During an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Deschanel shared that she was offered the female lead only after Katie Holmes dropped out of the film due to scheduling conflicts. At the time, Deschanel was just 21 years old and still early in her acting career.
Deschanel recalled auditioning for director Jon Favreau, only to be told that the role had already been offered to Holmes. Favreau reportedly said they didn’t need to run any lines together because the decision had already been made. Instead, Deschanel simply stayed in the room and chatted with the director.
“I wasn’t nervous at all,” Deschanel said. “I thought, ‘Well, I’m not getting the part anyway.’”
That relaxed meeting ended up working in her favor. When Holmes eventually exited the project, Deschanel had already made a strong impression on Favreau and was next in line for the role.
She went on to star as Jovie, a department store worker who becomes the love interest of Will Ferrell’s Buddy. Deschanel also revealed that the character was written flexibly, allowing the filmmakers to tailor the role to the actress. Since Deschanel is a singer, the script was adjusted to include scenes of Jovie singing, including the now-iconic shower performance.
Elf became a massive success, earning more than $220 million worldwide and cementing its status as a modern Christmas favorite. The film follows Buddy, a human raised by Santa’s elves, who travels to New York City to find his biological father, played by James Caan.
Despite the film’s enduring popularity, a sequel never happened. Will Ferrell has previously revealed that he turned down a reported $29 million offer to star in Elf 2. He said he couldn’t promote a sequel honestly if he didn’t believe it lived up to the original.
More than two decades later, Elf remains a holiday staple—and Deschanel’s unexpected casting story is just one more reason fans continue to love the film.
Tags:
News
