Will Ferrell won't play one of his characters again after effect it had on co-star

Will Ferrell has revealed why he won't play one of his most beloved characters again because of the effect it had on a co-star.

The American actor has starred in a whole host of comedies through his career and we've probably all seen him in a film or two, but many won't know that he's 'embarrassed' by his real name, which isn't actually Will.

Although he's played plenty of 'offensive' personas over the years, with his performances in Step Brothers and Blades of Glory particularly memorable, but it turns out it was one of his more wholesome characters which left co-star James Caan feeling a little annoyed.

I am, of course, talking about Elf, where Caan played Buddy's stepfather, and you could really see his genuine annoyance seeping through in his own portrayal.

The beloved Christmas film comes out every year in my house, and that's not just because I'm in love with Zoeey Deschanel, and many have been left wondering why there was never a sequel.

Even though Ferrell was offered £23 million to reprise his role, it would simply never happen because of two major factors.

The first was the impact it had on Caan, who sadly passed away in 2022.

Ferrell with Caan before the Elf release (L. Cohen/WireImage for New Line Cinema)

Ferrell said on the Messy podcast in 2024: "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…”

Although Ferrell said that Caan finally understood why he was so 'over the top' during the Elf premiere.

“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 recalled.

“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**k 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 theatre and shaking his head and going ‘it’s brilliant’.”

Ferrell didn't have the best of relationships with his co-stars (James Devaney/WireImage)

However, it wasn't just Caan who played his part in ensuring there wouldn't be a sequel, as Ferrell also fell out with director and actor Jon Favreau, who many will know as Happy in the Marvel films.

Before his passing, Caan claimed in a chat with Cleveland's 92.3 The Fan's Bull & Fox that Ferrell and the director Jon Favreau 'didn't get along very well', resulting in the sequel not going ahead.

"We were gonna do it and I thought, 'Oh my god, I finally got a franchise movie, I could make some money, let my kids do what the hell they want to do,'" the late actor said.

"The director and Will didn't get along very well. So, Will wanted to do it, he didn't want the director, and he had it in his contract. It was one of those things."