Mary Steenburgen Recalls Late Elf Costar James Caan Being ‘Unexpectedly Sweet and Charming’ (Exclusive)

Mary Steenburgen looks back fondly on her time Dwarf with the late James Caan.

In an exclusive chat with PEOPLE surrounding the 20th anniversary of the Jon Favreau-directed holiday classic, the actress says she wasn’t sure what to expect from Caan, who often appeared in tough-guy roles.

Steenburgen, 70, says she was pleasantly surprised on set by the warm personality of Caan, who died on July 6, 2022, at the age of 82.

“I didn’t know what he would be like, and I found him unexpectedly sweet and charming,” she says. – I had fun with him.

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James Caan, Mary Steenburgen and Will Ferrell entered Dwarf (2003).

New Line/Everett

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Steenburgen says her “first day on the job” was filming a scene where Buddy (Will Ferrell) downs an entire 2 liters of soda, drenches his spaghetti with maple syrup and encourages his family to do the same.

“I hadn’t even seen the design or anything about what Will was going to look like,” Steenburgen recalls of Ferrell’s now-iconic costume. “And then he walks in… I’m tall too, but he towers over me, and he walks in in this elf outfit, and then I have to eat spaghetti with maple syrup.”

“I spent the whole day trying to get my words out without laughing,” says the Oscar winner.

According to Steenburgen, she, Caan and even Ferrell, 56, would sometimes “ruin some of the laughs,” because the “visualization” of Ferrell in costume as Buddy “was consistently funny.”

“You’re not really used to it,” she tells PEOPLE. “I think we’re all more used to it now than any of us were back then, because we never saw it on posters or on the sides of buses or any of that. And so we just enjoyed it so much.”

Will Ferrell enters Dwarf (2003).

Alan Markfield/New Line Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock

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Steenburgen starred opposite Ferrell again in 2008 Half brotherswhere she again played his character’s mother.

When asked if she would be ready to continue Dwarfshe tells PEOPLE, “If someone had an idea for it that was really compelling, then I’m sure it would be a fascinating and exciting thing. But I think it’s also kind of respectful of what was created. It was pretty perfect as whatever it was. And sometimes it’s best to leave things alone.”

“So I’m not sure what I would want. I would only want it to happen if I read something and say, ‘Oh my God. This has to be done,’ and no one has done it yet,” explains Steenburgen.

But when it comes to the potential of working with Ferrell again, she says, “Having made two such iconic films with him, and very different films with him, I know how brilliant he is and I’d be honored to work with him anytime.”

For more about Dwarf20th anniversary, get the latest issue of the magazine PEOPLEon newsstands on Friday.

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Source: HIS Education