James Caan Did Not Find Will Ferrell Funny While Filming Elf

Comedies may not get the prestige and glory of dramas when it comes to awards, but the filmmakers behind them would probably agree that they're infinitely harder to make. The hope is that what's being captured on set will make audiences laugh months, sometimes even years, after production is wrapped. In order to determine whether something is funny, you're relying on a much smaller crew of people, from those who wrote the script to the crew behind the camera. If they're laughing, you're probably doing something right. But comedy is extremely subjective, and you never really know if you've got a true crowd-pleaser until those first test screening reactions start rolling in. 

But in the case of Will Ferrell and Jon Favreau's modern classic holiday comedy "Elf," which follows an orphan human raised by elves at the North Pole as he tries to reconnect with his estranged biological father Walter (James Caan) in New York City, the former "Saturday Night Live" cast member had a tough audience as soon as "action" was called on set. One of Ferrell's co-stars just didn't understand the comedic appeal of the man on the verge of becoming of a big screen laughing stock in the best way possible, and wasn't shy about letting him know. 

Ferrell recently appeared on the "Messy" podcast, co-hosted by "Anchorman" co-star Christina Applegate and "The Sopranos" supporting star Jamie-Lynn Sigler. When the conversation turned to "Elf," Ferrell revealed that "The Godfather" star James Caan flat out told Ferrell that he didn't find him funny at all. That's right, the star of "Mickey Blue Eyes" told one of the best cast members in "SNL" history that he wasn't funny. 

While Ferrell had delivered plenty of supporting laughs in movies like "Zoolander" and "Old School," when "Elf" was in production, he had yet to become the hilarious leading man that we know today, with "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" still on the horizon. Ferrell knew there was a lot riding on the success of this movie, especially when it came to the future of his career. On the podcast, he said:

"It was very strange to come off of 'Saturday Night Live' where I was known for doing edgy, not necessarily R-rated stuff but pushing the envelope. I just remember the first two weeks of shooting, we did all the New York exteriors up front. We kind of did the end of the movie first, and then we shot the rest of it in Vancouver. I'm in my little trailer in the middle of December, it's cold, I'm literally in my elf outfit just staring at the mirror. I was just looking at myself in the mirror in the elf costume going, 'Oh, boy, buddy, this better work. This could be your last movie.' Then they'd be like, 'What happened to that guy? What the heck happened? This movie about an elf and the North Pole?' I literally had no idea. I was like, 'This is either going to really work or this is just going to be disastrous.'"

Ferrell's nerves probably weren't eased by the feedback he was getting from Caan while shooting the film.

Without trampling on the late actor's legacy, Ferrell recalled what Caan had to say about the "SNL" star's antics when the cameras weren't rolling. Ferrell recollected:

"James Caan, may he rest in peace, we had such a good time working on that movie. He would tease me. Christina, you know: 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..."

Even if the comments were intended somewhat in jest, Ferrell's insecurity and uncertainty about the comedy's prospective success certainly weren't assuaged by what Caan had to say.  However, Ferrell was eventually given a much warmer reaction from Caan immediately following the film's premiere. The actor revealed:

"And then we were walking out of the theater at the premiere, and we walk out together and I take it as the best compliment because it's coming from James Caan. 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.' But I love that the whole time, he's not acting. 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.'"

What makes "Elf" so endearing is Ferrell's dedication to that childlike innocence throughout the entire movie. No matter how clueless or silly he is, you can't help but love him. That charm didn't work on Caan while filming (though he did make Caan laugh at least once during a certain "Elf" scene), but that didn't keep him from being dedicated to making the movie the best it could possibly be.

Ferrell remembered another contribution that Caan made during production of "Elf." Throughout the movie, Buddy the Elf is constantly getting on the nerves of his father. However, Walter never really blows up or lashes out at Buddy until a key moment in the movie. Ferrell revealed that was a decision Caan made that was not explicitly written in the script:

"It was scripted a little more that he would get more frustrated and lose his temper with me. And he didn't want to do any of that. He wanted to save it until that moment in the boardroom when he kicks me out. He wanted it to be a slow build and he was totally right."

The result is an emotional one, as Caan's outburst carries a lot of emotional weight that his been pent up throughout the entire movie. You not only feel how angry he is (that's Sonny Corleone screaming at a man dressed like a Christmas elf!), but you feel so bad for Buddy, who just wants to love his father and be loved in return. The dynamic between Ferrell and Caan is one of the chief reasons that "Elf" works so well, ensuring its place as one of the rare modern holiday comedies that people love to watch every season.