Will Ferrell has refused to return to one of his most popular roles (Image: Getty)
Hollywood star Will Ferrell has revealed why he refused to return to one of his most popular roles.
His appearances in the likes of Anchorman, Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory have seen Ferrell becoming a household name.
But it was his role as the jovial Buddy in the popular film Elf that was a true hit for the star.
It was also the role that Ferrell says annoyed co-star James Caan, who played Buddy’s biological father Walter Hobbs in the film.
Ferrell admits Caan say he “wasn’t funny” on set, but was eventually won over by the festive favourite, reports Variety.
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Will Ferrell starred in Elf two decades ago. (Image: undefined)
Speaking on the Messy podcast, Ferrell said: “James Caan, may he rest in peace, we had such a good time working on that movie. He would tease me.
“I like to do bits but I’m not like ‘on’ all the time. In between set ups, [Caan] would be like, ‘I don’t get you. You’re not funny.’
“And I’m like, ‘I know. I’m not Robin Williams.’ And he was like, ‘People ask me: ‘Is he funny?’ And I’m like, ‘No, he’s not funny.’ It was all with love but at the same time…”
After watching the film in the cinema, Ferrell recalls Caan giving him the “best compliment”: “He was like, ‘I’ve got to tell you: I thought everything you were doing while we were filming was way too over the top. Now that I see it in the movie, it’s brilliant.”
Ferrell explains that much of the frustration Caan’s character aims at Buddy is as much him being annoyed at the on-set antics, .
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Wil Ferrell says he drove James Caan “crazy” during filming (Image: New Line Cinema)
He said: “He’s truly annoyed with me.
“He’s like, ‘Can this guy shut the f— up? Jesus.’ I literally drove him crazy in that movie, just acting like that kid. But that was the funniest thing, him walking out of the theater and shaking his head and going ‘it’s brilliant.'”
The Christmas classic, directed by Jon Favreau, raked in a whopping $220 million at the global box office, and spurred on by its success, a sequel script emerged.
Ferrell, 57, says he was offered $29 million to return as Buddy, but was unhappy with the script, reports the Reporter.
Caan played Buddy the Elf’s biological father Walter Hobbs. (Image: New Line Cinema)
He stated: “I would have had to promote the movie from an honest place, which would’ve been, like, ‘Oh no, it’s not good. I just couldn’t turn down that much money.’ And I thought, ‘Can I actually say those words? I don’t think I can, so I guess I can’t do the movie.'”
Back in 2016, Favreau told Yahoo Movies that a sequel would be a “big gamble,” noting Elf’s popularity in both the UK and US.
He said: “[A sequel] is a big gamble. If I don’t do anything I’d be very happy with what it is. The minute you take it on, you try to add on to something, you always run the risk of diminishing from the original.”
“I do have tremendous fondness for that film and you don’t want to do anything to screw up the legacy of it. It exists in very pure form as it comes back every year on television in both the British and American cultures.”
Ferrell will appear on The Graham Norton Show at 11.05pm tonight on One. He will be appearing alongside Reese Witherspoon and Ariana Grande.