1. The archetypal publication for Elf was really written successful 1993, with Jim Carrey in caput to play the titular Santa's helper. Because it took implicit a decennary for the movie to yet beryllium made, the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective prima ne'er ended up taking connected the role. 

2. Elf was besides initially intended to beryllium a spot much sinister, with director Jon Favreau revealing to Rolling Stone, "He was a darker character."

3. Before helium was asked to travel successful to rewrite the publication and alteration the movie into a PG friendly-family affair, Favreau initially turned down the job.

"I took a look astatine the script, and I wasn't peculiarly interested," helium told Rolling Stone. "It was a overmuch darker mentation of the film. I liked the conception of being progressive with Will successful his archetypal solo movie aft SNL, but it wasn't rather there."

4. Buddy's iconic costume was modeled disconnected of the elves from the 1964 Rankin/Bass movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

"The costume was important," Favreau told ABC News. "It looks astir similar he's a puppet and the tights and the boots and the chapeau and helium was highly brave wearing that costume." 

5. Costume decorator Laura Jean Shannon, tasked with uncovering the cleanable look, revealed it wasn't accommodating Ferrell's 6-foot-3 framework that was the hardest portion of her job. 

"It was little a situation dressing Will owed to his size and much a situation to marque definite thing seemed off-putting oregon successful atrocious taste." she explained to Feel Christmassy. "After all, I had to formal a grown antheral successful tights and a cutaway coat. Needless to say, we did person a just magnitude of fittings to beryllium definite we struck the close equilibrium betwixt absurd and adorable."

6. Ferrell's Buddy costume was truthful captivating that the histrion really caused a fewer postulation incidents portion filming successful New York City.

"When we had Will successful the Lincoln Tunnel, the passageway was open. Same happening with the 59th Street Bridge," Favreau told Rolling Stone. "Whenever helium was retired determination successful his suit, we'd perceive screeches and fender-benders and lights smashing. People would beryllium looking astatine him walking connected the broadside and that would origin a fewer insignificant postulation accidents."

7. Buddy's infamous 12-second agelong burp wasn't really performed by Ferrell. Voice actor Maurice LaMarche, champion known for giving beingness to The Brain on Pinky and the Brain, provided the meal array belch. And yes, we heard that. 

8. The fabric balls Buddy can't halt eating successful the doctor's bureau were really pieces of fabric candy that had yet to beryllium dyed. 

9. Buddy's all-sugar fare besides became Ferrell's regular nutrient intake portion filming arsenic helium really scarfed down each of that maple syrup-coated spaghetti and candy during scenes. 

"I ingested a batch of sweetener successful this movie and I didn't get a batch of sleep," Ferrell told The Sun. "I perpetually stayed up. But thing for the movie, I'm there. If it takes eating a batch of maple syrup, past I will, if that's what the occupation calls for."

10. Before his large interruption on Saturday Night Live, Ferrell erstwhile worked arsenic a promenade Santa Claus successful Pasadena, Calif., with his SNL co-star Chris Kattan serving arsenic 1 of his elves.

11. Ferrell's member Patrick Ferrell played 1 of the information guards that drags Buddy retired of the Empire State Building.

12. Known for his crook successful dramas similar The Godfather and Misery, James Caan was acrophobic aboriginal connected that Ferrell's show was, um, a small excessively much. 

"[Caan's] like, 'Hey, I've gotta archer you something. Every time connected set, I thought you were mode excessively over-the-top. But present I spot what you're doing. Great job,'" Ferrell recalled during an quality connected The Late Late Show with James Corden successful 2018. "I conscionable emotion the thought that determination we were, moving each time and helium was going backmost to his edifice country going, 'Please get maine outta this one.'"

13. A earthy brunette, Zooey Deschanel sported airy blonde locks arsenic Jovie, Buddy's chap Gimbels elf and emotion interest. But she didn't dye her hairsbreadth for this role. 

"I had to dye my hairsbreadth blonde for a surface trial for a movie that ne'er happened earlier I did Elf. And I went successful for the gathering for Elf, and past I asked them, 'Could I dye my hairsbreadth backmost to my earthy color?'" the New Girl prima told Stylecaster. "And they said, 'No, you person to support your hairsbreadth what it was successful the meeting.' So I had to hold until I was done with that movie. But arsenic soon arsenic I was done with that movie, I beauteous overmuch dyed it back."

14. Ming Ming the elf is played by A Christmas Story prima Peter Billingsley successful a cameo role, a casting determination Favreau made for a circumstantial reason.

"I wanted immoderate of the Christmas Story, that bully mojo, that was our goal," helium told Billingsley connected ABC News. "We were half-joking, saying, ‘Maybe someday this volition beryllium similar Christmas Story wherever each twelvemonth they'll ticker it.'" 

15. Some of Buddy's astir iconic lines—"You odor similar beef and cheese!" and "You beryllium connected a throne of lies!"—were improvised by Ferrell successful the moment. 

16. The large combat country betwixt Buddy and the fake Santa, played by comedian Artie Lange, was filmed successful 1 instrumentality due to the fact that it took the creation section weeks to decorate Gimbels. "We had 1 instrumentality to destruct it," Lange told ABC News, "So Favreau said, 'Just spell nuts!'"

17. While astir radical cognize Favreau had a tiny relation arsenic the pediatrician who examines Buddy and confirms he's Walter's son, the manager besides had different part: He voiced the Narwhal who infamously said, "Bye Buddy, anticipation you find your dad!"

18. Ferrell turned down a reported $29 cardinal paycheck to reprise the relation of Buddy for a sequel, telling The Guardian successful 2006 that it "wasn't hard astatine all" to walk connected the opportunity.

"I retrieve asking myself: could I withstand the disapproval erstwhile it's atrocious and they say, 'He did the sequel for the money?'" helium explained. "I decided I wouldn't beryllium capable to. I didn't privation to rotation into an country that could erase each the bully enactment I've done—but you watch, I'll bash immoderate sequel successful the aboriginal that's crap."

19. But Caan alleged it was hostility betwixt Ferrell and Favreau that perchance squashed immoderate plans for a follow-up.

"We were gonna bash it, and I thought, 'Oh my God, I yet person a franchise movie. I tin marque immoderate money, fto my kids bash what the hellhole they privation to do,'" helium said connected 92.3 The Fan successful Cleveland. "The manager and Will didn't get on precise well. Will wanted to bash it, and helium didn't privation the director. He had it successful his contract. It was 1 of those things."