Will Ferrell turned Andy Richter’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance into a comedy routine from the audience, interrupting his former costar’s interview while dressed as Buddy the Elf. The November 9th visit quickly became an opportunity to mock Richter’s new book.
The familiar green coat and yellow tights looked worn and disheveled, and Ferrell had a cigarette and a drink in hand, as Entertainment Weekly reported.
Richter was promoting Elf Unwrapped: Behind the Scenes of a Modern Christmas Classic, which he wrote with Aaron Karo. The oral history was published November 3rd.
Richter played Morris, an employee at Walter Hobbs’ publishing company, in the 2003 movie. Ferrell had contributed the foreword, making his performance an unusually combative way to promote a project he had helped create.
Ferrell Pretends He Doesn’t Recognize His Elf Costar
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Richter’s interview on ABC had covered his Dancing with the Stars experience, mentoring Guillermo and hosting the competition’s official podcast. He had also discussed working with James Caan when Ferrell began calling out “Boring!” from his seat.
Kimmel greeted him as Buddy, but Ferrell insisted he was the star of Land of the Lost. Asked about the costume, he joked that a doctor had told him to avoid zippers after a procedure. Richter thanked him for supporting the book, only to have Ferrell pretend he didn’t recognize him.
According to TheWrap, his supposed recognition came through the Olsen twins comedy New York Minute. Richter then reminded him that they had sat down for an interview about their Christmas movie.
Remembering Richter’s part in Elf led to another putdown: Morris had helped come up with unsuccessful book ideas onscreen, Ferrell pointed out, and now the actor had written a book of his own.
Ferrell Produces a Fake Conan O’Brien Memoir
Ferrell brought along a prop book titled My Years Sitting Next to Conan O’Brien: The Will Ferrell Story. He presented it as something readers would prefer, taking aim at the job Richter held for years as O’Brien’s television sidekick.
Richter challenged him on what he could know about that experience. Ferrell countered that his time seated beside O’Brien exceeded the amount of time Richter had spent working on Elf.
Ferrell then claimed he had been earning money in costume on Hollywood Boulevard when he heard Bill Murray was appearing on the show. Murray had been the evening’s first guest.
When Kimmel told him Murray had already left, Ferrell got out of his seat, crossed the stage and headed backstage to look for him. “You never know when he’s going to show up,” Richter remarked as the segment ended.
Richter’s Book Revisits the Gamble Behind Elf
Alongside Richter’s memories, the book includes interviews with Zooey Deschanel, director Jon Favreau and other cast and crew members. Previously unpublished photographs and production anecdotes trace how the holiday film came together.
Speaking with PEOPLE, Richter recalled that neither Ferrell as its star nor Favreau as its director was then an obvious commercial draw. The gamble paid off, helping establish Ferrell as a leading movie comedian.
Richter credited their combination of humor and warmth for the film’s enduring appeal. He said its ability to make families happy year after year meant more to him than awards.