We Finally Know What Will Ferrell Was Really Eating On Elf

In one memorable "Elf" scene, Walter (James Caan) takes Buddy (Will Ferrell) to see a doctor friend of his (director Jon Favreau, in a small role) to get a paternity test done to find out if Buddy is really his son. While there, an excited Buddy spots a jar of cotton balls in the exam room and starts eating a bunch of them, despite Walter trying to get him to stop. After the test, he holds a cotton ball to his finger to stop any bleeding — and then eventually pops that one into this mouth, too.

Luckily, Ferrell didn't have to eat actual cotton balls while filming these scenes. It was revealed in a 2020 E! article about fun "Elf" behind-the-scenes facts that the cotton balls in this scene were actually cotton candy. The cotton candy "cotton balls" appear white on screen because they hadn't been dyed a more vibrant color, as is often the case. Ferrell confirmed the cotton balls were cotton candy in a 2003 interview with Black Film, too. In the interview, the actor even joked he ate "a few bushels" of the fake doctor's office essential.

The "Elf" star did, however, eat all of the candy we see his character consuming throughout the movie. This includes Buddy the Elf's stomach-churning spaghetti breakfast, complete with various candy, chocolate syrup, maple syrup, and broken-up Pop-Tarts. The actor spoke to The Sun about his commitment to the role, stating, "I ingested a lot of sugar in this movie, and I didn't get a lot of sleep. I constantly stayed up. But anything for the movie, I'm there. If it takes eating a lot of maple syrup, then I will – if that's what the job calls for."