The cast of the beloved holiday comedy Elf reunited for virtual table read. Will Ferrell – Buddy the Elf himself – was joined by his Elf co-stars Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, Andy Richer, Amy Sedaris, Mary Steenburgen, Matt Walsh and Kyle Glass for the fundraiser event, which benefitted the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Some of the biggest highlights of the night came from recreating the film’s multiple musical moments. Deschanel, who reprised her role as Jovie, recreated her duet with Ferrell of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” The table read also featured some famous faces sitting in to read for actors who were unable to participate. John Lithgow played Walter, Buddy’s father, a role originally played by James Caan. Meanwhile, the podcaster Jon Favreau filled in to play the role of the doctor — which was originally played by the director of Elf, who is also named Jon Favreau. Other celebs who turned out to participate included Ken Jeong, Danny Woodburn, Jenna Ushkowitz, Busy Philipps, Ed Helms, Bradley Whitford, Wanda Sykes and Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo, among others.
The event was held to raise money for Democrats’ efforts in the upcoming Georgia Senate run-off elections. The goal was to raise $400,000 for the cause, and donations reached almost $403,000 by the end of the table read.
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