Will Ferrell biography
John William "Will" Ferrell (born July 16, 1967) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated United States comedian, actor, voice actor, and writer who first established himself as a cast member of
Saturday Night Live, and has since gone on to a successful film career, starring in the comedies
A Night at the Roxbury (1998),
Old School (film),
Elf (film) (both 2003),
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004),
Kicking & Screaming (2005),
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,
Stranger than Fiction (film) (both 2006),
Blades of Glory (film) (2007),
Semi-Pro and
Step Brothers (film) (both 2008). He is considered a member of the Frat Pack, a generation of leading Hollywood comic actors to emerge in the late 1990s and the 2000s including Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Steve Carell, Vince Vaughn, and brothers Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson.
Biography
Early life
Ferrell was born and raised in Irvine, California, the son of Kay (married and maiden names Overman), a teacher, and Lee Ferrell, a keyboardist for The Righteous Brothers. He has Irish ancestry. He first attended elementary school at Turtle Rock Elementary School, and later attended Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, both in Irvine, CA. He attended University High School (Irvine, California) in Irvine, CA, and was a placekicker for the school's varsity American football team. He told the
Orange County Register that 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 in Mayberry, and the humor broke the boredom. And there was a lot to make fun of."
He enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he studied Sports Broadcasting and graduated with a degree in Sports Information. He is also a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. After graduating in 1990, he developed his Improvisational comedy as a member of the comedy group The Groundlings.
Saturday Night Live
During his time on
SNL, Ferrell made a name for himself with his impersonations, which included:
- U.S. President George W. Bush ("strategery" was one of several fake Bushisms created by Ferrell during skits about the George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000),
- Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Caray,
- Singer Robert Goulet (crooner a cappella pieces of music by Sisqó, Baha Men, and Notorious B.I.G),
- Singer Neil Diamond,
-
Inside the Actors Studio personality James Lipton,
- Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy,
- United States Attorney General Janet Reno,
- Convicted Unabomber Ted Kaczynski,
- Game show host Alex Trebek,
- Fictitious African-American private detective Shaft
- Professional wrestler-turned-Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura.
Ferrell returned to
Saturday Night Live as a guest host on May 14, 2005. During this guest stint, he reprised his role as Alex Trebek in the popular "Celebrity Jeopardy! (Saturday Night Live)" sketches and Robert Goulet, advertising a series of crooned ringtones. In the same episode, during the performance of the song "Little Sister (song)" by musical guests Queens of the Stone Age, Ferrell came on stage playing the Cowbell (instrument).
Ferrell became the highest paid cast member of Saturday Night Live in 2001 with a season salary of $350,000.
Film
During his time on
Saturday Night Live, Ferrell appeared in several movies:
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,
A Night at the Roxbury,
Superstar (film),
The Ladies Man (2000 film),
Dick (film),
Drowning Mona,
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and
Zoolander.
His first starring role came after his departure from SNL with Frank "The Tank" Ricard in
Old School (film) (2003). The movie "belongs to Mr. Ferrell," declared the
New York Times, which described how he "uses his hilarious, anxious zealotry to sell the part."
Old School was a major success and Ferrell received an MTV Movie Awards nomination for Best Comedic Performance.
The title role in
Elf (film) (2003) followed, as did another MTV Movie Awards nomination. Ferrell continued to land comedy roles in 2004 and 2005 in films such as
Melinda and Melinda,
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,
Starsky & Hutch (film) earning himself a place among Hollywood's Frat Pack. In 2005, Ferrell earned $40 million. In 2006, Ferrell starred in
Stranger Than Fiction (film) and
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby; both received critical and box office success. Ferrell's performance in
Stranger Than Fiction introduced audiences to the dramatic potential of Ferrell's acting talents. On December 27, 2006, 'The Magazine' named Ferrell as one of its three actors of the year in their 2006 year in review issue.
In March 2007, Ferrell, along with Jon Heder, co-starred in
Blades of Glory. During an interview in support of the ice skating comedy, Ferrell denied relying on performance enhancing drugs to assist with his work in the film, but did admit to using "a lot of human growth hormone and a little bit of Robitussin" for his work in
Stranger Than Fiction. In 2005, Ferrell was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Ferrell appeared as part of a pre-game video package for the Rose Bowl along with University of Texas at Austin alum Matthew McConaughey. Ferrell also sang a song at the ESPY Awards in 2006 about Lance Armstrong and Neil Armstrong, and is often noted as looking very similar to Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
Ferrell participated in a 79th Academy Awards musical-comedy performance with John C. Reilly and Jack Black, where they sang a song about comedies being snubbed by the voters in favor of dramas.
Voice acting
Ferrell has worked as a voice actor in several animated television programs, including his portrayal of a 1950s-style father in the animated television series
The Oblongs. He has had several guest appearances on Family Guy, where he played the Black Knight in "Mr. Saturday Knight", as well as Fat Greek Guy and Miles "Chatterbox" Musket in "Fifteen Minutes of Shame". Ferrell also starred as Ted (a.k.a. The Man in the Yellow Hat) in the movie
Curious George (film).
Funny or Die
In April 2007, Ferrell launched "Funny or Die", a streaming video website where short comedy films are uploaded and voted on by users. The site features
The Landlord (2007 film), starring Ferrell and Funny or Die co-founder Adam McKay. Ferrell's character is harassed for the rent by his landlady, a swearing, beer-loving, two-year-old girl (played by McKay's daughter, Pearl). Child psychologists have criticized Ferrell and the McKays for child exploitation, to which McKay responded:
They recently released a video entitled "Good Cop, Baby Cop" which also starred baby Pearl; 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 "
Personal life
In August 2000, Ferrell married Swedish actress Viveca Paulin, whom he met in 1995 at an acting class. On March 7, 2004, their son Magnus Paulin Ferrell was born. On December 30, 2006, Viveca gave birth to another son, Mattias Paulin Will Ferrell.
In 2006, I-Newswire.com, a site which accepts press releases from users for publication, reported that Ferrell had died in a paragliding accident. The hoax was published before its factual inaccuracy was noticed. The story was further propagated when it appeared on Google News.
Ferrell is a fan of USC Trojan football, At USC, Ferrell was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and is now an active alumnus. Ferrell has worked with head coach Pete Carroll to do motivational stunts for the players during the season.
In 2007,
Autograph magazine named Ferrell the worst celebrity autographer. 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." In response, Ferrell has stated, "I don't know how I got on the list. I sign a lot of autographs," but has 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."
Ferrell has noted that, though he is well known for his SNL impersonation of President George W. Bush, he chose not to meet the President on several occasions, unlike his SNL predecessor Dana Carvey's famous chummy relationship with George Bush, Sr, for both professional and political reasons: "I declined, partly out of comedic purposes, because when I was on the show Saturday 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."
Awards and nominations
Golden Globe Awards
Nominated:
- 2006: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (for
The Producers (2005 film))
- 2007: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (for
Stranger Than Fiction (film))
Emmy Awards
Nominated:
- 2001: Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program (for
Saturday Night Live)
Razzie Awards
Won:
- 2005 Worst Screen Couple (with Nicole Kidman), for
Bewitched (movie)Nominated:
- 2005: Worst Actor for
Bewitched (movie) and
Kicking & Screaming MTV Movie Awards
Won
- 2007: Best Kiss for
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (with Sacha Baron Cohen)
Nominated:
- 2007: Best Comedic Performance (for
Blades of Glory)
- 2007: Best Fight (for
Blades of Glory)
- 2005: Best Comedic Performance (for
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy)
- 2005: Best On-Screen Team (with Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner for
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy)
- 2005: Best Musical Performance (with Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Steve Carell for
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy)
- 2004: Best Comedic Performance (for
Elf (film))
- 2004: Best Comedic Performance (for
Old School (film))
- 2004: Best On-Screen Team (with Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn for
Old School)
Satellite Awards
Nominated:
- 2006: Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical (for
Stranger than Fiction (film))
Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards
Won
- 2007 Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards, Funniest Mo-fo
- 2007 Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards, Most Viral Video
ESPY Awards
Won
- 2007 ESPY Awards, Best Sports Movie (for
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby)
- 2008 ESPY Awards, Best Sports Movie (for
Semi-Pro)
James Joyce Award
- 2008: James Joyce Award from University College Dublin's Literary and Historical Society in recognition for "excelling in his field".
Filmography
Television work
-
Saturday Night Live (cast member from 1995-2002)
-
Cow and Chicken (1997-2001) (voice in various episodes)
-
Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2000 (2000)
-
Undeclared (guest star)
-
The Oblongs (2001-2002) (voice)
-
King of the Hill (voice)
-
The Tom Green Show (guest star)
-
The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show (guest star)
-
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (voiceover and guest)
-
Family Guy (voices in various episodes)
Salary
-
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) $20,000,000
-
Bewitched (film) (2005) $20,000,000
-
Kicking & Screaming (2005) $20,000,000
-
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) $7,000,000
Will Ferrell in the news
Hype: Get summertime glow with help from face powder or Will Ferrel...
Hype: Get summertime glow with help from face powder or Will FerrellKansas City StarWill Ferrell is a businessman; known for his generally juvenile humor and zany characters, the man who brought you Frank the Tank is now venturing into ...and more »
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Los Angeles Times'Hangover' puts a hurt on Universal, Will FerrellLos Angeles TimesThe Will Ferrell film ended up a distant third to "The Hangover" and "Up," making $18.7 million in its opening weekend, an especially woeful number for a ...Is America over Will Ferrell?msnbc.com'Hangover' Rages, as 'Land of the Lost' ThudsNew York TimesDisney's 'Up' holds off 'The Hangover' at the box officeUSA TodayEntertainment Weekly -New York Daily News -Los Angeles Timesall 1,090 news articles »
read moreWE LOVE TV: See locally filmed "Eastbound" on DVD...
CityNewsWE LOVE TV: See locally filmed "Eastbound" on DVDStarNewsOnline.comHilarious fake commercials for Schaeffer Motors with Will Ferrell riffing as the fictional Ashley Schaeffer. Listen carefully and you'll hear him borrow ...This week on DVD - June 30, 2009Examiner.comDVD Detective: Eastbound & DownVUE WeeklyDVD Review: HBO's Hilarious 'Eastbound and Down' Gets Great ReleaseHollywoodChicago.comIGN -Complex.com -Seattle Weeklyall 17 news articles »
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Mirror.co.ukRicky Gervais, Will Ferrell and Robin Williams pay tribute to ...Mirror.co.ukRobin Williams, Will Ferrell and Ricky Gervais star in a special episode to celebrate SpongeBob SquarePants' 10th birthday. ...and more »
read moreWill Ferrell's sexy new line of sunblock - Los Angeles Times
Will Ferrell's sexy new line of sunblockLos Angeles TimesSunblock wasn't the first product I would expect Will Ferrell to attach his name to, but when I saw the bottle's label -- with a half-naked Ferrell, ...and more »
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Marshall Fine's open letter to Zach Galifianakis: The woes of the ...Entertainment WeeklyHe says good marketing is behind the success of Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, and Rob Schneider, as opposed to the quality of their movies. ...and more »
read moreWreckless Eric and Amy Rigby - Decider DC
Wreckless Eric and Amy RigbyDecider DCHis song “Whole Wide World” was featured prominently in the 2006 Will Ferrell film Stranger Than Fiction, minimally renewing some interest in the singer. ...and more »
read moreWill Ferrell arrived in wilderness like scared rabbit - New York Da...
New York Daily NewsWill Ferrell arrived in wilderness like scared rabbitNew York Daily News“Will arrived a bit like a scared rabbit, shocked from capture,” the “Man vs. Wild” host told us of Ferrell's recent appearance on his show. ...and more »
read moreTexas Tech Coach Pat Knight: Q & A in the Baker's D...
Examiner.comTexas Tech Coach Pat Knight: Q & A in the Baker's DozenExaminer.comWill Ferrell. I am a big fan and he doesn't take himself too seriously. 4. Who was the biggest influence in your life? I couldn't play anymore but wanted to ...and more »
read moreIt's Probably A Little Early For The Will Ferrell Eulogy Pa...
It's Probably A Little Early For The Will Ferrell Eulogy ParadeNPRWill Ferrell: Don't start writing his career obituary just yet. Jason Merritt/Getty Images by Linda Holmes As you may have heard, the Will Ferrell vehicle ...Will Ferrell's updated Land of the Lost not exactly a chip off the ...Examiner.comSay It Ain't So! Everybody Hates Will FerrellNewsweekAll is not lost in an oh-so Ferrell worldThe AgeThe Australian -Free Times -Examiner.comall 93 news articles »
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