Elf Cast Guide: Where Are They Now?

The hit holiday movie Elf came out in 2003. Feel old yet? If for some reason you are unfamiliar with this movie, this lovely Christmas tale follows Buddy (Will Ferrell), a grown man who was raised by Santa (Ed Asner) and his elves in the North Pole after sneaking into Santa’s toy sack as a baby, who wants to track down and form a relationship with his biological father. Buddy is determined to track down his dad and forge a bond with him, his wife Emily (Mary Steenburgen), and son Michael (Daniel Tay) and spread Christmas cheer. Along the way, Buddy meets and befriends an assortment of interesting characters and gets involved in a number of tricky situations (escalators…enough said). The movie was written by David Berenbaum and directed by Jon Favreau and was released on November 7th in 2003. It remains one of the most beloved and funniest Christmas movies to date and somehow gets better with each viewing.

Grab some syrup, Pop Tarts, and spaghetti. It’s time to take a look at who plays who in Elf and see what the cast has been up to since they’ve spent time with Santa.

Buddy (Will Ferrell)

Sure, he’s a slow toy maker but his Etch-A-Sketch talents cannot be beat. Buddy the Elf might just be the most festive and jolly person to exist. He’s got a sugar-coated heart (like, literally) and is determined to meet his biological father, Walter. His overzealous nature and naivete initially throws a wrench into his biological family’s life, but fortunately his Christmas spirit wins them over. But maybe, if he's going to change out of his yellow tights, he should do it in the bathroom rather than the kitchen. Oh and someone needs to explain to him what a radiator is.

Ferrell’s career continues to soar post Elf. The actor, writer, producer, and Saturday Night Live veteran has starred in dozens of projects including the Anchorman franchise, Kicking & Screaming, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, Daddy’s Home, and the musically-driven Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga with Rachel McAdams. And we cannot forget his recurring role as Michael Scott’s calorie-counting replacement Deangelo Vickers on The Office. He currently stars in AppleTV+’s The Shrink Next Door with Kathryn Hahn and Paul Rudd and has a number of wonderfully strange projects coming up, such as Stray, a stray dog comedy with Will Forte and Jamie Foxx, Spirited, a musical version of A Christmas Carol with Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer, and Fruitcake, a bakery heist movie with Julianne Moore, a movie you probably didn’t realize you needed until just now.

Papa Elf (Bob Newhart)

The deadpan sweetheart that is Bob Newhart is the perfect fit to play Papa Elf, the reasonable and (very) concerned adoptive father to Buddy and narrator of the film. Papa Elf raised Buddy from the time he was a baby, and he knew almost right away that he was…special. It’s not everyday that a human being is going to school with elves and learning how to make toys, and Papa Elf was quite concerned for Buddy’s future. And boy oh boy was it painful anytime Buddy sat on his lap.

Bob Newhart is still going strong at 92 years old. The comedy icon, best known for his stand-up and work on his long-running shows The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, won an Emmy in 2013 for his guest appearance as Professor Proton on The Big Bang Theory. He’s since appeared on several episodes of the show along with its Sheldon Cooper prequel series Young Sheldon.

Santa Claus (Ed Asner)

Santa was understandably perplexed when Buddy crawled out of his toy bag. He also had (in addition to cookies) a lot on his plate. The only logical choice was to pass Buddy off to Papa Elf in order to be raised into a proper elf. Santa has seen it all, and when Buddy is an adult, he prepares him with what to expect when he visits the Big Apple. And just when Santa needs Buddy to boost his sleigh’s Clausometer, Buddy is there to save Christmas.

Ed Asner is famous for playing lovable grouch Lou Grant in the comedy series The Mary Tyler Moore Show as well as its dramatized spin-off Lou Grant. Over the course of his impressive career, he’s accumulated 7 Emmys and appeared in other projects such as Roots, Up, Cobra Kai, Dead to Me, Modern Family, and The Premise. He passed away in August of this year at the age of 91.

Walter Hobbs (James Caan)

Walter Hobbs is a cranky children’s publisher in New York City who also happens to be Buddy’s biological father. He loves his wife Emily and son Michael, but when it comes to Christmas, he couldn’t care less. Walter’s a regular on the Naughty List (much to Buddy’s horror) and is a tough (chest)nut to crack. Perhaps he needs Buddy just as much as Buddy needs him.

Actor James Caan was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in The Godfather. Following Elf, he starred in Magic City, Mercy, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Get Smart. He’s set to star in Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming film Megalopolis, which is rumored to also star Cate Blanchett, Oscar Isaac, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Jovie (Zooey Deschanel)

Who’s Jovie you might ask? Just the brightest star Buddy’s ever seen. Jovie is an unimpressed and unenthusiastic Gimbels employee who would rather be doing anything other than putting together the store’s Christmas tree. While decorating, she sarcastically asks a wide-eyed and mouth-agape Buddy, “Are you enjoying the view?” Turns out, Buddy was quite enamored by her and her apparent “affinity for elf culture.” It’ll take quite a bit of persuasion and convincing Jovie to enjoy Christmas, but Buddy was up to the challenge.

Singer and actress Zooey Deschanel is best known for playing Jess Day in the hit sitcom New Girl with Jake Johnson, Hannah Simone, Lamorne Morris, and Max Greenfield. Additionally, she’s appeared in (500) Days of Summer, Trolls, Yes Man, and Our Idiot Brother and is set to star alongside Casey Affleck and Walton Goggins in the biographical music drama Dreamin’ Wild. Deschanel has also been part of the musical duo She & Him since 2008.

Emily Hobbs (Mary Steenburgen)

Emily is Walter’s sweet wife and Buddy’s welcoming and open-minded step-mother. She might not understand Buddy’s sugary eating habits and over-the-top Christmas decorating but she embraces him and his personality nonetheless.

Mary Steenbrugen won an Oscar for her performance in the 1980 film Melvin and Howard. She re-teamed with Ferrell for the hit comedy Step Brothers and continues to keep us laughing with her work in The Last Man on Earth, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bless the Harts, and most recently Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. Last year she played uptight mother Tipper in another star-studded Christmas film called Happiest Season which also featured Aubrey Plaza, Victor Garber, Kristen Stewart, and Daniel Levy. She can currently be seen in Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley.

Michael Hobbs (Daniel Tay)

Walter and Emily’s younger son Michael is initially mortified by his goofy half-brother Buddy. After all, it’s not exactly every day that a grown man shows up in an elf costume and claims to have the same Dad as you. But Buddy’s zest for life and love of all things Christmas is a refreshing change of pace for Michael, who’s used to his father’s lackluster ways. Buddy protects Michael from bullies by ferociously whipping snowballs at their enemies, while Michael helps him prepare for his special (and first) date. According to IMDb, Daniel Tay only has 8 acting credits and hasn’t acted since 2017.

Miles Finch (Peter Dinklage)

When it comes to children’s books, no one beats Miles Finch, a best-selling author who is looking to work with Walter’s publishing company. When Buddy unknowingly bursts into a very important meeting with the prospective client, things quickly go downhill at a shocking speed. Not only is Miles irritated that Buddy interrupted the meeting, but he’s also deeply insulted when Buddy mistakes him for being a literal elf from the North Pole. (It’s critical to note for contextual purposes that Miles is extra short due to his dwarfism.) Buddy innocently asks Miles a series of rapid fire questions about the North Pole and calls him an “elf.” This tense misunderstanding quickly turns physical and Miles leaves Buddy with a lot of pain and confusion.

Peter Dinklage, best known for his Emmy-award winning work as Tyrion Lannister in the HBO mega-hit series Game of Thrones, brings layers of complexity to every role that comes his way. He’s appeared in projects such as Nip/Tuck, The Boss, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, I Care A Lot, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. He currently stars as Cyrano de Bergerac in the musical film Cyrano and is set to to appear in a number of upcoming films including Brothers, Hitpig, American Dreamer, and The Toxic Avenger with Kevin Bacon and Elijah Wood.

Deb (Amy Sedaris)

Actress Amy Sedaris plays Walter’s trusty and perky secretary Deb, who, upon meeting Buddy in his elf costume, believes he is a (very) in-character actor that was ordered to the office as a Christmas-gram for Walter. Little does she know, however, that Buddy isn’t acting and he really wants to meet and spend time with his father at work. Deb has a genuine fascination with Buddy and does her darn best to help him assimilate to office life.

Amy Sedaris has one of the most unique voices in comedy. She played Jerri Blank in the off-beat comedy Strangers with Candy with Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello and has appeared in shows including The Mandalorian, Sex and the City, BoJack Horseman, Broad City, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She plays a version of herself along with an abundance of wacky characters in the cult-comedy series At Home with Amy Sedaris, which has an impressive roster of guest stars that includes Michael Shannon, Justin Theroux, Rose Byrne, and Susan Sarandon.