Smiling might be Buddy the Elf’s favorite … but, Will Ferrell‘s is to keep people guessing — ’cause he says he dressed up as the iconic character just to stir things up!

The actor stopped by “New Heights” — Travis and Jason Kelce‘s podcast — and, they asked him about his recent appearance at an LA Kings game that drove the internet into a frenzy … where he arrived as Buddy who had fallen on hard times.

Will explains the idea came to him a week or so before the game … and, he basically bought the costume and dressed up on a whim — doing it more to amuse himself than anything else.

Will says he was surprised about how big the moment became … noting many people online seemed to think he was promoting something — even though he just thought it’d be funny. So, don’t expect a dark “Elf” sequel next Christmas!

Ferrell ends the clip by explaining, “Occasionally, I just like to do weird things like that just to stir it up.”