Zooey Deschanel Explains Why 'Elf' Is Still a 'Little Bit Scary' for Her Two Kids

Angela Andaloro
·2 min read
ELF, Zooey Deschanel
ELF, Zooey Deschanel

Everett; Stefanie Keenan/Getty

Zooey Deschanel says her kids don't quite appreciate her role in the holiday classic Elf just yet.

In an interview with Access, the actress, 42, opened up about how her kids — son Charlie Wolf, 5, and daughter Elsie Otter, 7 — feel about the holiday film after watching it for the first time last year.

"I think they're a little young for it," Deschanel said of the viewing experience. "They still usually only watch animated movies. It was a little scary for them."

Acknowledging that it's "not a scary movie," she explained that the "suspense of Santa, Santa's sleigh going down," was "a little bit scary" for the pair.

Deschanel co-parents her two kids with ex-husband Jacob Pechenik.

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RELATED: Jonathan Scott Recalls 'Sweetest' Story About Girlfriend Zooey Deschanel's Daughter Elsie, 6

Asked if her kids show any interest in acting, Deschanel replied, "it's hard to say."

"They both, my son likes to make up dinosaur movies all the time, and make up songs. My daughter does too, they both kind of like to make up stuff," she shared.

"But I don't know if it's just like childhood creativity. You know, we'll see."

Zooey Deschanel Posts Rare Pic of Kids as They Hang with Her Ex and Jonathan Scott
Zooey Deschanel Posts Rare Pic of Kids as They Hang with Her Ex and Jonathan Scott

Zooey Deschanel/Instagram

In June, the actress, shared a rare photo of her two kids as they spent time together with Pechenik and Deschanel's current boyfriend, Jonathan Scott.

In the sweet photo, Charlie sat on Pechenik's shoulder while Elsie sat on Scott's. The children's faces, however, were hidden behind red heart emojis.

"So thankful my kids have these two awesome guys in their lives: @jonathanscott and their dad @jacobpechenik," she captioned the Instagram post.

"🙏 ❤️ It's my absolute greatest privilege," Pechenik, 50, replied in the comment section. Meanwhile, Scott, 44, responded to the adorable snapshot by writing, "One big happy family 🥰"