Buddy The Elf, AKA Will Ferrell, Takes In Some Hockey In LA

With the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season coming to an end, Buddy the Elf — who also goes by Will Ferrell — decided to take in a hockey game between the L.A. Kings and Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

And it appears the holiday took a toll on the 57-year-old elf. In full costume, Ferrell was spotted smoking a cigarette (or rather, just having one hanging out of his mouth) and drinking beers in his premium seats at Crypto.com Arena. The grumpy-looking actor was accompanied by his wife Viveca and their 14-year-old son Axel.

Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the hit Christmas movie where Ferrell plays Buddy, a man who was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa's elves. Eventually, Buddy feels like he doesn't fit in, so he heads to New York City to find his biological father.

A deleted scene from the film shows Buddy was a gifted hockey player himself.

In real life, Ferrell is an avid Kings fan and regularly attends their games. But this is the first time he's gone in full costume.

FanDuel Sports Network broadcaster Carrlyn Bathe reported live from the game and spoke to "Buddy," who told her that "it was a tough holiday season" and "he’s looking for a Kings win."

Ferrell previously revealed that he once turned down a $29 million offer to star in an Elf sequel because he didn't love the "rehashed" script.

"I would have had to promote the movie from an honest place, which would’ve been, like, ‘Oh no, it’s not good. I just couldn’t turn down that much money,’" Ferrell said in 2021. "And I thought, ‘Can I actually say those words? I don’t think I can, so I guess I can’t do the movie.’"

So the magic of Buddy the Elf will just have to live on through re-runs of the original film — and at Kings' games.