Zooey Deschanel Wasn't the First Choice for 'Elf' Role

Zooey Deschanel almost didn’t play Jovie in the fan-favorite movie Elf, also starring Will Ferrell.

“I went in as a backup,” Zooey told Variety back in November about her role in the film. “The person they cast couldn’t do it. A lot of the parts I got early in my career, I was filling in for someone else who had dropped out last minute.”

In addition, she said of her blonde hair in the film, “What is funny is I had dyed my hair for a screen test for a movie that never happened. I had a meeting for ‘Elf’ while I was blonde, and I asked them if I could dye my hair back brown. They said ‘No, we want you to look the way you did in your audition.’”