferrell, made the jump from comedy to film, bringing his award-winning talents to The Bob Newhart Show in the ‘70s and delighting audiences in flicks like In & Out (1997) alongside Kevin Kline. 

The actor is probably best known to modern audiences as Professor Proton on The Big Bang Theory (2013–2018), a role he won a long-awaited Emmy for and later reprised in the spin-off series Young Sheldon (2017–2020). The actor, who passed away in 2024, had previously told CNN that “without question, the part of Papa Elf outranks, by far, any role I may have ever played.”

The film’s director, Jon Favreau brought the merry world of Elf to life, and even had a cameo role as Dr. Leonardo, Buddy’s pediatrician in New York City. Now a Marvel veteran, Jon directed, produced, and appeared as Happy Hogan in the first two Iron Man (2008, 2010) films, and has popped up in countless others.

Jon is now perhaps best known for his work on the Star Wars franchise, as he’s the mastermind behind The Mandalorian (2019–2023) and its upcoming film, The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026). While fans may be holding out for an Elf sequel, the director’s likely too busy in a galaxy far, far away…besides, he told Variety his goal was “to be part of that pantheon of classics that families could watch together every year”. He’s certainly achieved just that.

Beloved actor Peter Dinklage rounds out this film’s iconic cast as Miles Finch, a temperamental author who works alongside Walter – who remains utterly unimpressed by Buddy’s childlike enthusiasm. Peter also had his breakthrough role the same year in comedy-drama The Station Agent (2003), with both roles indicating a successful career to come. 

Alongside setting a record for the most Supporting Actor Emmy wins – a jaw-dropping four – for his role in Game of Thrones (2011–2019), Peter has recently appeared in blockbusters like The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) and Wicked (2024) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond. As well as starring in Dexter: Resurrection this year, he’ll also reprise his role in Wicked: For Good later this month.