See What the Cast of 'Elf' Is Up to Now, 17 Years After the Christmas Movie's Release

Will Ferrell brought this iconic Christmas movie to life with his hilarious portrayal of Buddy the Elf. That said, while he wasn't as big of a star then as he is now, he was making fans laugh years before the comedy premiered in 2003. In 1995, Will joined the cast of Saturday Night Live during which he gained popularity for his impression of former President George W. Bush. After departing from the late night show in 2002, Will appeared in other classic movies like Austin Powers, A Night at the Roxbury, Superstar, and Zoolander.

Since Elf, Will has continued to act and score notable roles in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory, and Step Brothers. In addition, he's added writer and producer to his résumé. Will is also the executive producer of hit shows like Booksmart, Succession, Dead to Me, and Motherland. Today, he's still married to wife, Viveca Paulin.

RELATED: The Actual Reason Why Will Ferrell Left SNL

Zooey Deschanel made her film debut in the 1999 comedy drama Mumford. She quickly became known for portraying witty characters in The Good Girl and The New Guy. Before playing opposite Will, Zooey guest starred in the hit sitcom Frasier.

Zooey's acting career picked up steam after Elf. She's best known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Failure to Launch, Yes Man, and 500 Days of Summer. On the small screen, Zooey landed the lead role of quirky school teacher Jessica Day in the Fox sitcom New Girl. Throughout the show's seven seasons, she earned an Emmy Award nomination and three Golden Globe Award nominations. Zooey has also had a successful music career, forming the duo She & Him in 2008. On a personal note, she's been dating Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott since 2019.

From the start of his career in the 1960s, James Caan made an impression with his performances in The Glory Guys, The Godfather, Brian's Song, The Gambler, and Funny Lady. By the '90s, the native New Yorker had earned an Emmy Award nomination, four Golden Globes nominations, and his own star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood.

Today, at 80 years old, James continues acting. Following the success of Elf, he lent his voice to The Godfather video game franchise, in addition to the animation movie series Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Bob Newhart began as a comedian appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show. Shortly after, he transitioned to acting in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Catch-22. Bob eventually brought together his passions of comedy and acting in the TV series The Bob Newhart Show. What's more, he also voiced Leonard the Polar Bear in the classic holiday animated movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and starred in Legally Blonde 2 before playing Papa Elf.

When Elf premiered in 2003, Bob was still going full force in the acting world. He's since appeared in ER, Desperate Housewives, NCIS, Hot in Cleveland, The Big Bang Theory, and Young Sheldon. Plus, after finding success with the TV movie franchise The Librarians, which had three installments, Bob became part of the TV series of the same name for four years. To this day, he remains married to his wife, Virginia Quinn, who he wed in 1963.

Mary Steenburgen was first discovered by actor Jack Nicholson in Paramount's New York office. After casting her in his 1978 Western comedy Goin' South, Mary was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Two years later, she won the coveted award for her performance in the 1980 comedy drama Melvin and Howard, for which she also earned an Oscar. Over the next decade, Mary was praised for her roles in Ragtime, Tender Is the Night, and The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank.

After portraying Emily Hobbs in Elf, Mary reunited with Will years later in the comedy Step Brothers. She then appeared in Four Christmases, The Proposal, and The Help. Her résumé also includes roles in Orange Is the New Black, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Last Man on Earth, The Conners, Grace and Frankie, and The Good Place. Most recently, Mary lent her voice for the animated comedy Bless the Harts. NBC viewers may also recognize her from Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Last month, Hulu premiered its original holiday rom-com movie Happiest Season, where Mary portrays the matriarch. In 1995, she married actor Ted Danson.

RELATED: Inside Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson's Adorable Relationship

Daniel Tay was only 11 years old when he made his acting debut as Michael Hobbs in Elf. Although he had a handful of roles in the following years, Daniel bid farewell to the acting circuit in 2009.

For Peter Dinklage, 2003 was a memorable one. While celebrating the success of Elf, he was also earning praise for his role in The Station Agent. He scored his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for the lead role of Finbar McBride, a man who finds peace in an abandoned New Jersey train station. In the decade leading up to this, Peter appeared in a dozen movies and TV shows.

Game of Thrones wouldn't have been the same without Peter's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in the hit HBO drama. Throughout GoT's eight seasons, he was nominated a total of nine times for an Emmy and took the award home four times for Outstanding Supporting Actor — he also won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Aside from GoT, Peter has been featured in Death at a Funeral, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, and X-Men: Days of Future Past among many more films. In 2005, Peter married Erica Schmidt.

In 1957, Edward Asner kicked off his acting career with the TV series Studio One in Hollywood. In the '70s, the Missouri native rose to fame thanks to his role of Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off Lou Grant. He followed up this triumph with award-winning performances in the TV series Rich Man, Poor Man and Roots. By the time Elf arrived at the box office, Edward had been nominated for 15 Emmys, winning seven times. Most notably, Edward was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1981 to 1985.

All in all, Edward, 91, has over 400 credits to his name, including movies, TV series, and voice acting. In 2009, the actor brought Up's protagonist Carl Fredricksen to life. What's more, Edward has also voiced characters in King of the Hill, Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants, American Dad, and others. On TV, he's starred in a variety of popular shows, such as Grace and Frankie, Dead to Me, Modern Family, and Blue Bloods.