Will Ferrell
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Biography
Ferrell was born in Irvine, California to Lee Ferrell (a keyboardist for The Righteous Brothers) and Kay Overman. He attended Rancho San Joaquin Middle School and University High School in Irvine and became interested in performing while making his school's daily morning announcements over the public address system in disguised voices. He then enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he studied Sports Broadcasting and was a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. After graduating in 1989, Ferrell developed his improvisation skills as a member of the comedy group The Groundlings.Saturday Night Live
Ferrell joined Saturday Night Live in 1995. He had planned to perform a comedy bit to win a spot on the show from producer Lorne Michaels who traditionally sits down for a final interview with prospective cast members. It was Will's idea to arrive with a suitcase full of monopoly money and say, "I'm prepared to do anything to be on this show, Mr. Michaels." After bringing the suitcase to the audition and subsequent meetings, it became apparent that there would be no need for the suitcase bit and Will aborted the idea.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 "Bushisms" created by Ferrell during skits about the 2000 campaign),
- announcer Harry Caray (even after Caray's death),
- singer Robert Goulet (crooning 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,
- U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno,
- convicted Unabomber Ted Kaczynski,
- game show host Alex Trebek, and
- professional wrestler-turned-Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura.
Ferrell returned to Saturday Night Live as a guest host on May 14, 2005. In one sketch, he reprised his role as Robert Goulet, advertising a series of crooned ringtones. Also on the same episode, during the performance of the song "Little Sister" by musical guests Queens of the Stone Age, Ferrell came onstage playing the cowbell: this was in reference to a famous 2000 sketch in which he portrayed Gene Frenkle, a fictional member of Blue Öyster Cult, as the band recorded "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". He also reprised his famous role as Alex Trebek in a parody of Celebrity Jeopardy! with Darrell Hammond also reprising his role as Sean Connery, Kenan Thompson as Bill Cosby, and Amy Poehler as Sharon Osbourne.
In 2004, Ferrell hosted the USC School of Cinema-Television’s 75th Anniversary Gala ["Will Ferrell to Anchor Cinema-TV Gala"], Chang, Emmy; University of Southern California PR Newsroom, where his alma mater was recognized as the first educational institution of its kind in the country.
Death hoax
An announcement on I-Newswire.com reported that Ferrell had died in a paragliding accident. The site accepts press releases from users for publication on its website. A user submitted the aforementioned hoax, which was published before its factual inaccuracy was noticed. The story was further propagated when it appeared on Google News. It should also be noted that this was a play off a joke in 2005's hit summer comedy Wedding Crashers, in which Ferrell's character calls someone an idiot for dying in a paragliding accident.["Will Ferrell Isn't Dead and Google Hasn't Hired A 15 Year-Old"]; Ryan, Jack; March 15, 2006; [The Post Chronicle]
The Frat Pack
Ferrell is part of the unofficial Frat Pack group that also includes Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, and Steve Carell.[BOYS' LIFE; Frat Pack back on traqck this summer"]; Stewart, Sara; April 30, 2006; [New York Post Online Edition] This group of actors has worked with one another numerous times in several collaborations from movies to show appearances to award shows. Ferrell's first official connection to the frat pack could be considered 2001's Zoolander, in which Ben Stiller starred and directed alongside Owen Wilson with Vince Vaughn in a cameo appearance.Ferrell's frat pack filmography includes Old School, Starsky & Hutch (uncredited), (as well as its DVD-only alternate version, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie) and Wedding Crashers.
Awards and nominations
One win:
- Worst Screen Couple (with Nicole Kidman, for Bewitched)
One nomination:
- Worst Actor (Bewitched and Kicking & Screaming)
Personal information
Will Ferrell has been married to Swedish actress Viveca Paulin since August 2000. They have one son, Magnus Paulin Ferrell, born March 7, 2004. He has three dogs. He stands 6ft 3" (191 cm) tall, and bears a striking resemblance to the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who is also 6ft 3".
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007
| Old School 2 | Frank Ricard | (pre-production) |
| Blades of Glory | Unknown | (filming) | |
| 2006
| Stranger Than Fiction | Harold Crick | (completed) |
| Ricky Bobby | (post-production) | ||
| Curious George | Ted/The Man in the Yellow Hat | (voice only) | |
| 2005 | The Producers | Franz Liebkind | |
| Winter Passing | Corbit | ||
| Wedding Crashers | Chazz Reinhold | (Uncredited) | |
| Bewitched | Jack Wyatt/Darrin | ||
| Kicking & Screaming | Phil Weston | ||
| The Wendell Baker Story | Dave Bix | ||
| 2004
| Melinda and Melinda | Hobie | |
| Ron Burgundy | (also writer) | ||
| Starsky & Hutch | Big Earl | ||
| Oh, What a Lovely Tea Party | Himself | (documentary) | |
| 2003
| Elf | Buddy | |
| Old School | Frank Ricard | ||
| 2002
| Boat Trip | Brian's Boyfriend | (Uncredited) |
| 2001
| Zoolander | Mugatu | |
| Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly | ||
| 2000
| The Ladies Man | Lance DeLune | |
| Drowning Mona | Cubby the Funeral Director | ||
| 1999
| Superstar | Sky Corrigan/Jesus | |
| Dick | Bob Woodward | ||
| Mustafa | |||
| The Suburbans | Gil | ||
| 1998
| A Night at the Roxbury | Steve Butabi | (also writer) |
| The Thin Pink Line | Darren Clark | ||
| 1997
| Mustafa | ||
| Men Seeking Women | Al | ||
| 1995
| Bucket of Blood | Young Man | |
| Criminal Hearts | Newscaster |
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)
- The Oblongs (2001-2002) (voice)
- Family Guy (2000-2001) (voice in various episodes)
Salary
- Kicking & Screaming (2005) $20,000,000
See also
References
External links
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