Who is will ferrell

But as a male comedy icon, arguably the biggest of his generation, who had built his brand on outlandish frat-boy comedy, the past few years proved more challenging — or they would have, if Ferrell were focused on what the marketplace was demanding.

What happened next seemed to surprise everyone but Ferrell: Audiences wanted to laugh again. This story first appeared in the Oct. Click here to subscribe. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day.

Photographed by Austin Hargrave. Related Stories. TV Gloria Sanchez 2. Ferrell with his wife, Viveca, and their three sons. Will Ferrell was photographed by Austin Hargrave. Rambling Reporter How One of L. All Rights reserved. Close the menu Logo text. Abraham Lincoln. Rick Marshall. Robert Goulet. Scrub-A-Dub uncredited. Bush - Episode 1.

Chuck Billson. Attorney Larry Flood as Phil Weston. Bob Oblong voice. Show all 13 episodes. Saturday Knight The Black Knight voice. Bob Whitely. Mamet the Moocher voice. Coach Lucas voice. Geryon voice. Bouncer voice, uncredited.

Roommate from Hell 1. Man at Meeting uncredited. Construction Worker. Hide Show Writer 22 credits. TV Special. TV Series creator - 22 episodes - Episode 2.

Show all 22 episodes. Ferrell Bush TV Special written by. Video short. Hide Show Soundtrack 36 credits. The Herald Angels Sing" - uncredited.

TV Series performer - 2 episodes - Episode The Witch Is Dead". Hide Show Additional Crew 1 credit. Hide Show Thanks 9 credits. TV Series special thanks - 1 episode - Episode 1.

Hide Show Self credits. Show all 14 episodes. Show all 48 episodes. Self - Guest. Self - Video Statement. Self - Comedian voice. Show all 9 episodes. Show all 16 episodes. Self - Guest segment "Mean Tweets". Show all 15 episodes.

Self - Host. TV Special Cord Hosenbeck. Show all 7 episodes. President George W. Chad Softwick. Self - Interviewee. Self - Cameo uncredited.

Show all 25 episodes. Documentary Self - Featuring. Self voice. Self - Comedian. Self - Comedian segment "Judd Apatow". Awards TV Special Self. Will Ferrell Wild: The Will Ferrell Special Video short Self. Self - Celebrity traveller. Self - Correspondent. Self - Guest Announcer. Self - Special Guest. Within a few short years, Ferrell had helped lead a ratings renaissance for SNL , prompting television audiences to return each week to his unique mix of new characters, including Steve Butabi, Marty Culp and Professor Roger Klarvin, and impersonations of figures such as President George W.

Bush , Janet Reno and Neil Diamond. The film, while a flop, signaled the start of his expansive movie credits. As Ferrell was flooded with more and more movie offers, SNL producers became desperate to keep their franchise star. A year later, though, Ferrell made the decision to leave the show for good. Unlike other former cast members who departed SNL with grand illusions of Hollywood success, Ferrell proved to be one of the industry's more bankable comedic stars.

Following a signature role in the film Old School , Ferrell found more success later that year as Buddy in the Christmas comedy Elf. Ferrell eventually found it difficult to sustain the impressive success he enjoyed early in his film career. His features Semi-Pro and Step Brothers both failed to make a sizable impact on audiences, while his foray into adventure with Land of the Lost proved a total flop. Ferrell slid seamlessly into the role of voice actor for the animated Megamind , starring as the titular villain turned superhero.

Two years later he drew positive reviews for Everything Must Go , a comedy that ventured further into the dramatic abilities only occasionally glimpsed in the actor's previous work. Ferrell returned to familiar territory with Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues and Zoolander 2 He also contributed prominently to The Lego Movie and delivered his signature over-the-top comedy with original characters in The Campaign , Daddy's Home and The House The success of Daddy's Home led to a holiday-themed sequel in , with veteran actors Mel Gibson and John Lithgow joining Ferrell alongside the first installment's co-star, Mark Wahlberg.

In , Ferrell teamed with writers Adam McKay and Chris Henchy to launch Funny or Die, a streaming video site that offered viewers the chance to vote on whether they liked the short clips presented. Ferrell's likable, popular personality was on display at the Boston Marathon, when the actor successfully completed the race in a time of just over four hours. It might have been better had he not been deluged with fans and fellow runners.

It was insane. While generally regarded as quiet and unassuming off set, the intensely private Ferrell hasn't been afraid to put his politics out front. His portrayal of Bush was far from flattering, and his refusal to meet with the President while he was still in office, despite overtures from his staff, spoke volumes about his feelings for the politician.

Ferrell chalked it up in part to "comedic purposes" out of fear of being influenced by him. But politics did play a role: "The other side of it is, from a political standpoint, I don't want to meet that guy," he said.

The actor has been known to use his comedic skills for a good cause. In he launched a series of sunscreen lotions, which featured a scantily clad Ferrell on the bottle alongside such titles as Sexy Hot Tan and Forbidden Fruit.