Ferrell first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the sketch comedy seriesSaturday Night Live, where he performed from 1995 to 2002, and has subsequently starred in a string of comedy films. After starring in the 2003 comedy filmOld School, Ferrell became considered a member of the "Frat Pack", a generation of leading Hollywood comic actors who emerged in the late 1990s and the 2000s, includingJack Black,Ben Stiller,Steve Carell,Vince Vaughn,Paul Rudd, and brothersOwen andLuke Wilson. He founded the comedy websiteFunny or Die in 2007 with his former writing partnerAdam McKay.
John William Ferrell was born on July 16, 1967, inIrvine, California,[2] to Betty Kay (née Overman), a teacher who taught at Old Mill School elementary school andSanta Ana College,[6] and Roy Lee Ferrell Jr., who played saxophone and keyboards forthe Righteous Brothers.[7][8] His parents were both natives ofRoanoke Rapids, North Carolina. They moved to California in 1964.[9][10] Ferrell's ancestry includes English, German, and Irish.[11] As an infant Ferrell suffered frompyloric stenosis and had a pyloromyotomy to correct the condition. He has a younger brother, Patrick.[6]
When he was eight years old, his parents divorced. Ferrell said of the divorce: "I was the type of kid who would say, 'Hey, look at the bright side! We'll have two Christmases'." The divorce was amicable, and both parents were committed to their children. The biggest problem was his father's line of work. As a person in show business, his paychecks were never steady, and he traveled from home for months at a time. Growing up in this environment made Ferrell not want to go into show business and instead have a steady job.[6]
Ferrell first attended school at Culverdale Elementary[12] and later attendedRancho San Joaquin Middle School, both in Irvine. He attendedUniversity High School in Irvine, and was akicker for the school's varsityfootball team.[13] He was also on the soccer team and captain of the basketball team, as well as serving on the student council. Ferrell called third grade "a pivotal year." He realized he could make his classmates laugh if he pretended to smash his head against the wall, or if he tripped and fell on purpose, and said it was a great way to make friends.[14] He said the dullness of Irvine contributed to the growth of his humor:
Growing up in suburbia, in safe, master-planned Irvine, there was no drama so we had to create it in our heads. My main form of entertainment was cracking my friends up and exploring new ways of being funny. I didn't have to have the survival mode instinct like other comics, who grew up in tough neighborhoods. I had the opposite. For me, I grew up inMayberry, and the humor broke the boredom. And there was a lot to make fun of.[15]
In his senior year of high school, Ferrell and a friend would perform comedy skits over the school's intercom system, with cooperation from the principal; the two had to write their own material. Ferrell also performed comedic skits in the school's talent shows. He was voted "Best Personality" by his classmates.[16] He enrolled at theUniversity of Southern California, where he studied sports broadcasting and joined theDelta Tau Delta fraternity. In college, he was known for a few pranks. On occasion, he would dress in a janitor's outfit and stroll into his friends' classes. He was also known forstreaking around campus with a few other people from the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.[16] Ferrell earned an internship at a local television station in the sports department, but he did not enjoy the work.[17]
After graduating with aB.A. degree in sports information in 1990, he knew he did not want to do broadcasting. He took up a job as a hotel valet where, on his second day, he tore a baggage rack off the top of a van by trying to drive it under a low beam. He also worked as a teller atWells Fargo, but came up short $300 the first day and $280 the second; he was not stealing the money, but was just careless and error-prone. In 1991, encouraged by his mother to pursue something he liked, Ferrell moved to Los Angeles. He successfully auditioned for the comedy groupThe Groundlings where he spent time developing hisimprovisation skills.[17]
Career
1994–2001:Saturday Night Live
Before joining The Groundlings, Ferrell's attempts at standup comedy had little success. He started in the advanced classes and grew to love improvisation. He realized he also liked to impersonate people, and one of his favorites wasHarry Caray, theHall of Fame baseball announcer. Soon he began to create original characters, and by 1994 he had joined The Groundlings. With fellow Groundlings memberChris Kattan, he created the Butabi Brothers, who go out to dance clubs to try to pick up women but are constantly rejected. While taking classes, Ferrell got a job at an auction house via his friend Viveca Paulin. The job was ideal as it was flexible enough for him to audition and go to rehearsals while also being employed. By 1995, he was receiving small roles, including appearances in TV seriesGrace Under Fire andLiving Single, low-budget films such asA Bucket of Blood, as well as commercials. One winter, he served as a mall Santa Claus.[18]
After SNL's decline in popularity in1994–1995, and in need of new cast members for the next season, a producer sawThe Groundlings and asked Ferrell, Kattan, andCheri Oteri to audition for SNL's main producer,Lorne Michaels.[19] Ferrell joinedSaturday Night Live in 1995 and left in 2002 after a seven-year tenure. He has hosted the show five times, thereby becoming a member of the show'sFive Timers Club.[20]
His original characters includedMorning Latte co-host Tom Wilkins,Mister Ed the Horse's twin brother Ned, fictionalBlue Öyster Cult member Gene Frenkle (physically modeled after the band's vocalistEric Bloom),[citation needed] music teacher Marty Culp, cheerleader Craig Buchanan, Dale Sturtevant fromDissing Your Dog, Hank of theBill Brasky Buddies, David Leary fromDog Show, angry and inattentive Dr. Beaman andnight clubber Steve Butabi in sketches that were turned into a feature film in 1998'sA Night at the Roxbury. Although a one-shot character, one of Ferrell's most memorableSNL characters is Dale McGrew, a "highly patriotic" office worker who comes to work wearing a half t-shirt andshort shorts that Ferrell improvised into athong just before the skit aired live, leading to genuine laughter from the cast and guest hostSeann William Scott.[21] Ferrell became the highest paid cast member ofSaturday Night Live in 2001 with a season salary of $350,000.[22] Ferrell returned toSaturday Night Live as a guest host on May 14, 2005; May 16, 2009; May 12, 2012; January 27, 2018, and November 23, 2019. For the first two hosting appearances, he reprised his role as Alex Trebek in the "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketches. On the May 14 appearance, Ferrell reprised his role as Robert Goulet in a fake commercial advertising a series ofringtones and, during the performance of the song "Little Sister" by musical guestsQueens of the Stone Age, Ferrell came on stage playing thecowbell.
BothStranger Than Fiction andTalladega Nights received critical and box office success, whileCurious George received critical success but not box office success. Ferrell's performance inStranger Than Fiction introduced audiences to the dramatic potential of Ferrell's acting talents, whileTalladega Nights was his highest grossing live-action opening as of 2010 at $47 million.[29] OnDecember 27, 2006,The Magazine named Ferrell as one of its three actors of the year in their 2006 year in review issue.[30] A sequel toAnchorman,Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, was released in 2013.[31]
In 2008, Ferrell starred in the movieStep Brothers with John C. Reilly. The movie also starredAdam Scott,Kathryn Hahn,Mary Steenburgen, andRichard Jenkins. It was directed by frequent Ferrell collaboratorAdam McKay, who was also a co-writer of the movie. The movie earned $128 million worldwide.[32] The film received mixed reviews but has since become acult classic.[33] Chris Hewitt ofEmpire praised the chemistry of two leads writing, "Ferrell and Reilly are a superb double-act, Reilly's cockiness meshing well with Ferrell's puppy dog innocence. They're fine separately, but when the two are together, be it during an extended fight scene with a bunch of kids, or a demented sleepwalking sequence, the movie is a blast."[34]
Ferrell is also known for his promotional appearances including acting as part of a pre-game video package for the Rose Bowl along withUniversity of Texas at Austin alumMatthew McConaughey. Ferrell sang a song at theESPY Awards in 2006 aboutLance Armstrong andNeil Armstrong. He and John C. Reilly performed a spot during the 2008 ESPY Awards within which they made demands in order for them to appear at the ESPYs, such as askingPortland Trail Blazers' centerGreg Oden to tuck them in at night and tell them stories of the old times or to bring back the Cold War so the Olympics can be interesting again. Ferrell has worked as a voice actor in several animated television programs and films, including his portrayal of Bob Oblong, a 1950s-style father with no arms or legs, in the short-lived animated television seriesThe Oblongs which ran onThe WB andAdult Swim.
Ferrell has presented numerous times at theAcademy Awards. He sang a humorous song "Get Off the Stage" withJack Black in2004 and sang a song about comedies being snubbed by the voters in favor of dramas John C. Reilly and Jack Black in2007. Ferrell made hisBroadway debut taking on departing U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush in a one-man show calledYou're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush. The show started performances onJanuary 20, 2009, in previews—Bush's final day in office—at theCort Theatre and opened officially onFebruary 1. The limited engagement played throughMarch 15, 2009.[38]
In May 2009, it was announced that Ferrell was in talks to star in a feature film,Neighborhood Watch (laterThe Watch), a comedy about an urbanite who moves to the suburbs and uncovers a conspiracy. In negotiations to direct wasDavid Dobkin, who gave Ferrell a cameo inWedding Crashers.[39] In August 2009, Ferrell decided not to do the film.[40]Ferrell starred in the feature filmLand of the Lost (2009). It was a commercial and critical flop, earning$19 million on opening weekend—about two-thirds of what the studio expected.[41][42] In 2010, he was the executive producer and star ofThe Other Guys, abuddy cop film which also has anensemble cast includingMark Wahlberg,Eva Mendes,Michael Keaton,Steve Coogan,Ray Stevenson,Samuel L. Jackson, andDwayne Johnson. The film was a commercial success earning over $140 million[43] and was positively reviewed by critics.
In a 2014 poll taken as part of a commemorativeSNL feature onGrantland, Ferrell was voted the bestSaturday Night Live cast member of all time.[49] On December 12, 2015, Ferrell appeared in the cold open of the show in character as George W. Bush.[50] He reprised this role when he returned as host in 2018.
Ferrell andRed Hot Chili Peppers drummerChad Smith, who have had a long-running joke feud over their similar appearance appeared on the May 22, 2014, episode ofThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a charity drum-off battle. Despite Smith clearly giving the better performance, Ferrell was named the winner and awarded a giant gold cowbell. Both were joined by Smith's Red Hot Chili Peppers bandmates for a performance of "Don't Fear the Reaper", with Ferrell playing cowbell.[51] On June 10, 2014, Ferrell and Smith challengedMetallica drummerLars Ulrich to a drum-off with Ferrell, saying Ulrich looks "eerily similar" to the two of them.[52] Ulrich accepted the challenge two days later.[53]
In 2015, he starred in the buddy comedyGet Hard and the comedyDaddy's Home, with the latter reuniting him andThe Other Guys co-star Mark Wahlberg.[54][55] He reprised his role, Jacobim Mugatu, in theZoolander sequel,Zoolander 2 (2016).[56] He then reprised his role fromDaddy's Home in the sequel,Daddy's Home 2 (2017).
In February 2019, Ferrell launchedThe Ron Burgundy Podcast in collaboration with theiHeart Radio Podcast Network. The show was originally slated for two seasons of twelve episodes each.[62] In 2022, the podcast was renewed for a fifth live season.[63] In October 2019, Ferrell partnered with iHeart Radio to launch his own podcast network, the Big Money Players Network.[63] The partnership deal included 10 scripted and unscripted comedy podcasts set to be released over a two-year period.[64]
In April 2007, Ferrell andAdam McKay launched "Funny or Die",[66] astreaming video website where short comedy films are uploaded and voted on by users. One of the featured shorts,The Landlord, stars Ferrell as a man harassed for the rent by his landlady, a swearing, beer-loving, two-year-old girl, played by McKay's own daughter, Pearl. Child psychologists have criticized Ferrell and the McKay family for child exploitation,[67] to which McKay responded, "Fortunately she is in this great stage now where she repeats anything you say to her and then forgets it right away, which is key. She has not said the 'B-word' since we shot the thing."[68]They followed with the release of a video entitled "Good Cop, Baby Cop" which also starred baby Pearl;[69] the end of the video stated that this would be her final appearance and wished her a happy "baby retirement".
In September 2008, Ferrell released another video entitled "Will Ferrell Answers Internet Questions" where he takes some pressing questions and comments from his fans. Another Ferrell appearance on "Funny or Die"[66] is in the video called "Green Team", featuring also McKay andJohn C. Reilly. It shows militant ecologic activists terrorizing the crew on a filming set.
Ferrell co-produced (with McKay) an HBO show starringDanny McBride calledEastbound & Down.[70] He also had a recurring role as car dealer Ashley Schaeffer.
In August 2000, Ferrell married Swedish actress Viveca Paulin, whom he met in 1995 at an acting class. They live inNew York City andOrange County, California, and have three sons, born in 2004, 2006, and 2010.[75][76][77]
Ferrell at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con withMark Wahlberg
At USC, Ferrell was a member ofDelta Tau Delta fraternity and is now an active alumnus. Ferrell has worked with former head coachPete Carroll to do motivational stunts for the players during the season.[13]
In 2007,Autograph magazine named Ferrell the worst celebrityautographer. Its editor stated: "What's so frustrating about Will Ferrell being the worst autograph signer this past year is that he used to be so nice to fans and collectors and a great signer. What makes him so bad is that he'll taunt people asking for his autograph."[82] In response, Ferrell stated: "I don't know how I got on the list. I sign a lot of autographs." He has, however, admitted to taunting autograph-seekers: "I do. I really do. I'm like, 'How badly do you want this autograph?' 'Are you sure?' 'You say you're my biggest fan, really, prove it.' I'll do things like that. They have to earn it."[83]
On April 13, 2018, Ferrell was involved in a serious two-car collision in California. The SUV he was a passenger in flipped over during the crash. Ferrell was one of three passengers in the car.[88] Ferrell, along with another passenger, was unhurt in the accident; two others were injured.[89]
Political views
Ferrell is a supporter of theDemocratic Party and has made several public comments and appearances relaying such.
Though he was well known for hisSNL impersonation of PresidentGeorge W. Bush, Ferrell noted that he chose, for both professional and political reasons, not to meet the president on several occasions. Unlike hisSNL predecessorDana Carvey's famous relationship withGeorge H. W. Bush, Ferrell has said: "I declined, partly out of comedic purposes, because when I was on the showSaturday Night Live at the time, it didn't make sense to really meet the people that you play, for fear of them influencing you. And then the other side of it is, from a political standpoint, I don't want to meet that guy."[83]
Ferrell supportedBarack Obama in the 2012 presidential election and met him (along with his wife,Michelle) in 2011.[90]
In February 2013, Ferrell endorsedEric Garcetti for mayor of Los Angeles.[91]
On May 6, 2010, at aMinor League Baseball game atDell Diamond inRound Rock, Texas, Ferrell was introduced between innings as aVenezuelan pitcher for theRound Rock Express named "Billy Ray 'RoJo' Johnson". Wearing a false mustache and carrying a bag of beer cans to the mound, Ferrell threw one pitch and wasejected after a staged fight and chase with an opposing batter. He revealed himself to the fans when his moustache fell off during the chase. A video of the skit wentviral.[94][95] The appearance was conceived by Ferrell and the Express, who sent out a press release announcing Johnson's "signing" to promote a charity golf outing the following day at a nearby country club.[96]
Ferrell is an avid fan of theLos Angeles Kings of theNational Hockey League (NHL) and frequently partners with the club and attends games while seated in the front row.[101] Ferrell has produced several video messages which the Kings have aired on the jumbotron during games throughout the years.[102][103]
Ferrell has taken an active role in the Kings' fandom. During the2023 playoffs matchups between the Kings andEdmonton Oilers, Ferrell appeared in his usual front row seats donning checkered faceprint in the Kings' colors, which circulated and drew parodies around the NHL.[102][104]
In a March 21, 2019, game between the Kings andSan Jose Sharks, Ferrell commentated the entire second period of the match on the local television broadcast in-character as Ron Burgundy.[105] For the2023–24 NHL season, Kings goaltenderCam Talbot, although himself not a member of the team at the time of the broadcast, bore a depiction of Burgundy in reference to the event.[106]
Soccer
Ferrell took part inSoccer Aid 2012. In 2016, he became a part-owner ofLos Angeles FC, which competes inMajor League Soccer.[107] When asked about why he became a co-owner, Ferrell said, "I don't really have a side per se until LAFC get started and that will definitely be, obviously, my team. But I just enough watching [sic] the fact that it's played all over the world. So many amazing players and so many top flight leagues. And hopefully MLS can be on par, eventually, with the European leagues."[108]
^According to the State of California.California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com
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