Zooey Deschanel has said the role of Jovie in Christmas favourite Elf was originally offered to Katie Holmes before Deschanel landed the part.
Speaking on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast, the New Girl actor recalled arriving to audition for the 2003 film and being told by director Jon Favreau that the part had effectively already been cast.
"We just offered it to Katie Holmes," Deschanel said she was told, adding that the news left her unusually relaxed going into the meeting because she assumed she was not getting the job.
Holmes later dropped out due to a scheduling conflict, according to Deschanel, and the production returned to her for the role.
Deschanel also said her singing helped shape the character. She told the podcast she had previously performed jazz standards as part of a cabaret act, and said the filmmakers knew she could sing.
In Elf, Jovie’s singing becomes a running motif, including the shower rendition of Baby, It’s Cold Outside and the climactic sing-along that helps restore Christmas spirit.
Released in 2003, Elf went on to become a perennial seasonal hit, with Box Office Mojo listing worldwide takings of about $230m across its releases.
A sequel has been discussed on and off over the years, but Will Ferrell previously said he turned down a reported $29m offer to return, explaining he could not promote a film he did not believe in "from an honest place", in comments reported from a 2021 Hollywood Reporter profile.
