Grey Henson has wanted to play Buddy the Elf in Elf for over a decade. In 2012, he was in The Book of Mormon, when director Casey Nicholaw (who directed Mormon and the original Broadway production of Elf) said: “You’re a perfect Buddy the Elf,” recalls Henson. It was an offhand comment, but it stuck: “I’ve always thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to play this role one day.’”
Elf, based on the 2003 film of the same name, premiered on Broadway in 2010 for that holiday season. It’s since become a winter favorite at regional theatres. This new production is the show’s second Broadway revival, running at the Marquis Theatre until January 4, 2025. Henson leads the cast as Buddy, who travels from the North Pole to New York City to find his biological father. In the process, he encourages a group of very cynical New Yorkers to embrace the holiday spirit. Anyone who’s ever seen Henson in Mean Girls or Shucked will not be surprised that the actor, known for playing bright and bubbly characters, would be a natural fit for the overly optimistic Buddy.
“Buddy the Elf is supposed to be a fish out of water. He’s supposed to be a bull in a China shop,” Henson explains. After all, Buddy isn’t actually an elf. He’s a human who was adopted by elves. As such, Buddy towers over the other elves, something Henson relates to; at 6’3’’ (though he estimates he's probably 6'6'' on roller skates), the affable actor is used to being the tallest in the room. “That’s how I existed my entire life. I stand out just because of my size, and because of my energy. While I’m not endlessly happy in the way that Buddy is, more often than not, I try to remain positive and happy,” says Henson, a week before the show began its first performances on Broadway.
It’s probably not too difficult to remain happy when you’re starring opposite screen actor Sean Astin as Santa Claus (and sitting on his lap onstage). Yes, the beloved screen actor—known for influencing multiple generations in Lord of the Rings, The Goonies, and Stranger Things—is singing and dancing on stage. Though, as he humbly remarks, “Despite the fact that my kids are convinced I’m tone deaf, I’m trusting that Grey will lead me to the Promised Land.”
That's because in this new production, Henson is doing something he's not yet done on Broadway: play a leading man. As an actor who has previously shone in a variety of supporting parts, Henson is relishing this opportunity to truly carry a show—and to show that character actors can lead a show. He's even asked his close friend and Mean Girls co-star Erika Henningsen for advice. "She was like, '[Mean Girls] flew by for me so fast because I was just on the roller coaster,'" he says, visibly excited to take that ride as a lead actor. "I've always wanted to lead a show, but...I'm not your typical leading man. I'm not the cookie-cutter look or energy or vibe of someone who would be a romantic interest. So the fact that this role exists and it is so tailor made for me is such a gift. I've never had a romantic kiss on stage professionally, you know what I mean? And I get to do that. I get to not just be, like, the funny gay best friend."
To this, Astin adds in, warmly, "There's no question that you are a leading man. Grey is a leading man...To see you both carrying the emotional, romantic weight of the show. It feels effortless. I asked Grey when we got here—I was like, 'How long have you been working on these dance steps?' He was like, 'A week or something.' I'm like, 'How is it possible that he can know and do so much and make it feel so natural and light?' He's that good."
Henson, smiling, gives a bashful, "That's very kind, thank you."
Astin may be making his Broadway debut in Elf at the age of 53, but to him it’s long overdue. His parents were both stage actors—Patty Duke played Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker on Broadway, while John Astin was in Threepenny Opera. “I’ve always wanted to do [Broadway], always, always,” enthuses Astin. “My dad did H.M.S. Pinafore, and he would sing the ‘Modern Major General’ song, and we would sing with him. We were always singing people. I just never had a chance to do it.”
Astin admits he did have a bit of imposter syndrome during rehearsals. The role of Santa is something of a princess role; he gets to open the show and come in for scenes here and there, but Astin is most awed by his co-stars, who have to do the brunt of the show's choreography—such as the actors on their knees as elves or the actors tap-dancing. "My takeaway from this experience is the ensemble," Astin marvels. "I love to be able to sit on the playing field with them and watch them up close and to see how they mirror something or change something. Or get an adjustment and put it into action and then do it at full speed with each other in close proximity...I am just overwhelmed with the professionalism and talent. It's like being in the Super Bowl or the World Series. This is Broadway, you're going to get the people who are the best at what they do."
But Henson is quick to reassure Astin, and to clarify that the Stranger Things actor does belong on Broadway and does not sit on a throne of lies. “Oh my God, Sean is the perfect Santa Claus because he has been in our living rooms,” Henson enthuses, his eyes bright with excitement. “Your entire career, you’ve played these roles that are so loving and human. Who better to play the role of Santa Claus, who everyone loves and adores, than Sean Astin?”
In short, Henson and Astin are excited to spread Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear. They’re so committed to being jolly that even during the Playbill photo shoot at New York's Bryant Park, they were game to drink hot chocolate, sit on each other’s laps, and pose with Christmas trees, ornaments, and snow globes.
“The story really has fun poking fun at the [holiday] tropes. But that only works, it seems to me, if there’s a foundation of commitment to the idea that those things—that belief is good, that the Christmas spirit is real. If you don’t, on some level, have a commitment to that, I don’t think the jokes work,” says Astin passionately, before adding, “I think about families that come with little kids, and it may be the first time they see everything. And I feel a sense of responsibility to that kid.”
Henson admits that though he’s naturally an upbeat person, even he has a hard time finding the joy sometimes. So, to combat those more cynical feelings, he’s written an affirmation for himself.
“I have a Post-It note on my door that I see every day before I leave my apartment…It says, ‘You get to go play Buddy the Elf on Broadway,’” he says. “The perspective of getting to do this thing I did since I was little for fun at this level is just a reminder how lucky we are to just be alive, doing something silly and bringing people joy. I know it can seem trivial, but it’s important. And so, like Sean said, there’s a responsibility.”
One final question before the two actors fly off to rehearsal: As the expert on elves, hobbits, and all kinds of magical creatures, has Astin taught Henson anything about playing an elf? Remarks Henson: “I do think if Buddy were to visit Middle Earth, he would hang with the hobbits.”
Laughs Astin, “I could totally picture Buddy, not unlike Winnie the Pooh, halfway into the hobbit hole and stuck!”
Grey Henson and Sean Astin photographed at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Grey Henson and Sean Astin photographed at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Sean Astin and Grey Henson photographed at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Sean Astin and Grey Henson photographed at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Sean Astin and Grey Henson photographed at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
Sean Astin and Grey Henson photographed at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park
