Will Ferrell Brings Edgy Twist to Buddy the Elf at Kings vs. Flyers Game

Will Ferrell made a scene-stealing appearance at Sunday night’s L.A. Kings vs. Philadelphia Flyers game at Crypto.com Arena, but this wasn’t the cheerful Buddy the Elf fans know. Instead, Ferrell brought a whole new twist to his iconic character—complete with a beer in hand and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

The actor, dressed in his signature Elf costume, including the unmistakable green hat, looked less than thrilled as he watched the game alongside his wife, Viveca Paulin, and their youngest son, Axel, 14. Ferrell’s gruff demeanor, complete with a 5 o’clock shadow, caught everyone off guard.

“If you’ve been to Crypto.com Arena over the last few seasons, you know that Buddy the Elf is a huge Kings fan,” FanDuel Sports Network reporter Carrlyn Bathe commented during the game. “But we’ve never, ever seen him like this.”

The camera panned to Ferrell, who looked completely unamused by the tied score. “Looking a little bit disgruntled,” Bathe added. “Said it was a tough holiday season, you guys.”

Ferrell’s moody Buddy might have been rooting for a Kings win, but it didn’t stop fans from loving the actor’s new take on the festive character. Social media erupted with reactions, praising Ferrell’s hilarious commitment to his role—even at a hockey game.

Despite fans begging for more Buddy antics on screen, Ferrell has repeatedly shut down the idea of an Elf sequel. The actor revealed in a past interview that he turned down a whopping $29 million offer because he wasn’t sold on the storyline. “I would have had to promote the movie from an honest place, which would’ve been, like, ‘Oh no, it’s not good,’” Ferrell admitted. “And I thought, ‘Can I actually say those words? I don’t think I can, so I guess I can’t do the movie.’”