Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American actor, comedian, producer, and writer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in comedy films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, The Other Guysand Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, all but one of which he co-wrote with his comedy partner Adam McKay. The two also founded the comedy website Funny...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth16 July 1967
CityIrvine, CA
CountryUnited States of America
My kind of wanting to be funny didn't come from need, necessarily. The closest I can analyze it is that it was an easy way to make friends, I found out. It was just a great kind of social tool.
I've always had, when I needed it, an extreme amount of focus that I could put into something. That has served me well.
I did plenty of jobs that I hated. I was a bank teller and terrible at it. I parked cars, a valet. I answered phones. I somehow avoided being a waiter. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep the order straight. I'm not much of a multi-tasker.
For people who have done comedy after a certain point in time, I think there's a base level of, 'O.K., I think I'm decently funny.' But unless you just have some massive ego, I really think you're still fighting against that.
How classy is it for me to wear these pink tennis shoes with my tux?
In junior high P.E., I was way too shy to take a shower in front of the other kids. It was a horribly awkward time - body hair, odors... So I'd go from my sweaty shirt back into my regular clothes and have to continue the day.
At the end of the movie I gave Bob Newhart a headshot of mine with tape over the eyes. So that he'd remember, and be fond of the tape,
It's important that this character is played real, or straight, the whole way through and not winking at the audience. It was approached from a dramatic side as much as a comedic side.
It's amazing what they turn up in those archives
That's what you love about the stories, he just gets into all this mischief and goes into all the places that every kid wants to do and, I think, even a lot of adults do as well.
It's rare that you get to actually cast the person that you are using as the type of actor you want for the role. So we talked about who could play Papa Elf, and we started saying someone like Bob Newhart would be perfect. When you actually get that person, it's truly a special thing.
I definitely wanted to leave "Saturday Night Live" at a time when I still enjoyed doing the show. I didn't have a supreme confidence that I would be immediately successful after leaving the show, but I just knew it was the right time to test myself and get out there and try other things.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Complete Second Season
It would be great to be able to follow in the footsteps of Bill Murray. I really respect his ability as a comedian, obviously, but even more so as an actor.