The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear — as Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel and more of the original cast of Elf proved during their festive virtual reunion.
The Saturday Night Live alum, 53, and the Almost Famous star, 40, brought Buddy the Elf and his love interest, Jovie, back to life to help raise money for Georgia Democrats ahead of the Senate run-off election in January 2021. During a live-streamed table read on Sunday, December 13, the pair reenacted one of Elf‘s most memorable scenes: the “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” shower duet.
“Thank you to everyone who joined the #ElfforGeorgia livestream! So excited we were able to reach our goal of over $400k!” Deschanel shared via Instagram on Sunday alongside a clip of the former costars singing the holiday tune. “Loved reuniting with the cast and all our very special guests 🥰.”
More of the 2003 film’s original stars — including Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, Mary Steenburgen, Amy Sedaris, Andy Richter, Kyle Gass and Matt Walsh — revisited their old characters for the good cause. They were joined by Busy Philipps, Ken Jeong, Gaten Matarazzo, Wanda Sykes, Bradley Whitford, Ed Helms, John Lithgow and “Pod Save America” host Jon Favreau.
Though they couldn’t be in the same place amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Elf cast successfully spread Christmas magic to thousands of fans watching from home. The “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” scene has become a notable favorite since the movie hit theaters 17 years ago — but it wasn’t always part of the creative team’s vision.
“I remember [director] Jon Favreau telling me that they were catering it to whoever played the part [of Jovie],” Deschanel told Entertainment Weekly in November, revealing that the duet was added to the script after she scored the role. “One actress they were looking at was good at skateboarding. But I had a cabaret act at the time, and I was performing a lot. They knew that I was a singer, so they put that in to be my special thing that [Buddy] could discover I was good at.”
While the New Girl alum’s perfect pitch is no secret, she was shocked to learn that Ferrell could keep up.
“He said he wasn’t a singer, so I wasn’t expecting much,” the She & Him singer told the publication. “But his dad [Roy Lee Ferrell Jr.] is a great musician. I should’ve known he’d be secretly good!”
