US EditionElf Star Deschanel Says Katie Holmes Was First Cast
Zooey Deschanel was cast as Jovie after Katie Holmes withdrew; the role was adjusted to highlight Deschanel's singing in the 2003 film Elf, which grossed over $228 million.
- On Wednesday, Zooey Deschanel said she was offered the female lead in Jon Favreau's 2003 Elf on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast.
- Because Holmes withdrew, the casting team reopened the role, and at her audition, Deschanel, then 21, was told not to read lines because the part had been offered to Holmes.
- Deschanel won the role by staying to chat with Jon Favreau , effectively auditioning through conversation, and the screenwriting team added singing-in-the-shower scene to showcase her cabaret singing.
- Deschanel went on to star as Jovie opposite Will Ferrell, and Elf grossed over $228 million worldwide, becoming a modern Christmas classic.
- Earlier interviews noted that Will Ferrell turned down a $29 million sequel offer, and Zooey Deschanel said she was surprised by his singing.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Zooey Deschanel Recalls Losing ‘Elf’ Role To Katie Holmes At First: “It Was Kind Of Great”
Although Zooey Deschanel broke through with her romantic leading role in 2003’s Elf, she originally lost the part to another big name. The 2x Golden Globe nominee recently revealed that the role of cynical department store employee Jovie went to Katie Holmes at first, before “some scheduling conflict” took her out of the Will Ferrell-led […]
This A-Lister Was Almost Cast Instead of Zooey Deschanel In 'Elf'
New Line CinemaZooey Deschanel owes one of her first big breaks to a Hollywood superstar passing on the female lead role in Elf. Originally, Deschanel’s character Jovie was meant for a more well-known actor. But, because Deschanel made such a good impression during a very unconventional audition, she wound up landing the part that has since made her a Christmas season staple.Deschanel recounted how she learned she’d lost the Elf role to Katie Ho…
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