As Elf marks its 20TH anniversary, FEMAIL reveals what became of its iconic cast – from rollercoaster love lives to tragic losses

• Stars like Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel went on to become A-list actors 
• Others like James Caan and Ed Asner have tragically passed away
• Elf released in theaters on November 7, 2003, and became a holiday classic 

Elf hit the big screen and became an instant holiday classic 20 years ago in 2003.

The film follows Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) after he realizes he’s not quite like the other elves and leaves the North Pole to find his real father.

As he struggles to fit into the real world, he discovers his true father is no-nonsense businessman Walter Hobbs (James Caan).

After a DNA test proves Walter is his true father, he reluctantly takes Buddy in who comes to live with him and his wife, Emily (Mary Steenburgen), and son Michael (Daniel Tay).

Elf hit the big screen and became an instant holiday classic 20 years ago in 2003

Plenty has happened with the cast of Elf since the holiday film took the world by storm. 

Some of the cast members went on to become A-list stars, including Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel.

Actors who were already successful, like Newhart and Steenburgen, continued to book roles. 

Others, sadly, have since passed away including Caan and Ed Asner.

Meanwhile, Tay, who played Walter’s son and Buddy’s brother, Michael, has since stepped away from acting to study premed at Columbia University.

Some of these stars also dealt with heartbreak and loss. Deschanel went on to get married twice, both of which resulted in divorce.

Meanwhile Newhart lost his wife, Ginnie Quinn, in 2014.

All in all, here’s what the main players of Elf have been up to in the past 20 years. 

Will Ferrell (Buddy)

Ferrell had started to become a name by the time Elf came out thanks to Zoolander but he was still in the very early stages of his long and successful career

Ferrell had started to become a name by the time Elf came out thanks to Zoolander, but he was still in the very early stages of his long and successful career.

In Elf, he played the lead role Buddy, an overly optimist and naïve elf who eventually wins over not only his coworker Jovie, but his stern father. 

The 54-year-old actor went on to play what is arguably his most recognizable role in his career, Anchorman (2004).

This was also the year he and his wife of four years, Viveca Paulin, welcomed their first son, Magnus, into the world. 

Their second son, Mattias, came two years later in 2006. 

He starred in another comedy hit, Step Brothers (2008), which he produced.

His career then slowed down a bit after he and his wife welcomed their third son, Axel, into the world in 2010.

The 54-year-old actor went on to play what is arguably his most recognizable role in his career, Anchorman (2004)

This was also the year he and his wife of four years, Viveca Paulin, welcomed their first son, Magnus, into the world. Their second son, Mattias, came two years later in 2006 (Pictured in 2015)

While raising three boys has been hectic for the actor, he has managed to have a good sense of humor about it.

‘I can only imagine, but I sometimes equate [parenting boys] to what it must be like running a prison,’ he joked to the Associated Press, adding that he often ended up ‘barking out orders’ to his sons. 

‘There is so much chaos you can’t really take the time to articulate.’

Starting in 2015, he started to act more consistently, landing projects like Get Hard (2015) and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga (2020). 

He even returned for another Christmas movie, Spirited.

However, it’s unlikely Ferrell will ever be down for an Elf sequel. 

While raising three boys has been hectic for the actor, he has managed to have a good sense of humor about it (Pictured with son Magnus in 2023)

He and his wife, Viveca, tied the knot in 2000. The couple is pictured in 2023

In fact, he was approached about it once but he said the script was ‘not good’ so he chose to turn it down, despite being offered $29 million. 

‘I would have had to promote the movie from an honest place, which would’ve been, like, “Oh, it’s not good. I just couldn’t turn down that much money,”‘ Ferrell said to THR.

‘And I thought, “Can I actually say those words? I don’t think I can, so I guess I can’t do the movie.”‘

Most recently, he has acted in the 2023 hit Barbie.

He also has put plenty of energy toward his production work. 

Ferrell produced some of the biggest hits of these recent years including Dead To Me, Succession and Theater Camp. 

 Zooey Deschanel (Jovie)

Jovie, who works with Buddy as an elf at Gimble and becomes his love interest, served as a breakout role for Zooey Deschanel who went on to have a hugely successful career

Jovie, who works with Buddy as an elf at Gimble and becomes his love interest, served as a breakout role for Deschanel who went on to have a hugely successful career.

She continued to make a name for herself in films like The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005) and Bridge To Terabithia (2007).

However, it wasn’t until 500 Days of Summer (2009) that her career really took off.

Additionally, in 2009, Deschanel had eloped with Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard after one year of dating.

‘I was just awestruck that she was even talking to me,’ Gibbard said of meeting his then wife for a New York magazine cover story.

‘I’d seen her movies and obviously I thought she was very beautiful.’

Unfortunately their marriage didn’t last very long. While they remained as quiet about their divorce as they had their marriage, they cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their ‘amicable’ split.

She continued to make a name for herself in films like The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005)

However, it wasn’t until 500 Days of Summer (2009) that her career really took off

Shortly after that, she landed her long-standing lead role in the hit sitcom New Girl, which ran from 2011 to 2018. 

During this time, she started dating Jacob Pechenik, who would become her second husband.

They met while filming Rock The Kasbah (2015) and tied the knot shortly after that same year. 

They also welcomed their daughter, Elsie Otter Pechenik, into the world in 2015.

Two years later came their son, Charlie Wolf. 

However, their marriage took a turn for the worse along the way and the pair announced that they were no longer together in 2020. 

‘After much discussion and a long period of contemplation we have decided we are better off as friends, business partners and co-parents rather than life partners,’ they said in a statement.

In 2009, Deschanel had eloped with Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard after one year of dating

Deschanel landed her long-standing lead role in the hit sitcom New Girl, which ran from 2011 to 2018

‘We remain committed to our business, our values and most of all our children. Thank you for respecting our privacy at this time.’

Not long after, she began dating Property Brother star Jonathan Scott. 

The pair met while filming a Carpool Karaoke segment in 2019 and one year later, they had their first date at an escape room.

Zooey noted how she loved how he sent her an itinerary for the date, telling People, ‘I was like, this is my dream. I’m a Capricorn.’

Scott revealed how he was traumatized by Deschanel’s social media post revealing their relationship. 

‘When we first started dating, Zooey posted a picture of us together. It might’ve been the very first time we ever posted anything on social media,’ the Canadian-born television personality recounted. 

Remembering how he happened upon the comment section, Jonathan added, ‘And I remember I looked at it and I saw the first comment right below was, “Why the hell is she with a Property Brother?!” to which he thought, ‘Excuse me — rude!’

In 2015, she started dating Jacob Pechenik, who would become her second husband

Jonathan Scott proposed to Deschanel in 2023. She’s pictured here showing off her engagement ring

Fast forward four years later and the couple is now engaged.

‘Forever starts now!!!’ Zooey wrote in her caption alongside the pair smiling with hearts emojis and an infinity symbol.

The petite singer explained: ‘We’ve just been basking in engaged bliss and haven’t really figured out anything.’ 

She elaborated on why she believed they worked so well as a couple, noting: ‘Our personalities are so compatible.’

‘It’s just that we’re from different worlds,’ the Yes Man starlet explained.

With her trademark quirkiness, the raven-haired beauty joked: ‘We identify as nerds, we’ll have you know.’

Explaining what he loved about his bride-to-be to People, Scott gushed that she was ‘somebody who cares to make sure you get through the hard moments as well.’

He also added that the She & Him singer was someone he ‘never saw coming.’

Along with her romantic success, she most recently landed a recurring role on the series Physical.

James Caan (Walter Hobbs)

James Caan (left in the film and right in 2022) played the role of stern businessman Walter, whose life is flipped upside down when he learns he has a son who insists he’s an elf

Caan played the role of stern businessman Walter, whose life is flipped upside down when he learns he has a son who insists he’s an elf. 

Caan was already a known name in Hollywood for his role in The Godfather (1979) by the time Elf had come out.

He was also known for his controversy. 

In the ’80s, the actor suffered from depression over the death of his sister, who passed away from leukemia, and later revealed that he struggled with cocaine addiction.

Caan was also accused of abusing his ex-wife, once lived at the Playboy Mansion, and was rumored to have terrified his costars on set. 

He was married four different times over the years. He wed his first wife, Dee Jay Mathi, in 1961, and together, they welcomed a daughter, named Tara in 1964. They split two years later.

He wed his first wife, Dee Jay Mathi, in 1961, and together, they welcomed a daughter, named Tara in 1964

He then tied the knot with Sheila Marie Ryan (pictured together in 1977) in 1976, but they divorced after a year of marriage. They share one son, Scott Caan, who was born in 1976

Caan then married Ingrid Hajek in 1990, and was with her for four years. The couple is pictured in 1993

He then tied the knot with Sheila Marie Ryan in 1976, but they divorced after only a year of marriage. They share one son, named Scott Caan, who was born in 1976 and is now also an actor.

Caan then married Ingrid Hajek in 1990, and was with her for four years. They had one son, named Alexander James Caan, in 1991 and split in 1994.

In 1993, he was involved in a homicide investigation when 25-year-old Mark Alan Schwartz was found dead underneath his balcony.

At the time, Caan vehemently denied that he was involved to the Los Angeles Times.

‘I was staying in the back room of the apartment and I couldn’t hear anything,’ Caan said. ‘I feel sorry for the kid and his folks.’

‘He had been drinking and that’s why he took a cab,’ Caan said. ‘His friend put him in a cab and sent him home. Everybody suffers when something like this happens.’

While the death was ruled an accident at the time, his ex who was dating him at the time, Leesa Rowland, grew suspicious of him. 

In response to her questioning him, she told DailyMail.com that he punched, choked and threatened her. 

He then exchanged vows with Linda Stokes in 1995, and together, they welcomed two sons, named James Arthur Caan and Jacob Nicholas Caan, in 1995 and 1998

His more recent movies included The Good Neighbor in 2016, The Red Maple Leaf in 2016, Undercover Grandpa in 2017, and Out of the Blue in 2019. He is seen in 2016 

Caan and Stokes divorced in 2017. They share two sons, named James Arthur Caan and Jacob Nicholas Caan, born in 1995 and 1998 respectively

He then exchanged vows with Linda Stokes in 1995, and together, they welcomed two sons, named James Arthur Caan and Jacob Nicholas Caan, in 1995 and 1998. However, they divorced in 2017. 

In spite of all of that controversy, Caan eventually made a comeback.

He took a break from acting after walking off the set of the flick The Holcroft Covenant. He was also in a car accident in 1985, and admitted in a later interview that he almost considered quitting Hollywood for good afterwards.

However, in 1987, he returned to the spotlight when he starred in the war movie Gardens Of Stone. After that, he gained acclaim for starring in the Stephen King adaption Misery (1990) alongside Kathy Bates.

His most recent movies include The Good Neighbor in 2016, The Red Maple Leaf in 2016, Undercover Grandpa in 2017, and Out of the Blue in 2019. He was also set to star in the upcoming movie Megalopolis before his death.

He was also the chairman of an internet company called Openfilm, which was created to help up-and-coming filmmakers, and practiced martial arts.

He died in 2022 from a heart attack and coronary artery disease.

Mary Steenburgen (Emily Hobbs)

Mary Steenburgen played the role of Emily, Walter’s wife, in the 2003 hit Elf. Elf proved Steenburgen had crafted a career with longevity and she has only continued to prove that

Steenburgen played the role of Emily, Walter’s wife, in the 2003 hit Elf.

The 70-year-old actress had first gotten her start in 1979 with the film Time After Time. She became a big name after starring in the Back To The Future franchise.

Elf proved Steenburgen had crafted a career with longevity and she has only continued to prove that over time.

She reunited on-screen with her Elf co-star, Ferrell, for the 2008 film Stepbrothers. 

She has continued to act in Last Vegas (2013), The Last Man On Earth (2015-2018) and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (2020-2021).

However, the project that put her name back out there was the 2018 film Book Club, which she starred in alongside Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen.

She reunited on-screen with her Elf co-star, Ferrell, for the 2008 film Stepbrothers

In addition to her career, she has also found success in love. She has been married to actor Ted Danson since 1995 (pictured in 2018)

However, the project that put her name back out there was the 2018 film Book Club, which she starred in alongside Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen

The film was such a hit that a sequel Book Club: The Next Chapter dropped this year.

In addition to her career, she has also found success in love. She has been married to actor Ted Danson since 1995. 

In 2020, they opened up about how they were still in love more than 20 years into their marriage.

‘I want as long as possible in my life with Mary,’ Danson said to People. ‘I know it will have all of its hard parts but I want to experience love in all those moments.’

‘Not to sound corny, but I would sign up for a 100 more lifetimes,’ Steenburgen said.

‘There’s no hollow in my heart where I don’t love him, or where I doubt this love. There’s no secret place where I say we weren’t a thousand percent supposed to spend our life together.’

She had previously been married to Malcolm McDowell, with whom she shares son Charlie and daughter Lilly.

Daniel Tay (Michael Hobbs) 

Daniel Tay played Walter and Emily’s son and Buddy’s child sibling, Michael. Elf put him on the char and allowed him to book more work before quitting acting after 2009

Tay played Walter and Emily’s son and Buddy’s child sibling, Michael. 

Elf put him on Hollywood’s radar and allowed him to book more work. 

He went on to voice the title role in Doogal (2005) and also starred in Beer League (2006) and Brooklyn Rules (2007).

His last credit was a voiceover role in Grand Theft Auto IV (2009) before he left Hollywood behind and quit acting. 

The now 31-year-old went to Yale and got a BA in Economics. During this time he worked as a tutor at Versitas Prep.

He then continued his education and was premed at Columbia University where he also worked as a research assistant and a tutor at Bespoke.

Now, he’s currently pursuing his doctorate at Cornell University. 

Bob Newhart (Papa Elf) 

Bob Newhart played the caretaker figure and narrator of the film, Papa Elf

Bob Newhart played the caretaker figure and narrator of the film, Papa Elf.

He already had quite a successful career before Elf including The Rescuers and his TV series, Newhart.

Because of his extensive experience in Hollywood, he knew that the creators of Elf had a hit on their hands once he read the script.  

‘When they sent me the script [for Elf], I said to my wife, “Honey, this is going to be a perennial. This is going to be like Miracle on 34th Street,”‘ he told THR.

‘And that is exactly what happened.’

After Elf, he continued to make in cameos in shows like NCIS (2011) 

He also appeared in The Big Bang Theory (2013-2018). Pictured with Jim Parson’s Sheldon

He experienced a great loss recently when his wife, Ginnie Quinn, passed away in April (pictured in 2014)

Newhart added: ‘That is a wonderful thing, to be part of kids’ enjoyment of the Christmas season.’

After Elf, he continued to make in cameos on Desperate Housewives (2005), NCIS (2011) and The Big Bang Theory (2013-2018). 

He also appeared in The Librarian TV movies.

Most recently appeared on Young Sheldon (2017-2020), but has seemingly stepped away from Hollywood since. 

He experienced a great loss recently when his wife, Ginnie Quinn, passed away on April 23 this year. 

‘We lost our beloved Ginnie Quinn Newhart – Wife, Mother and Grandmother on April 23rd, 2023 after a long battle with illness,’ a statement on Newhart’s Twitter page on behalf of the family read. 

‘She was our rock and we miss her terribly.’

They had been married for 60 years and shared four children: Robert William Newhart, Jennifer Newhart, Courtney Newhart and Timothy Newhart.

Peter Dinklage (Miles Finch) 

Peter Dinklage played a businessman who took great offense to Buddy calling him an elf and became a huge name after his brief appearance in Elf

Dinklage became a huge name after his brief appearance in Elf. 

He played a businessman who took great offense to Buddy calling him an elf. 

Shortly after Elf, the 54-year-old tied the knot with theater director Erica Schmidt in 2005. The two are still happily married to this day and it’s clear they have plenty of love for reach other.

Schmidt defended their relationship after backlash about their height difference.

‘What’s frustrating about it is that Pete is an incredibly handsome, charming, funny guy, but when he does a magazine or something it’s like, “Isn’t it amazing he’s four foot five inches tall and he’s sexy?” You know, that’s just who Pete is,’ she told Rolling Stone in 2012. 

‘And the rest of the world has to catch up.’

Dinklage also showed her appreciation for his wife, telling The Guardian that she is ‘brilliant.’

‘She loves theater. Unlike a lot of other people in our profession where film is the ultimate goal, theater is sacred to her. It’s not entertainment; it’s art,’ he said.

‘She’s very inspiring,’ he continued. ‘She’s definitely the artist of the family… I am just the TV actor who pays the bills.’ 

He landed his big break with the hit HBO series Game Of Thrones in 2011, which ran up until 2019

He landed his big break with the hit HBO series Game Of Thrones in 2011, which ran up until 2019

He landed his first title role in a film in Cyrano in 2021

He landed his big break with the hit HBO series Game of Thrones in 2011, which ran up until 2019.

That year, he and Schmidt welcomed their daughter, whose name they’ve kept to themselves.

Their second child, whose name is also unknown, was born in 2017. 

In 2014, he starred in X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) and earned a coveted spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Eitri in Avenger: Infinity Wars (2018).

He landed his first title role in a film in Cyrano in 2021.

Now he is looking forward to the premiere of The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes (2023).

Ed Asner (Santa Claus)

Ed Asner has had a successful career before playing the legendary role of Santa Claus in Elf. Unfortunately, Asner passed away from natural causes in 2021

Asner has had a successful career before playing the legendary role of Santa Claus in Elf. 

He was most known for playing Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977), which eventually turned into his own show named after the character. It ran from 1977 to 1982.

However, he probably landed his biggest credit after Elf when he voiced Carl Fredricksen in the Pixar film Up in 2009. 

He was also married to Cindy Gilmore after they tied the knot in 1998. Their marriage had its ups and downs.

He was most known for playing Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977)

However, he probably landed his biggest credit after Elf when he voiced Carl Fredricksen in the Pixar film Up in 2009

Throughout the years, he continued to work, voicing Carl in several Disney projects as well as making cameos in Dead To Me (2019) and Modern Family (2020)

Cindy initiated a separation in 2007, but they got back together. However, they officially filed for divorce in 2015.

Throughout the years, he continued to work, voicing Carl in several Disney projects as well as making cameos in Dead To Me (2019) and Modern Family (2020).

Unfortunately, Asner passed away from natural causes in 2021. 

His family tweeted from his account: ‘We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you.’

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