Will Ferrell was told he's 'not funny' by co-star in classic film

Will Ferrell has revealed that his real-life persona was a cause for disappointment with one of his former co-stars.

The actor is widely known for his work in comedic films such as Daddy's Home and Step Brothers, and is largely seen as one of Hollywood's most famous funny men.

However the 58-year-old isn't always a walking skit when the cameras are turned off, a fact which left one of his colleagues a little disappointed while working on 2003's Christmas classic Elf.

A staple in most households during the festive season, Elf follows Ferrell's character Buddy, a human who was mistakenly raised as an elf in the North Pole.

After uncovering the truth, Buddy travels to New York to track down his father Walter (James Caan) who works as a children's publisher.

It's a Christmas film loved my many (Warner Bros)

Ferrell has spoken openly about what it was like to make the film, revealing the pitfalls of walking around New York City in tights and Caan's disappointment when he realised that Ferrell wasn't funny 24/7.

Surprised to learn the comedian was a lot more subdued in real like, Ferrell recalled the following interaction while speaking to People: "He'd look at me and say, 'I thought this would be fun, but you're just a guy. You're not funny'," to which he responded: "I just told him, 'Jimmy, it's all a sham'."

Much like Buddy, it took a while for Ferrell's on-screen father to fully warm up to him, with the actor revealing during a 2024 interview with Messy podcast that Caan would often tell him that he wasn't funny in-between takes.

"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'," he recalled.

Despite his initial dismay, Caan, who passed away in 2022, was more than pleased with the final outcome of the film.

James Caan was dismayed to find that his on-screen son Will Ferrell wasn't actually as funny in real life ( L. Cohen/WireImage for New Line Cinema)

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"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 said, adding that it was 'the best compliment' for him.

Caan wouldn't be alone in his feelings towards the finished version of the movie, with Elf going on to make a worldwide total of $228.9 million (£172.7m) at the box office and remaining a staple in the 'Best Christmas film of all time' roundups.