Will Ferrell Revives ‘Elf’ Character for Grumpy Xmas Stunt

Will Ferrell brought back his most famous movie character from the stands at a Los Angeles hockey game on Sunday with a notable twist, as the comedian accented his famous “Buddy the Elf” costume with a “five o’clock shadow” and a fake cigarette.

Ferrell also looked particularly grumpy in the Elf costume during the game between the L.A. Kings and Philadelphia Flyers, which he attended with his wife Viveca Paulin and 14-year-old son. Said one sports announcer over video of Ferrell in the stands as he scowled and held the faux cigarette in his mouth, “I can’t tell if he’s enjoying the game or not.”

Ferrell’s Buddy the Elf character is known for his constant naive cheeriness in the 2003 film, but Ferrell swapped the wide grin for a mean mug as he took in the hockey game with his family. The moment seemed to spread a bit of latent holiday cheer for fans of Elf however, as many have expressed their glee at seeing Ferrell in costume on social media.

Fans also noticed that Buddy watching a hockey game is an Easter egg of sorts, harkening back to a widely shared deleted scene from the movie that showed the iconic character is quite the pro at ice hockey.

The actor ultimately offered a bit of an explanation for sporting a disgruntled version of Buddy the Elf at the game when he told a FanDuel Sports Network reporter, “It was a tough holiday season.” He also said he was “looking for a Kings win,” according to the network, which he did get when the L.A. Kings won five to four—but it wasn’t reported whether Buddy was any less grumpy following the game.