Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Okay, let's unpack
this. Today, we're diving deep into someone we
all think we know, the one and only Will Ferrell.
Most of us, you know, we immediately picture
Ron Burgundy, Buddy the Elf, Frank the Tank,
these huge characters. Absolutely. They're iconic.
But as we've been digging through the sources,
articles, interviews, research, Well, a much
richer, more complex picture starts to come together.
Yeah, it really does. We're aiming to go beyond
the punchlines, really uncover the formative
experiences, the strategic choices, even the
surprising stuff that's shaped him. And to this
incredibly versatile figure in entertainment
and, like you said, even sports, which is wild.
Right. And what's so fascinating here, I think,
is connecting those dots. Everyone sees the comedic
talent, the sheer volume of work. It's incredible.
Undeniable. But the full journey that often gets
missed. We're talking like from a quiet childhood
in Irvine, suburban kid, to being this prolific
award winning producer and all these diverse
personal interests like owning a soccer team.
Yeah. The LAFC thing. We'll get into that. Exactly.
So our mission really is to trace how those early
things, that inherent drive, how they kept influencing
everything he did later, give you, our listener,
a kind of a -ha moment about him. Yeah, think
of this as your shortcut, basically. Understanding
the guy behind the laughter under the surface,
we're going to pull out those surprising facts,
the pivotal moments that really define him, give
you a fresh perspective on why he's had such
an enduring legacy. You'll definitely see layers
you maybe didn't expect. So let's pull back that
curtain. Let's explore the unseen depths of Will
Ferrell. OK, so to really get at what makes him
tick comedically, we got to start at the beginning.
Always the best place. John William Ferrell.
Born July 16, 1967, in Irvine, California, heart
of Orange County. His mom, Betty Kay, she was
a teacher. His dad, Roy Lee Ferrell Jr., well,
he's a musician, played sax and keyboards for
the Righteous Brothers. Wow, the actual Righteous
Brothers, that's pretty cool. Yeah, but interestingly,
both parents were actually from Roanoke Rapids,
North Carolina. They moved out to California
in 64. Ah, okay, so that classic California story,
but with this like... Southern heritage mixed
in. Exactly. English, German, Irish ancestry,
too. Kind of a blend. It's interesting, too,
thinking about those really early experiences.
Yeah. Things you have no control over. Like what?
Well, not many people know this, but as an infant,
he had something called pyloric stenosis. Oh,
what's that? It's basically the opening between
the stomach and the small intestine thickens
up in babies, blocks food. He needed surgery,
a pylormyotomy, really early on. Huh. Just a
little detail, but it shows vulnerability, right?
Way before the comedy armor went up. Exactly.
And then there was a home life stuff. His parents
divorced when he was eight. Right. He's always
said it was amicable, though. Made the joke about,
you know, two Christmases. Yeah. The classic
kid line. But the reality, his dad's income as
a musician, it was unsteady. Show business, right?
Lots of travel, financial ups and downs. And
that instability, it really stuck with young
Will. Made him initially want a steady job. something
outside of entertainment. That's fascinating
because you see that later, don't you? The move
into producing, the business ventures. It's like
he's building that stability himself. Precisely.
More control, more consistency than just acting
gigs alone provide. It makes total sense given
that early experience. It is kind of ironic,
though, that desire for stability coming from
the son of a Righteous Brother musician. And
then how it may be pushed in towards comedy in
a weird way because that environment in Irvine.
He talks about it a lot. Safe, master -planned
Irvine. Yeah, almost too safe from his perspective.
Right. He said there was no drama, so we had
to create it in our heads. His whole thing was
just cracking his friends up, finding new ways
to be funny. It wasn't humor born from, like,
tough circumstances or survival. It was humor
born from boredom. Exactly. Breaking the monotony
of suburbia, making fun of the everyday, twisting
it. That feels like the seed of his whole style,
doesn't it? Absolutely. Finding the absurd in
the ordinary and just committing 100%. That Irvine
experience, you can see it echo through his whole
career. Even the wild stunts later on. Yeah,
that need to inject chaos. And you see it developing
through school too. Culverdale Elementary, Rancho
San Joaquin Middle, University High in Irvine.
He wasn't just the class clown though. No, he
was pretty well -rounded. Kick her on the football
team. Yep, soccer team, captain of the basketball
team, student council. And voted best personality.
No surprise there. Not at all. But those things
matter, right? Leadership, teamwork, dealing
with different kinds of people, skills you definitely
need as an actor and especially as a producer
later on. Oh, totally. You can see the direct
line. He said third grade was pivotal. Why third
grade? That's when he figured out he could make
friends just by like pretending to smash his
head against the wall or tripping on purpose.
That's so feral. Just pure physical commitment
to get a reaction. Yeah, a very direct way to
connect. And it got more elaborate. High school
senior year, he and a friend did comedy skits
over the school intercom. No way. With the principal's
permission? Apparently. They wrote their own
stuff. Shows that creative spark was there early.
Definitely. Performing, writing? Then he goes
off to USC, University of Southern California,
studies sports broadcasting initially. Makes
sense, given the sports background. And the later
obsession with sports. Right. Joined Delta Fraternity,
got known for pranks, dressing as a janitor in
friends' classes, streaking on campus, just fully
committed to the bit. Even then, that boundary
pushing energy was always there. Yeah, but the
path wasn't like... A straight shot to start
him after college? That's relatable, too. Oh,
totally. He gets his degree in sports information
in 1990, but quickly realizes, nah, broadcasting
isn't it. So the uncertainty phase. Big time.
Takes a job as a hotel valet. Second day. Rips
a baggage rack clean off a van trying to drive
under a low beam. Oh my god. Just careless. Totally.
Then he works as a teller at Wells Fargo. This
is classic. Comes up short in his drawer, like,
$300 one day, $280 the next. Wow. Not exactly
employee of the month. Not because he was stealing,
just not suited for that structured thing. Yeah.
It humanizes him, though, right? Future superstar,
struggling with normal jobs. Absolutely. Makes
you realize even incredibly confident performers
can flounder outside their element. It wasn't
working. And that's where his mom, Betty Kay,
comes in, gives him that crucial advice in 91.
Pursue something you actually like. Good advice.
Leads him to LA. And this is where things quick.
He auditions for the Groundlings. The legendary
improv group. And gets in. He'd tried stand -up
before, didn't really take, but improv. That
was his sweet spot. Makes sense? Less about polished
routines, more about character reacting, that
physical stuff he excelled at. Totally. He loved
the impersonations, started doing Harry Carrey
there. Ah, the beginning of Harry Carrey. The
Groundlings was his lab, basically, where he
cooked up those characters. Like the Batabi Brothers,
right? With Chris Catan. Exactly. Those two guys
trying to pick up women at clubs became huge
in the Groundlings scene, obviously led to the
movie later. And he needed flexibility back then.
Didn't he have some side job? Yeah, his friend
who later became his wife of Rebecca Paulin got
him a job at an auction house. It was perfect.
Gave him time for auditions, rehearsals. Smart.
It wasn't overnight success. It was a grind.
Totally. Small TV roles, grace under fire, living
single, commercials. He was even a Moll Santa
one winter. Moll Santa. That's amazing. Shows
the hustle, right? Doing whatever it took before
the big break. And all that grinding, all that
creativity bubbling up at the Groundlings, it
absolutely paid off. Let's straight to the big
one. Saturday Night Live. The call -up. Yeah.
But you got to remember, SNL was kind of in a
slump then. Mid -90s, 94, 95. They needed fresh
blood badly. Right. The show goes through those
cycles. So a producer sees the Groundlings, spots
Ferrell, Catan, Sherry O'Tary, invites them to
audition for Lorne Michaels. And the rest is
history. Pretty much. Ferrell joins in 95, stays
seven years, leaves in 2002. And by 2001, he
was crucial. Highest paid cast member. $350 ,000
for the season. Wow. That speaks volumes about
his impact on reviving the show. Definitely.
Because he really was central to that resurgence,
his consistency, the characters he created. They
were just unforgettable. He didn't just fit in.
He became, like, a pillar of the show during
that era, helped bring it back to life. People
still talk about his run as one of the best ever.
Oh, absolutely. That Grant Lin poll in 2014...
Yeah. ...voted him the best SNL cast member of
all time. Think about all the legends who've
been on that stage. That's incredible. It really
is. He just had that knack for creating things
that stuck, you know? Yeah. Became cultural shorthand.
And the impersonations were a huge part of that.
He wasn't just mimicking. He was capturing, in
essence, then... Dialing it up to 11. The George
W. Bush one. Yeah. Iconic. Totally. And it's
interesting, he refused to meet Bush, right?
Yeah. Said it was for comedic purposes, didn't
want it to soften the impression, and also his
political standpoint. Just don't want to meet
that guy. Shows real integrity, sticking to his
guns for the comedy in his own beliefs. Definitely.
And beyond Bush. Harry Carrey, obviously. Robert
Goulet singing like Sisquo and Biggie. That was
brilliant. So absurd. But he pulled it off with
that weird sincerity. His range was nuts. Neil
Diamond. James Lipton. Who apparently loved Ferrell's
take. Yeah. Ted Kennedy. Janet Reno. Even Ted
Kaczynski. Whoa, Kaczynski! That's dark, but
I bet it was funny. He did Al Gore, Saddam Hussein,
Fidel Castro. It wasn't just mimicry, like you
said. He found the comedy in them. Blew it up.
Made them cultural touchstones. He really distilled
their essence and then just ran with it. Genius
level stuff. And then the original characters,
just as legendary, if not more so. Batabi Brothers,
obviously, led to A Night at the Roxbury. But
the one, the one everyone remembers. Or Howe
Bell. Gene Frankel, the Blue Oyster cult cowbell
player. That sketch is just peak SNL, pure commitment
to absurdity. Modeled on their singer, Eric Bloom,
apparently. But yeah, that sketch is immortal,
still quoted constantly. And then there was Dale
McGrew. the patriotic office worker. Oh yeah,
the half t -shirt, the really short shorts. He
improvised turning the shorts into a thong right
before they went live. Yes, you could see the
other cast members breaking. Sean William Scott,
the host, was losing it. That's pure feral pushing
it, surprising everyone, even his own castmates.
Total commitment to the bit, live on air. Incredible,
and there were others too. Tom Wilkins from Morning
Latte, Ned, the twin brother of Mr. Ed, Marty
Culp, the music teacher. Craig Buchanan, the
cheerleader. I've learned so many classics, often
tapping into everyday stuff, anxieties, but making
it hilarious. And his return visits as host solidified
his legacy, got him into the five -timers club.
Right. He kept coming back, often doing Alex
Trebek and Celebrity Jeopardy. Always great.
And even while he was dominating SNL. He was
already dipping his toes into movies. Smart move.
Yeah, setting himself up for the next phase,
thinking out that steady job, maybe. Could be.
He was Mustafa in Austin Powers back in 97. Right,
that was a big one. Got him seen by a huge audience.
Then in A Night at the Roxbury in 98, obviously.
Superstar 99. And Mugatu in Zoolander in 2001.
Mugatu. So funny. Showed he could play that kind
of villainous, eccentric character, too. Definitely.
These weren't just random roles. He was building
connections, testing the waters, getting ready
for that jump to full -time movie star, laying
the groundwork. And that groundwork paid off
immediately. He leaves SNL in 2002, and boom,
he's a leading man. Old school in 2003 was the
game changer, wasn't it? Frank the Tank. Absolutely
pivotal. The New York Times basically said the
movie belonged to him, praised his hilarious,
anxious elitry. That movie just launched him,
put him right at the center of that whole, what
do they call it, the frat pack? Yeah, the frat
pack. Him, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Steve Carell,
Vince Vaughn, Paul Rudd, the Wilson Brothers.
Owen and Luke. That group defined comedy for
a while there. They really did. A whole wave
of that kind of irreverent, often improvised,
guy -centric comedy. And Farrell was arguably
the king of it. And man, did he have a run after
old school Elf. Yeah. 2003 instant holiday classic.
Showed that sweet, sincere side mixed with the
physical comedy. Got another MTV Movie Award
nom for that. Then Anchorman in 2004. Maybe his
most quotable movie ever. Stay classy, San Diego.
It's up there. Just pure, committed absurdity.
Talladega Nights in 2006. That was his biggest
opening back then, right? $47 million. Yep. Huge
hit. Then Blades of Glory 07, Step Brothers 08.
Step Brothers. Okay, maybe that's his most quotable.
Took a while to become a cult classic, though.
It did. Mixed reviews at first, but audiences
loved it. Made $128 million. That chemistry with
John C. Reilly was just magic. So good. Reilly's
cockiness and Pharrell's like puppy dog thing.
Exactly. Then the other guys in 2010. His earning
power back then was insane. 40 million bucks
in 2005 alone. Just a comedy juggernaut. But
what's really interesting is that during that
same period, he wasn't just doing broad comedy,
he stretched himself. Right, the dramatic stuff.
Yeah. Which surprised a lot of people. Stranger
than fiction in 2006. That was really good. Showed
he could do nuanced, serious work. Got a Golden
Globe nomination for it. Yeah, playing the guy
whose life is being narrated, it was poignant.
Really challenged perceptions, showed real depth.
He did Everything Must Go Later 2 in 2010. And
Downhill with Julia Louis -Dreyfus more recently.
Critics took notice. The magazine named him one
of their Actors of the Year in 2006. He wasn't
content just being the funny guy. His collaborations
were key, too. Adam McKay, obviously. They wrote
a lot of those hits together. Yeah, Step Brothers,
Talladega Nights, the other guys. That partnership
was incredibly fruitful. The other guys with
Mark Wahlberg was great, too. Unexpected pairing,
but it worked. Made over $140 million. Good reviews.
And even recently showing up as the Mattel CEO
in Barbie last year. Right. A smaller role, but
in this massive cultural phenomenon, shows he's
still relevant, still fits into these big moments.
Absolutely. Keeps him connected to new audiences.
And we shouldn't forget his voice acting. That's
a whole other side of his career. True. He was
Bob Oblong in the Oblongs way back. Voiced Ted,
the man in the yellow hat in Curious George.
Yeah, the gentle side. Then Megamind in 2010.
He stepped in after Robert Downey Jr. and Ben
Stiller were attached. Yeah, and he was great.
Played that villain turned hero thing really
well. And president of business in the Lego movie.
Everything is awesome. He was hilarious in that.
Did the sequel, too. And he's going to be in
Despicable Me 4. So he's still very active in
animation. Yeah. Shows his range, right? Not
just physical comedy, but vocal performance,
too. OK, so let's shift gears a bit. Beyond the
acting, which is huge, obviously. He's also this
innovator, this producer, this businessman, almost.
Yeah, that side is really important to understanding
the whole picture. Funny or Die, for instance,
launched in 2007 with Adam McKay. That was so
ahead of its time. A streaming site for short
comedy, user -generated stuff, before YouTube
was even that big. Totally. Showed a real understanding
of where digital media was going. Very entrepreneurial.
And it kicked off with The Landlord, right? Him
and McKay's toddler daughter, Pearl. Yes. Pearl
is the swearing, beer -drinking landlord. It
went massively viral. Caused a bit of a stir,
though, didn't it? Child psychologists weren't
thrilled. A little bit. McKay defended it, said
she was just repeating things, didn't understand.
They even did a follow -up, good cop, baby cop,
joking about her retirement. It was groundbreaking
stuff for online comedy back then, showed how
celebrities could use that new space. Definitely
set a precedent. But Funny or Die was just one
piece. His producing work is extensive and really
successful. Award -winning successful. Right.
He clearly has that steady job drive working
behind the scenes, too. Mm -hmm. He and McKay
exec produced East Bound and Down for HBO. Where
he played Ashley Schafer. You're something else.
Hilarious recurring role. He also produced The
Chris Gethard Show. Dead to me. But the big one,
production -wise, has to be succession. Absolutely,
straight up drama. And as an executive producer,
he won four prime time Emmys for that show. Four
Emmys? That's huge. Shows his taste isn't just
limited to comedy. He knows good storytelling.
Definitely. And he got more Emmys for the live
in front of his studio audience specials too.
He's a genuine powerhouse producer, understands
the whole process. But the partnership with McKay,
which was so successful, it ended pretty dramatically,
didn't it? Yeah, in 2019. They split personally
and professionally. Closed down Gary Sanchez
productions. And the reason was about casting,
right? The Jerry Buss role in Winning Time. Exactly.
McKay cast John C. Reilly, a role Farrell really
wanted, apparently without telling Farrell first.
That's tough. Shows how complicated those long
-term creative partnerships can be. Trust and
communication are everything. It really highlights
the human element, even in big Hollywood deals.
Personal feelings, perceived slights. They matter.
So, beyond producing, he also hit Broadway. He
did. Made his debut in 2009. A one -man show.
You're welcome, America. A final night with George
W. Bush. Timed perfectly, right? Started performing
the day Bush left office. Brilliant timing. Satirical
genius. It got great reviews, earned him a Tony
nomination for best special theatrical event.
Wow. Commanding a Broadway stage solo. That's
another level. And he keeps finding new platforms.
Like podcasting. The Ron Burgundy podcast. Launched
in 2019, bringing that character back in a totally
different format. And it worked. Super successful.
Still going. Shows Burgundy's appeal isn't just
visual. It really demonstrates how he leverages
those iconic characters smartly. And that led
to him launching his own podcast network, Big
Money Players Network, with iHeartRadio later
that same year. A podcast mogul now. Planning
like 10 comedy podcasts. Yep. Always innovating.
Always looking for the next platform. Never standing
still. His recent movie choices show that too,
still mixing it up. Eurovision Song Contest in
2020, that felt like a real passion project.
Oh yeah, combining the comedy and music, then
spirited with Ryan Reynolds, the Christmas musical.
And Will and Harper, the documentary from this
year, taking that road trip with his friend Harper
Steele after she came out as trans. That feels
really different, personal, vulnerable. Exactly.
Shows a willingness to engage with important,
socially relevant stories. Shows growth, I think.
Of course, not everything works. Land of the
Lost back in 2009 was a big flop. Yeah, happens
to everyone. And that Russ and Roger go beyond
movie got canceled because of the hashtag MeToo
stuff around Russ Meyer. Shows how external factors
can derail things too. It's a long career. There
are always ups and downs. OK, so we've covered
the career path, the evolution. Let's look a
bit more at Will Ferrell. The person. Off screen.
The man behind the elf suit. He married Viveka
Paulin, Swedish actress, back in August 2000.
They met in an acting class in 95. Nice. Full
circle. Yeah. They have three sons, born 04,
06, 10, live in New York and Orange County. keeping
those California roots. And he's pretty active
physically, right? Runs marathons. Yeah. Boston,
New York, Stockholm. That takes discipline. And
he does significant charity work, too, like the
Scholarships for Cancer Survivors campaign. Using
his platform for good. Seems genuinely committed
to that. His public persona is interesting, too.
Remember that time Autograph magazine called
him the worst celebrity autographer? Huh. Yeah.
What was that about? Was he just rude? Not exactly.
He admitted he likes to taunt them playfully.
Ask stuff like, how badly do you want this? Prove
you're my biggest fan. Makes him earn it. That
sounds exactly like him. Injecting that awkward
performative thing into a totally normal interaction.
Creating drama out of boredom again. Totally.
And politically, he's pretty clear where he stands.
Supports the Democrats. Campaign for Stacey Abrams
in Georgia. And we mentioned he wouldn't meet
Bush, but he did meet the Obamas. endorsed Eric
Garcetti for L .A. mayor. Yeah, so he's engaged
civically. And again, we're just laying out the
facts here, not taking sides on the politics
itself. Right. Standard disclaimer. But the thing
that seems to combine his personality, his love
of performance and just pure fun is sports. All
of the sports stuff is fantastic. It's way beyond
just being a fan. Remember the Billy Ray Rojo
Johnson stunt? 2010 minor league baseball game.
The Venezuelan pitcher. Yeah. It was a fake mustache
that fell off. And the bag of beer. Yes! Throws
one pitch, starts a fake fight, gets ejected.
All for charity. You're a feral genius. Turning
a baseball game into performance art. And that
was just the warm -up. The 2015 MLB Spring Training
Day. That was epic. Playing for 10 different
teams in one day. 10 teams, 5 games. Played all
9 positions, including DH. Dodgers, Giants, Angels.
And didn't he actually get someone out pitching?
Yep. Pitch for the Dodgers, face one batter,
got him out. Career ERA. That's incredible. Even
fouled off a 92 mile per hour fastball. All for
Funny or Die. Raising money for cancer charities.
The commitment is just unreal. Blending comedy,
celebrity, passion, and charity perfectly. His
love for the LA Kings, the hockey team, is pretty
intense too. Oh yeah. He's always there, front
row, does funny videos for their Jumbotron. The
checkered face paint during the playoffs last
year, that went viral. Totally, became a whole
meme. And then he commentated a period of a Kings
game as Ron Burgundy. In character for a whole
period. Yep, live on TV, just fully embracing
the absurdity. merging his passions. Amazing.
And then there's the soccer ownership, LAFC.
Right. Part owner since 2016, along with Mia
Hamm, Magic Johnson. Why soccer? He talked about
loving how global it is, so many amazing players,
top flight leagues. Said he hopes MLS can eventually
be on par with Europe. It seems like a genuine
passion. And it paid off. They won the MLS Cup
in 2022. So Will Ferrell is an MLS champion owner.
Added to the list, it's such a unique achievement.
Speaking of achievements, the awards and honors
go beyond just acting stuff, too. Yeah. Besides
the Emmys for producing the Golden Globe nom,
the Tony nom, he got the Mark Twain Prize for
American humor in 2011. That's a huge deal for
a comedian. The Kennedy Center honor. Massive.
Honored by everyone. Conan, Riley, Stiller, Jack
Black, Rudd, McKay. Got a star on. the Hollywood
Walk of Fame in 2015, an honorary doctorate from
USC. And that MLS Cup. It just shows the breadth
of his impact, way beyond just making people
laugh in movies. He succeeded in so many different
fields. Yeah. Hashtag jag tag outro. Wow. We've
really covered a lot of ground journeyed through
the unseen depths like we said from that kid
creating humor and Irvine to this like Multi
hyphenate force and entertainment sports business
what really stands out for me anyway is just
his commitment to whatever he's doing absolutely
whether it's a character a stunt owning a team
He goes all in that authenticity shines through
doesn't it it really does and connecting it back
his whole career feels like Proof of the power
of just embracing your own weirdness your own
unique voice and just committing Yeah that ability
to dive in whether it's silly or serious or physically
demanding it Resonates because you feel it's
genuinely him it makes you wonder How much of
all that success comes back to that kid in Irvine
just trying to break the boredom? That's a great
question that fundamental impulse to inject drama
to commit fully Maybe that's the engine behind
it all. Could be. So for you listening, think
about Will Ferrell's journey, Irvine to LAFC
owner. Ask yourself what seemingly random things
in your own life, your own interests might actually
be connected by some deeper passion, something
just waiting for you to commit to it fully and
unapologetically. You might be surprised where
those connections lead. A great thought to end
on. Thank you for joining us on this deep dive.
It was fascinating. See you next time.