Will Ferrell ate so much sugar while filming *Elf* that he became physically ill.
In the 2003 Christmas comedy, Ferrell plays Buddy, a human raised by elves who believes that candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup are the four main food groups. Buddy’s extreme sweet tooth drives several of the film’s best-known jokes, including his spaghetti topped with maple syrup and candy.
The sugar was not entirely a movie illusion. Ferrell said he consumed large amounts of sugary food while filming and experienced unpleasant effects, including headaches and difficulty sleeping. Repeated takes meant he sometimes had to eat or drink the same sweet items more than once, making Buddy’s enthusiasm increasingly uncomfortable for the actor.
A common mix-up is assuming the story comes from another Ferrell comedy, such as *Step Brothers* or *Talladega Nights*. Those films feature memorable eating and physical-comedy scenes, but the sugar-related filming story specifically belongs to *Elf*, directed by Jon Favreau. The movie’s candy-heavy premise also explains why this behind-the-scenes fact is so closely associated with it.