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
I speak as much Spanish as anyone who has grown up in Southern California or Texas or Arizona. I had my three years of high-school Spanish and a couple of semesters in college.
I left home to go to college, and then I moved back home. I moved back for three years from 21 to 24.
By the time I was ready for college, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I think I secretly wanted a show business career, but I was suppressing it.
I always just forced myself to do crazy things in public. In college I would push an overhead projector across campus with my pants just low enough to show my butt. Then my friend would incite the crowd to be like, 'Look at that idiot!' That's how I got over being shy.
The funny guy doesn't get the girl until later in life. High school, college, everyone still wants the brooding, dangerous guy you shouldn't have.
We want to provide the kids with an opportunity to play against the state's best. It gives the kids a chance to get better and it gives them a chance to get seen by some of the college coaches.
You always want to do a good job and hopefully, I won't be in something that looks and feels like I'm in over my head.
Whom does the prime minister prefer? Tinky Winkey, Dipsy, Po, or La-La?
I'd love to become like Bill Murray, who was so funny on Saturday Night Live and has gone on to do some of the landmark comedies people like. And then to add this whole other phase to his career with Lost in Translation and Rushmore. I always felt to be able to have something similar to that would be great.
The only thing I can attribute it to, in leaving the show, is making the right choices or having the opportunity with people to develop material that is closer to your sensibility,
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.
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
When you hear that you're going to be working with a first-time director, sometimes that can be a concern to people.