Viewers who stayed tuned through the end of Monday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! were treated to a surprise appearance by Will Ferrell, who crashed Andy Richter’s interview dressed head to toe as Buddy the Elf.
Richter was on hand to promote his new book, Elf Unwrapped: Behind the Scenes of a Modern Christmas Classic, sharing stories from the making of the 2003 holiday favorite when a familiar voice interrupted him from the audience.
“Boooooring!” shouted Ferrell, drawing cheers when the cameras revealed him sitting among the crowd in Buddy’s signature green-and-yellow outfit.
But Ferrell was quick to correct Kimmel when the host identified him as Buddy the Elf.
“I’m not Buddy the Elf, you fopdoodle!” Ferrell insisted. “I’m Will Ferrell, from The Land of the Lost movie.”
Asked why he was wearing the costume, Ferrell explained that he’d undergone some elective surgery earlier in the day and had been advised to avoid zippers.
Richter expressed his gratitude to his former co-star for showing up to help promote the book, only to have Ferrell pretend not to recognize him.
“Andy Richter from the Olsen twins’ movie New York Minute?” Ferrell asked when Richter finally identified himself.
Ferrell went on to mock Richter’s book, suggesting that readers would prefer his own forthcoming memoir, My Years Sitting Next to Conan O’Brien: The Will Ferrell Story.
As for why he was really there? Ferrell claimed he’d been working Hollywood Boulevard in costume when he heard Bill Murray was appearing on Kimmel’s show. Upon learning that Murray had already left, Ferrell dashed backstage in hopes of catching him.
“You never know when he’s going to show up,” Richter remarked as the segment came to a close.
Watch the full segment below:
