50 Fun Facts About Elf

What is the name of the human raised by elves in the movie Elf?

Buddy is the main character of Elf, a human baby who crawled into Santa's sack and was raised at the North Pole by Papa Elf.

Who plays Buddy the Elf in the 2003 movie?

Will Ferrell stars as Buddy the Elf, delivering one of his most beloved and iconic comedy performances.

What does Buddy put on his spaghetti that horrifies his new family?

Buddy pours maple syrup on his spaghetti, along with other sugary toppings, because elves have a diet based on the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.

What is the name of Buddy's biological father in Elf?

Walter Hobbs, played by James Caan, is Buddy's biological father who works as a book publisher in New York City.

Which department store does Buddy work at when he arrives in New York City?

Buddy gets a job in the toy department at Gimbels department store after arriving in New York, where he mistakes a store Santa for the real one.

What famous Buddy the Elf quote follows 'You sit on a throne of...'?

Buddy yells 'You sit on a throne of lies!' at the fake department store Santa after realizing he is not the real Santa Claus.

Who directed the movie Elf?

Jon Favreau directed Elf before going on to direct major blockbusters like Iron Man and The Jungle Book.

What is Jovie's job at Gimbels department store?

Jovie, played by Zooey Deschanel, works as one of the store elves at Gimbels, which is where she first meets Buddy.

According to Buddy, what are the four main food groups for elves?

Buddy proudly lists the elf food groups as 'candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup' — explaining his unusual dietary choices in the human world.

What does Buddy say is his favorite activity?

When asked about his skills during a job interview, Buddy famously says 'I like smiling. Smiling's my favorite!'

Who plays Papa Elf, the narrator of the movie Elf?

Legendary comedian Bob Newhart plays Papa Elf, who narrates the story of how baby Buddy ended up at the North Pole and raised him as his own.

What does Buddy exclaim when he gets hit in the face during the snowball fight?

'Son of a nutcracker!' is one of Buddy's most quoted exclamations, used as a family-friendly substitute for profanity when he gets pelted with snowballs.

What is the name of Buddy's younger half-brother in Elf?

Michael Hobbs is Buddy's younger half-brother, the son of Walter Hobbs and his wife Emily. Michael eventually helps Buddy and becomes his ally.

Who plays Walter Hobbs' wife Emily (Buddy's stepmother) in Elf?

Mary Steenburgen plays Emily Hobbs, Walter's wife, who is more welcoming toward Buddy than Walter initially is.

What does Buddy do to prepare the Gimbels store for Santa's arrival?

Buddy stays up all night transforming the Gimbels store into an elaborate winter wonderland, impressing his manager and co-workers.

What industry does Walter Hobbs work in?

Walter Hobbs works as an executive at Greenway Press, a children's book publishing company in New York City.

What song does Jovie sing in the shower that Buddy joins in on?

Jovie is singing 'Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town' in the employee shower when Buddy walks in and starts singing along, creating one of the movie's most awkward and hilarious moments.

What actor plays Santa Claus in Elf?

Ed Asner, famous for playing Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, portrays Santa Claus in Elf.

How does Buddy travel from the North Pole to New York City?

Buddy walks the entire way, following Papa Elf's directions through the candy cane forest, the sea of swirly-twirly gumdrops, and then through the Lincoln Tunnel to New York.

What happens to Santa's sleigh that sets up the climax of Elf?

Santa's sleigh crashes in Central Park because the Clausometer (measuring Christmas spirit) is too low. The sleigh's engine needs Christmas spirit to fly.

What short actor does Buddy mistake for an elf at his father's office, leading to a fight?

Peter Dinklage plays Miles Finch, a successful children's book author whom Buddy calls an elf due to his short stature, leading to a physical altercation.

What song does Jovie sing at the end of Elf to help raise Christmas spirit and power Santa's sleigh?

Jovie overcomes her self-consciousness and begins singing 'Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town' in Central Park, and the crowd joins in, raising the Clausometer enough for the sleigh to fly.

What does Buddy use as a term of greeting when he answers the phone at his father's office?

Buddy's enthusiastic phone greeting 'Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?' became one of the most iconic and quoted lines from the movie.

In what year was the movie Elf released?

Elf was released on November 7, 2003, and went on to become a massive box office hit, earning over $220 million worldwide.

What technique was used to make Buddy appear much larger than the other elves at the North Pole?

Director Jon Favreau used forced perspective, a practical camera technique that plays with depth and distance to make Will Ferrell appear giant compared to the other elves, similar to how Lord of the Rings filmed hobbits.

What does Buddy do when he encounters a revolving door for the first time in New York?

In a montage of Buddy discovering New York City, he gleefully spins around and around in a revolving door, showing his childlike wonder at the human world.

What is the name of Walter's publishing company in Elf?

Walter Hobbs works as an executive at Greenway Press, a children's book publishing company that is struggling financially.

What does Buddy mistake for a drink from a water fountain in the mailroom?

In the mailroom scene, Buddy discovers a large bottle of syrup near the coffee area and chugs the entire thing, further establishing his love of sugary foods.

What is the name of the children's book author that Buddy gets into a fight with?

Miles Finch, played by Peter Dinklage, is a renowned and notoriously angry children's book author who Walter brings in to save his struggling publishing company.

Approximately how much did Elf earn at the worldwide box office?

Elf earned approximately $224 million worldwide against a production budget of about $33 million, making it a major commercial success.

Which actor was originally considered for the role of Buddy the Elf before Will Ferrell was cast?

Jim Carrey was reportedly considered for the role of Buddy before Will Ferrell was ultimately cast. The script had been floating around Hollywood for years before production began.

What is the approximate production budget of the movie Elf?

Elf was made on a relatively modest budget of approximately $33 million but went on to earn over $220 million worldwide, making it extremely profitable.

Who wrote the screenplay for Elf?

David Berenbaum wrote the screenplay for Elf. The script had been in development since the mid-1990s before Jon Favreau signed on to direct.

What does the Clausometer in Elf measure?

The Clausometer measures the level of Christmas spirit in the world. When it drops too low, Santa's sleigh can't generate enough power to fly.

In the stop-motion animated North Pole scenes, what classic Christmas special's style were they inspired by?

The stop-motion style of the North Pole creatures in Elf was inspired by the 1964 Rankin/Bass special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, giving the film a nostalgic, classic Christmas feel.

Where were the majority of the New York City exterior scenes in Elf actually filmed?

Most of the New York City scenes were filmed on location in Manhattan, including iconic shots of Buddy walking through the streets and the Central Park climax.

What is Buddy's reaction when he first encounters an escalator in New York City?

One of the funniest New York discovery moments is Buddy's terrified reaction to stepping onto an escalator, highlighting how foreign the human world is to him.

Which of these items does Buddy NOT put on his spaghetti breakfast?

Buddy loads his spaghetti with maple syrup, chocolate syrup, M&Ms, marshmallows, chocolate fudge Pop-Tarts, and other sweets — but not mustard.

What Broadway musical is based on the 2003 movie Elf?

Elf: The Musical premiered on Broadway in 2010 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, with a book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin and music by Matthew Sklar.

What excuse does the fake Santa at Gimbels give that tips Buddy off that he's not real?

Buddy declares 'You sit on a throne of lies!' and tells the fake Santa 'You smell like beef and cheese. You don't smell like Santa,' which is a key clue that he's an impostor.

Why did Will Ferrell reportedly turn down the opportunity to star in a sequel to Elf?

Will Ferrell reportedly turned down $29 million to star in an Elf sequel because he felt the sequel would not be as good as the original and would diminish the first film's legacy.

What is the name of Buddy's biological mother in the movie Elf?

Buddy's biological mother is Susan Wells, who placed him in an orphanage as a baby. She passed away before the events of the film, and Walter never knew she had been pregnant.

What classic Christmas movie does Buddy watch on television that features stop-motion animation?

The North Pole opening of Elf features stop-motion animated creatures in the style of Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which is also referenced throughout the film.

What does Buddy make in the North Pole workshop that reveals he is not a real elf?

Buddy makes only 85 Etch-a-Sketches compared to the 1,000+ that other elves produce, which along with his large size, makes it clear that he is human.

What animated character narrates the opening of Elf and tells the audience about how Buddy ended up at the North Pole?

A stop-motion animated narwhal named Mr. Narwhal appears briefly as a character at the North Pole, though Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) serves as the primary narrator.

What does Buddy say to the narwhal before leaving the North Pole?

The narwhal calls out 'Bye, Buddy! Hope you find your dad!' as Buddy leaves the North Pole, and it has become one of the most beloved and quoted exchanges from the film.

In what year did Elf: The Musical first premiere on Broadway?

Elf: The Musical premiered on Broadway on November 14, 2010, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, running for about a month before returning for subsequent holiday seasons.

What job does Walter's boss, Fulton Greenway, threaten to take away from Walter if he doesn't fix the company's financial problems?

Fulton Greenway, the company owner played by Michael Lerner, threatens Walter with losing his job if he can't produce a hit children's book to save the struggling publishing company.

How much was Will Ferrell reportedly offered to star in a sequel to Elf?

Will Ferrell was reportedly offered $29 million to appear in an Elf sequel but turned it down because he didn't want to make a movie purely for financial reasons and felt it wouldn't match the original.

Which New York City landmark does Santa's sleigh crash-land near at the climax of Elf?

Santa's sleigh crash-lands in Central Park when the engine fails due to low Christmas spirit, setting up the final scene where Jovie and the crowd sing to raise the Clausometer.