Zooey Deschanel Almost Lost ‘Elf’ Role To Katie Holmes

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Zooey Deschanel nearly didn’t get her famous role in the movie Elf. She’s now starring in the new Prime Video holiday film, Merv, but it was her performance as Jovie, the initially skeptical department store employee charmed by Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell), that launched her career 22 years ago. Interestingly, an actress from Dawson’s Creek was also in contention for the part.

During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, as reported by Deadline, Zooey Deschanel shared a surprising story about almost missing out on the role in Elf. She explained that when she met with director Jon Favreau, he initially told her the part had already been offered to Katie Holmes. Deschanel recalled being a bit taken aback, but Favreau asked her to stay and chat for a while anyway.

Holmes had to drop out of the project because of a conflict with her work on Dawson Creek, which created an opportunity for Deschanel. Deschanel explained that the producers then considered who could fill the role, and knowing she had a cabaret background and could sing, they thought she’d be a good fit. She also felt that assuming Holmes still had the part initially helped her relax and perform better during auditions, ultimately leading to her getting the role.

The best part of that experience was actually feeling calm. When you’re a new actor, auditioning can be really nerve-wracking, and you spend a lot of time trying to mentally prepare. But I wasn’t nervous at all because I figured I wasn’t going to get the role anyway, and that was surprisingly freeing.

‘Elf’ Was Zooey Deschanel’s Breakout Role


Universal Pictures

Zooey Deschanel, the daughter of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, started her film career with small roles in movies like Almost Famous and Manic. Her big break came with the movie Elf, and she quickly followed that up with parts in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Failure to Launch, and Bridge to Terabithia. She became widely known for her role as Summer in (500) Days of Summer. Later, Deschanel starred in the popular Fox comedy New Girl, which aired for seven seasons between 2011 and 2017.

The movie Elf showcased Zooey Deschanel’s vocal talent with her renditions of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Deschanel has said the character Jovie wasn’t originally written to sing; the musical element was added after she was cast and became a beloved part of the film, contributing to its lasting popularity. In 2006, she formed the musical duo She & Him with M. Ward, and they even released two Christmas albums in 2011 and 2016. Beyond Elf, Deschanel has also contributed music to films like Winnie the Pooh, Rock the Kasbah, and Trolls.

Released in theaters on November 7, 2003, Elf has become a beloved holiday tradition over the past 22 years. It’s interesting to consider that Katie Holmes was originally considered for the main role, but Zooey Deschanel ultimately played it. While Deschanel would likely have found success in another big film, Elf wouldn’t be the same without her, and everything ended up working out perfectly.

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2025-12-19 19:18