Elf cast now: From owning a football team to studying at Yale and heartbreaking death

Every year, as we countdown to Christmas, we start watching some classic festive films. One of those favourites is Elf, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

It features Buddy the Elf as the protagonist, a human who has been raised by Santa's elves and goes to New York City to find his dad.

The film, which was released on 7 November 2003 is so popular that it's inspired a Broadway musical and an animated TV special.

Here, we take a look at what the cast of Elf is up to now, 20 years after it was first on the big screens….

Will Ferrell

Buddy the Elf was played by Will, 56, who had been on Saturday Night Live from 1995-2002 before landing the role.

Since the film, he's been in films including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Step Brothers and The Lego Movie. The comic actor's roles haven't stopped there as he also starred in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga and Barbie.

Will's not just been in front of the camera, he's been behind it too, working as an executive producer on the HBO series Succession, getting two Emmy Awards for it.

He also co-owns the football team Los Angeles FC and is married to actor Viveca Paulin, 54, who he shares three children with, Magnus, 19, Mattias, 16, and Axel, 13.

Zooey Deschanel

The actress played Jovie in Elf, not long after starring in the film Almost Famous. After Elf, Zooey has enjoyed further success, starring in Yes Man, 500 Days Of Summer and Trolls.

Another of her very popular roles is Jess Day in New Girl, which aired from 2011 to 2018. Zooey's dabbled in music too, as a part of the duo She & Him, singing alongside her pal M. Ward and also performing for several film soundtracks.

She's engaged to Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott, 45, and shares Elsie, eight, and Charlie, six, with her ex-husband Jacob Pechenik, 51.

Mary Steenburgen

Mary, 70, played Buddy's stepmother Emily Hobbs in Elf. She'd previously appeared in films including Time After Time, Melvin and Howard and Ragtime.

After Elf, she and Will acted alongside each other again in Step Brothers and she's been in other films including The Proposal, The Help and Nightmare Alley. She's been in Book Club and Book Club: The Next Chapter too.

The 94-year-old, who played Papa Elf in Elf, has had his own shows like Newhart and The Bob Newhart Show. But he's not been in many films since Elf, appearing in Horrible Bosses in 2011 and the documentary Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic in 2013.

In the world of television, he's been on Desperate Housewives, the Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon. He was married to the late Ginnie Quinn and they had four children together.

Daniel was Michael Hobbs in Elf and went on to act in films including American Splendor and Brooklyn Rules. But he's stepped away from the spotlight in recent years and has been working as a voice actor for video games like Grand Theft Auto IV.

The star went to Yale University where he studied economics and worked for a tutoring company preparing students for university entrance exams.

The legendary actor died last year at the age of 82 and played Walter Hobbs, Buddy's biological father in Elf. Before Elf, he was in The Godfather and Misery.

He later featured in Get Smart, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Las Vegas, The Simpsons, and Family Guy.

The actor was married four times and was a father of five. His son Scott, 47, followed in his footsteps and became an actor, appearing in films like Ocean's Eleven. Stars like Barbara Streisand, who worked with him on screen, paid tribute to James after his death.

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