> In the 2003 movie Elf, which actor played Santa Claus?And the answer: Ed Asner.Credit: MoviefoneNow considered a Christmas classic, the 2003 comedy film Elf tells the story ofBuddy, a human who was adopted and raised by Santa's elves. The movie stars WillFerrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, and Ed Asner.Credit: Amazon.com"Everyone knows the best way to spread Christmas cheer is tosing it loud for all to hear!" Elf, an instant Christmas classic, has spread themessage of Christmas cheer into the homes and hearts of the American publicsince its release in 2003. However, the Elf as we know it was quite nearly notcreated – director Jon Favreau originally wanted Jim Carrey to play the role ofBuddy. Luckily though, with delays to production, Will Ferrell was signed oninstead and became an instantly recognizable Christmas figure. Fitting, too, asFerrell spent his earlier years working as a mall Santa. Interestingly, much of the movie's set design was based off of the Christmasclassic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This classic stop-motion film informedthe elves' costumes and workshop, while even featuring a cameo from the movie'ssnowman, Leon. True to the Christmas spirit, the final day of Elf's filming in New York Citywas pared down from a massive crew to just three people: its star, its director,and one cameraman. Together, this trio traveled around the city, looking formischief for Buddy to get into with random passersby-turned-background extras.This included his leapfrogging across a pedestrian walk, happily acceptingflyers, and getting his shoes shined, all of which made it into the movie's cheerful montage. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6yYd6Pq7Ic]Learn more about the background and creation of Elf here[https://www.mirror.co.uk/film/elf-movie-facts-secrets-ferrell-6812057].