Elf fans stunned to discover they’re older than mailroom guy character from film

With Christmas creeping ever closer, it’s almost time to dust off the festive classics - and there are few more guaranteed to put you in the spirit of the season than Elf.

The movie, which was released 20 years ago, gives viewers a healthy dose of festive cheer - but some fans have been left reeling by one particular scene.

Elf sees Will Ferrell play the role of Buddy - a human raised by Santa’s elves in the North Pole - who heads to New York to track down his real dad (played by James Caan), a high-flying children's book publishing executive who has no idea that he’s fathered Buddy.

While there, Buddy ends up working in the mailroom, where he meets a fellow worker (played by Mark Acheson) who gets drunk with an unwitting Buddy after pouring some ‘syrup’ into his coffee and later utters the line: “I’m 26 years old and I’ve got nothing to show for it.” To which Buddy tells him: “You’re young. You’re so young.”

X

However, his appearance proved to be something of a shock for viewers, with many taking to social media to share that they can’t quite believe the mailroom worker is just 26.

Sharing a screenshot from the movie on X, formerly known as Twitter, one person said: “I’m older than this guy. Feel old yet?”

Another said: “The most unbelievable part of Elf is that the mailroom guy with the flask is only 26.”

A third said: “It gave me a panic attack watching it a few days ago, glad it's not just me.”

Someone else posted: “In the movie Elf, Buddy's mail room friend says he's 26 years old. There is absolutely no way that's true."

New Line Cinema

But you may not be surprised to learn that Acheson wasn’t actually 26 when the movie was shot - he was actually 46.

And this scene, which was one of the last ones to be shot, flew over the head of the studio.

According to director Jon Favreau, Acheson had originally been cast to play a trucker, but when that scene was cut, Favreau re-cast him in this role in the mailroom where he was given the memorable line.

However, the studio didn’t appear to get the joke - and pointed out to Favreau that the actor clearly looked older than 26, prompting him to have to explain that that is what made it funny.