Are the street scenes in Elf real?

There were no extras, hired actors, or street closures during the limited filming that happened in New York, so they simply had Ferrell wander through the city streets and interact with real people. These scenes were filmed in early December 2002, so New York was already looking festive.
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What scenes in Elf were real?

– The outdoor scenes shot in New York City feature real people so many of the reactions you see are genuine! – In fact, several minor traffic accidents occurred when Will Ferrell walked through the Lincoln Tunnel in his costume, because people were so surprised and distracted to see a grown man wearing an elf outfit.
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What street was Elf filmed on?

Buddy embarrasses Michael at school scene in Elf

This scene was filmed at York Prep School at 40 West 68th Street in Manhattan's Upper West Side. It's on the steps of 41 West 68th Street, directly opposite the school, where Buddy patiently waits for Michael.
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Was the New York scene in Elf improvised?

In the scene where Buddy explores New York City, the bulk of his onscreen antics were improvised. Filmmaker Jon Favreau admitted that the shooting process only allowed for fast shots of the main character acting opposite real New Yorkers.
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How did they make Buddy look so big in Elf?

Forced Perspective Was Used To Make Buddy Look Like A Giant

Elf utilized the technique of forced perspective in order to create this optical illusion. As Jon Favreau explained: "One set is raised and closer and smaller, and one is bigger and further away.
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How They Made Elf | The Holiday Movies That Made Us

Why is Will Ferrell so tall in Elf?

Although viewers might expect Ferrell was digitally added to these scenes where he towers over his elf family, friends, and coworkers, the striking result was actually accomplished with practical effects, creating sets that skewed characters' sizes and filming from crafty angles.
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Is Buddy from Elf autistic?

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but there is absolutely no way Buddy has autism. He spent the entire movie INTERACTING with people.
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Were the people on the street in Elf actors?

All of the scenes were “real,” everything from Ferrell walking through traffic to interacting with people on the street.
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Did James Caan really play the piano in Elf?

James Caan was a true delight. My favorite memory of him was shooting part of a montage for the end of Elf and he started playing piano — he played beautifully — I sang and he played and I was just astonished by his talent!
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Why didn t Jim Carrey play Elf?

The original script for Elf was written with Jim Carrey in mind for the lead role, but it sat in production limbo for a decade before eventually being picked up by Ferrell.
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Is the toy store in Elf real?

Fun fact: Producers wanted to feature the famous Macy's 34th street location, the largest store in the world, but Macy's refused to have their name used. So they settled on Gimbels, a now defunct NY department store–the exterior was shot at 5th Avenue and E 30th St and decorated with CGI.
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How old was Will Ferrell when he filmed Elf?

This actually makes Buddy a fair amount younger than Will Ferrell himself, who was 35 years old at the time of Elf's filming, and 36 when the movie was released to theaters.
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Was Elf filmed in a mental hospital?

So if “Elf” wanted to film at the Santaland in Macy's, or even mention Macy's in the movie, the scene had to go. “We had to think long and hard about it,” Favreau told Rolling Stone in 2013. “We ended up filming it in the cafeteria of a mental hospital in Vancouver instead of Macy's …
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What notable scene in Elf was unscripted?

Some of Buddy's most iconic lines—"You smell like beef and cheese!" and "You sit on a throne of lies!"—were improvised by Ferrell in the moment. 16. The big fight scene between Buddy and the fake Santa, played by comedian Artie Lange, was filmed in one take because it took the art department weeks to decorate Gimbels.
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Did Will Ferrell chew real gum in Elf?

Was the sidewalk gum pre-cleaned for you? WF: No, we didn't have a big enough budget, so I actually had to eat old New York City gum. But it wasn't as bad as you would think, still relatively favorable. Good to know if you ever have to eat any gum off the streets.
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How much did Will Ferrell get paid for Elf?

Elf was Will Ferrell's second box office hit. He reportedly received a whopping salary of $17 million for that film alone, more on par with what his talents would dictate in the mid-2000s. He was allegedly offered $29 million to act in an Elf sequel, but couldn't get his heart into it, so he turned it down.
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Did James Caan like Will Ferrell in Elf?

At the time, Ferrell was a major American star, having been a mainstay in Saturday Night Live up until that point. But when Caan met him in person for the hilarious festive film, he couldn't stand him. Caan told Ferrell to his face: "I don't find you funny."
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Did Will Ferrell actually sing in Elf?

Zooey Deschanel singing was not in the original script, and Favreau added it when he learned she was a singer. When Buddy starts singing in the middle of Santaland at Gimbels, the lyrics were not scripted, and Will Ferrell improvised the song on the spot.
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How much did James Caan make in Elf?

Celebrity Net Worth noted that court documents showed Caan earning $1 million in royalties in 2015, with $140,000 annually from the Christmas classic “Elf.”
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What actor turned down the role of Elf?

Jim Carrey as Buddy the Elf in Elf. The script for Elf was first written in 1993, and at the time, Carrey was attached to star in it. However, the movie did not immediately go into production, and by the time it did in 2003, Carrey was no longer interested in the role.
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Who was originally supposed to play Buddy the Elf in Elf?

Will Farrell wasn't originally slated to play Buddy. The original script for the movie in the early 1990s had comedian Jim Carrey chosen to star in the role of Buddy the Elf. Turns out, Carrey ended up playing a very different Christmas character in the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
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Who was the first choice actor for Elf?

Jim Carrey was reportedly the first choice to play Buddy

Though it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Buddy, Ferrell wasn't the first choice for the titular character. When the script for the movie first emerged in 1993, Jim Carrey was attached to star, per Vulture.
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Why is Buddy so childish in Elf?

Born December 18th, Buddy was adopted by elves and Santa Claus as a baby, so he never got to discover how exactly to be human. He developed certain skills like quickly decorating a large space, creating toys in short amounts of time and generally being a good person.
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How does Buddy the Elf not have diabetes?

Considering elves pretty much only eat sugary food, it's amazing Buddy doesn't have diabetes. Though it's possible Santa used some magic on Buddy to make his digestive system compatible with an elven diet.
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How tall is Buddy the Elf in real life?

Buddy the Elf, portrayed by Will Ferrell, is 6'3” (1.91 m) tall. Where do holiday characters come from? The holiday characters that we know today were created decades ago from different stories and legends, but have transformed into their current versions through advertising and popular culture.
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