The ‘Elves’ line was almost cut and now it’s gone viral

CNN
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Thanks to meme culture, a whole new generation is enjoying the beloved 2003 holiday movie, “Elf.”

We now learn the behind-the-scenes story of a particular scene that has gone viral.

According to Mark Acheson, who played “Mailroom Guy” in the film, much of his scene was not only improvised, it barely made it into the film.

“I called my agent and he said, ‘Listen, they want you to come and do a line with Will Ferrell. Would you like to do that?'” Acheson told People magazine. “And I said, yes, I’d be happy to. All I had to do was say ‘work release,’ and that was the end of it.

Ferrell plays Buddy the Elf, sent to the mailroom of his father’s office to stay busy. “Elf” director Jon Favreau had Acheson improvise with Ferrell.

During the scene, Acheson’s character tells Ferrell’s character that he is 26 years old but has “nothing to show for it.”

“You’re young, you’re so young,” Ferrell’s Buddy says to “Mailroom Guy.”

But not everyone loved the banter, and Acheson said the improvised dialogue initially fell flat.

“The producers wanted to remove the whole scene because of that. I’m like, ‘Who would believe this guy is 26?’ I mean, seriously,” Acheson said. “I think I was 46 at the time and an older one, 46 even then. Because I never looked young in my life.”

Favreau fought to keep it in the film.

“He said the joke, that’s the fun part, right?” Acheson remembered. “He kept me in. They didn’t want me but he did and thank God for me because it changed my career quite a bit.”

The scene is now being shared all over social media.