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`Christmas Story' Elf Says Biz Short on Similar Roles: So in Real Life, Broadview Heights Man is Teacher

Posted on: Monday, 19 December 2005, 09:00 CST

By Jim Carney, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Dec. 19--You may have never met Drew Hocevar, but you probably will remember him when you see him.

The Broadview Heights resident played Male Elf in the Christmas classic A Christmas Story, filmed partly in Cleveland.

He's the guy with the funny elf hat on who asks Ralphie to hurry up as the boy visits Santa Claus.

Today, Hocevar, who was born in Maple Heights, is a teacher at Dover Elementary School in Westlake, where he works with students with special needs.

While he loves teaching, he has fond memories of his time as an elf.

Q: How old are you?

A: I am 12 in elf years and 48 in human years.

Q: How did you get the job as Male Elf?

A: I was working at Higbee's downtown as seasonal help. There was a general casting call for extras in the employee cafeteria and I went. The casting director complained that nobody willing to be in the movie had any children. I never got called.

The day before filming began, I got a call to be an elf. I found out later the casting people had been talking to the people in the special events department at Higbee's and asked if they knew anyone that could play a male elf. Everyone in the office said at once, "Call Drew!" I just knew the right people.

Q: Did you have any elf training before that?

A: At the time of the film, I had worked for Higbee's for eight holiday seasons, seven on the 10th floor Santaland.

Over the years I had been a Santa guide, spaceman, Paddington Bear, Babar, Mickey Mouse, Smokey the Bear, Bruce the Spruce, and the big guy in the red suit.... I never was an elf for Higbee's.

Q: Did you get paid to be the elf?

A: Everybody always wants to know about the money. When I put on my elf suit, I was an extra, making minimum wage, about $2.65, and treated like cattle. Then, after they gave me the line and I spoke on film, I was an actor and treated very well.

After I said the line, the guy playing Santa started to talk to me about how they would try to cheat me out of my equity pay, $250 a day. I didn't understand him -- there were a lot of people around us.

Later, the production assistant came to me and said they couldn't afford to pay me scale for the whole time. They would pay me minimum wage every day and on the last day, I would get scale pay.

I agreed because I thought they might dump me and reshoot with someone else as the elf. I just wanted to be in a movie.

Q: Did you have any notion at all at the time that the movie would become a classic Christmas flick?

A: The crew was walking around in jackets embroidered with the movie they had just finished, Porky's II. I didn't have high hopes.

Q: Do people ask you to repeat lines from the movie?

A: Yes, but I try not to. I let them tell me the line.

Q: Do you remember your most important line from the film?

A: "Hey, kid, hurry up. The store's closing."

Q: After playing the elf, did your life change much?

A: No. It seems everybody gets excited when they find out that I was the elf. I was Mickey Mouse in the parade, too. I have friends who say that every Christmas, TBS has "24 hours of Drew." Some people watch it the first time and then tune in just to see me as many times as they can.

Q: Did you get any other movie offers?

A: This summer. A movie called Martian Child contacted me. They wanted to use the clip from the movie to play on a TV during a Christmas scene in their movie.

Q: What is your favorite Christmas movie, other than the one you were in?

A: Don't really have a movie. I love the animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Q: Why do you think this movie has held up for more than two decades?

A: People can relate to things in the movie. It brings back happy memories. It's funny. I always laugh at the scene in the Chinese restaurant.

Q: Have you had any more opportunities to be an elf?

A: No. The elf business is bad. Good thing I have teaching to fall back on.

Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

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Source: Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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