Will Ferrell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Will Ferrell
Ferrell in 2024
Born	John William Ferrell (1967-07-16) July 16, 1967 (age 57) Irvine, California, U.S.
Education	University of Southern California (BA)
Occupation	Actor comedian producer writer
Years active	1994–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Viveca Paulin ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	3
Awards	Full list
Comedy career
Medium	Stand-up film television
Genres	Improvisational comedy sketch comedy impressions character comedy cringe comedy surreal humour anti-humor deadpan satire
Subject(s)	American politics American culture pop culture current events

John William Ferrell (born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is famous for his funny roles in movies and for producing TV shows. Will Ferrell has won six Primetime Emmy Awards, which are big awards for television. In 2011, he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a special award for comedians. He also got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.

Ferrell became well-known in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the comedy show Saturday Night Live. He was on the show from 1995 to 2002. After that, he starred in many popular comedy films. After his movie Old School in 2003, he became part of the "Frat Pack." This group includes top Hollywood comedy actors like Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Steve Carell. In 2007, he started the comedy website Funny or Die with his friend Adam McKay.

Some of Ferrell's popular comedy movies include Elf (2003), Anchorman (2004), Talladega Nights (2006), and Barbie (2023). He has also acted in serious movies like Stranger than Fiction (2006). You might also recognize his voice from animated films like Curious George (2006), Megamind (2010), and The Lego Movie (2014).

Early Life and School Days

Will Ferrell was born on July 16, 1967, in Irvine, California. His mom, Betty Kay, was a teacher. His dad, Roy Lee Ferrell Jr., was a musician who played for the Righteous Brothers. His parents moved to California in 1964.

When Will was eight years old, his parents divorced. He said he tried to look on the bright side, thinking they would have "two Christmases." His parents remained friends and cared for their children. His dad's job in show business meant his pay was not always steady, and he traveled a lot. This made young Will want a steady job instead of working in entertainment.

Will went to Culverdale Elementary and Rancho San Joaquin Middle School. He then attended University High School in Irvine. He was a kicker on the football team. He also played soccer and was captain of the basketball team. He was even on the student council.

Will found out he could make his classmates laugh in third grade. He would pretend to hit his head or trip on purpose. He said this was a great way to make friends. He felt that growing up in a quiet town like Irvine helped him develop his humor. He said, "My main form of entertainment was cracking my friends up."

In high school, Will and a friend would do comedy skits over the school's intercom. They even got the principal to help them. Will also performed funny skits in school talent shows. His classmates voted him "Best Personality."

He went to the University of Southern California to study sports broadcasting. He joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. In college, he was known for some funny pranks. Sometimes, he would dress as a janitor and walk into his friends' classes. He also ran around campus with friends from his fraternity.

After college in 1990, Will realized he did not want to work in broadcasting. He worked as a hotel valet and then as a bank teller. He was not very good at these jobs. In 1991, his mom told him to try something he loved. So, he moved to Los Angeles and joined a comedy group called The Groundlings. There, he learned a lot about improvisation.

Becoming a Star: Will Ferrell's Career

Early Comedy and Saturday Night Live (1994–2001)

Before joining The Groundlings, Will's attempts at stand-up comedy were not very successful. He loved learning improvisation and also enjoyed impersonating people. One of his favorite impressions was Harry Caray, a famous baseball announcer. He started creating his own characters. By 1994, he was a full member of The Groundlings.

With another Groundlings member, Chris Kattan, he created the Butabi Brothers. These characters would go to dance clubs and try to meet women, but they were always turned down. While taking classes, Will worked at an auction house. This job was flexible, letting him go to auditions and rehearsals.

In 1995, a producer saw The Groundlings perform. Will, Chris Kattan, and Cheri Oteri were asked to audition for Saturday Night Live (SNL). Will Ferrell joined SNL in 1995 and stayed for seven years, leaving in 2002. He has hosted the show five times, which means he is part of the special Five Timers Club.

Saturday Night Live at 30 Rock

On SNL, Will became famous for his impressions of many people. These included US President George W. Bush, singer Neil Diamond, and TV host James Lipton. He also created many original characters. Some of these were Tom Wilkins from Morning Latte and Steve Butabi, who later appeared in the movie A Night at the Roxbury (1998).

One of his most memorable SNL characters was Dale McGrew. He was a very patriotic office worker who wore a half t-shirt and short shorts. Will improvised the shorts into a thong during a live skit, which made the cast and guest host laugh. In 2001, Will Ferrell became the highest-paid cast member on SNL. He has returned to host the show several times since leaving.

Film Stardom and Voice Acting (2002–2010)

While still on Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell appeared in several movies. These included Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and Zoolander (2001). His first main role after leaving SNL was as Frank "The Tank" Richard in Old School (2003). Critics loved his performance in the film.

He then starred in Elf (2003), which was also a big hit. Will continued to get many comedy roles in movies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) and Starsky & Hutch (2004). This helped him become one of Hollywood's top comedy actors. In 2005, he earned a lot of money from his movies.

In 2006, Will starred in Stranger Than Fiction and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Both movies were successful. Stranger Than Fiction showed that Will could also act in serious roles. Talladega Nights had a very successful opening weekend.

Ferrell at the premiere of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, December 2007

In 2008, Will Ferrell starred in Step Brothers with John C. Reilly. The movie also featured Adam Scott and Kathryn Hahn. It was directed by Adam McKay, who often works with Will. The movie made $128 million worldwide. While reviews were mixed at first, it has become a very popular movie over time.

Will Ferrell is also known for his fun appearances to promote things. He sang a song at the ESPY Awards in 2006. He and John C. Reilly performed a skit at the 2008 ESPY Awards.

Will has also done voice acting for many animated TV shows and movies. He was the voice of Bob Oblong in The Oblongs. He also had guest roles on Family Guy and King of the Hill. He voiced Ted (also known as The Man in the Yellow Hat) in the movie Curious George (2006). He was the main character in the 2010 animated film Megamind. He also voiced President Business in The Lego Movie (2014) and its sequel The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019).

Ferrell dressed as Megamind at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International

Will Ferrell has presented at the Academy Awards many times. He sang funny songs with Jack Black and John C. Reilly. In 2009, he made his Broadway debut. He played a funny version of former U.S. President George W. Bush in a one-man show called You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush.

In 2009, Will starred in the movie Land of the Lost. It did not do very well at the box office. In 2010, he produced and starred in The Other Guys. This was a buddy cop film with Mark Wahlberg and Eva Mendes. The movie was a success and got good reviews.

Expanding His Career (2011–Present)

Ferrell in 2014

In 2011, Will Ferrell appeared in the music video for "Make Some Noise" by the Beastie Boys. He played a cowbell in the video. He starred in Casa de Mi Padre, a comedy that made fun of telenovelas. The movie was in Spanish with English-language subtitles. In 2012, he starred with Zach Galifianakis in the political comedy The Campaign.

In a 2014 poll, Will Ferrell was voted the best Saturday Night Live cast member of all time. He returned to the show in 2015 and 2018 to play George W. Bush again.

Will Ferrell and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith look very similar. They had a funny drum-off battle on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2014. Will won a giant gold cowbell. They were then joined by Chad Smith's bandmates to play a song.

In 2015, he starred in the comedy Get Hard and Daddy's Home. In Daddy's Home, he worked again with Mark Wahlberg. He also played Jacobim Mugatu again in Zoolander 2 (2016).

In February 2019, Will Ferrell started The Ron Burgundy Podcast. This podcast was a collaboration with iHeart Radio. In October 2019, he partnered with iHeart Radio to launch his own podcast network, Big Money Players Network.

In 2020, Will Ferrell starred with Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Downhill. That same year, he starred in the musical comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga with Rachel McAdams. In 2022, he starred in the Apple TV+ musical comedy Spirited with Ryan Reynolds. He also produced that film. In 2023, he played the CEO of Mattel in the comedy film Barbie. In 2024, he starred in a Netflix documentary called Will & Harper. In this film, Will takes a road trip with his best friend, Harper Steele, who recently shared that she is a trans woman.

Other Projects and Businesses

In April 2007, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay started "Funny or Die." This is a website where people can upload short comedy videos. Users can vote on the videos. One famous video, The Landlord, stars Will as a man being bothered by his landlady, who is a two-year-old girl played by McKay's daughter, Pearl.

Will Ferrell also helped produce an HBO show called Eastbound & Down, starring Danny McBride. He also had a recurring role on the show as a car dealer named Ashley Schaeffer.

He was also one of the executive producers for the show Dead to Me (2019–2022), which starred Christina Applegate.

In 2019, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay ended their business partnership and closed their production company. This happened because McKay cast John C. Reilly in a role that Will Ferrell wanted, without telling him first.

Personal Life

In August 2000, Will Ferrell married Swedish actress Viveca Paulin. They met in an acting class in 1995. They live in New York City and Orange County, California. They have three sons, born in 2004, 2006, and 2010.

Ferrell at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con with Mark Wahlberg

At the University of Southern California, Will was part of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He still supports the fraternity as an alumnus. He has also worked with the former head football coach, Pete Carroll, to do fun motivational stunts for the players.

Will Ferrell has run several marathons, including the Boston, New York, and Stockholm marathons. He also raises money for charity, like his Scholarships for Cancer Survivors campaign.

In 2007, Autograph magazine said Will Ferrell was the "worst celebrity autographer." The editor said he used to be nice but now "taunts people asking for his autograph." Will admitted he does tease autograph-seekers, saying, "They have to earn it."

Will Ferrell appeared on an episode of Man vs. Wild. He traveled through the tundras of Sweden with the host, Bear Grylls. In the episode, Will did unique things, like eating the eye of a reindeer.

In 2016, it was announced that Will Ferrell would become a part-owner of Los Angeles FC. This is a Major League Soccer (MLS) team that started playing in 2018. He is one of several famous co-owners, including Mia Hamm and Magic Johnson.

In 2017, the University of Southern California gave Will Ferrell an honorary degree.

In April 2018, Will Ferrell was in a car accident in California. The SUV he was in flipped over. Will and another passenger were not hurt. He was released from the hospital and was "doing fine."

Political Views

Will Ferrell supports the Democratic Party. In 2018, he helped campaign for the party in Georgia.

Will was well known for his SNL impression of President George W. Bush. However, he chose not to meet the president. He said it was partly for comedy reasons, so meeting the person he played would not influence his performance. Also, from a political view, he did not want to meet him.

In 2012, Will Ferrell supported Barack Obama in the presidential election. He met Obama and his wife, Michelle, in 2011.

Sports Interests

Will Ferrell is a big fan of sports.

Baseball Fun

Ferrell coaching third base for the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game in 2015

In 2010, at a Minor League Baseball game in Texas, Will Ferrell pretended to be a Venezuelan pitcher named "Billy Ray 'RoJo' Johnson." He wore a fake mustache and carried beer cans to the mound. He threw one pitch and was "ejected" after a fake fight. His mustache fell off, and fans realized it was him. This was a stunt to promote a charity golf event.

In 2015, Will Ferrell played in five Major League Baseball spring training games. He played for ten different teams in one day! This was to promote a Funny or Die charity special. He played all ten positions on the field. The items from his baseball day were sold to raise money for cancer charities.

Ice Hockey Passion

Will Ferrell is a big fan of the Los Angeles Kings ice hockey team. He often goes to their games and sits in the front row. He has made several video messages for the Kings that are shown on the big screen during games.

During the 2023 playoffs, Will Ferrell wore special checkered face paint in the Kings' colors. This became very popular and was copied by other fans.

In a 2019 game, Will Ferrell even commentated for an entire period as his character Ron Burgundy. For the 2023–24 NHL season, the Kings' goalie, Cam Talbot, had a picture of Ron Burgundy on his mask.

Soccer Enthusiasm

Will Ferrell took part in Soccer Aid 2012, a charity soccer match. In 2016, he became a part-owner of Los Angeles FC, an MLS team. He said he loves watching soccer because it is played all over the world. He hopes MLS can become as good as the European leagues.

Movies and TV Shows

Awards and Special Recognitions

President Barack Obama with Ferrell and Viveca Paulin in 2011

Will Ferrell has received many awards and nominations throughout his career. He has been nominated for sixteen Primetime Emmy Awards and won three of them. He won for producing Succession (2020) and twice for Live in Front of a Studio Audience (2019, 2020).

He was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for his acting in The Producers (2005) and Stranger than Fiction (2006). He even received a Tony Award nomination for his Broadway show You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush (2009).

Will Ferrell has also received special honors. In 2008, he got the James Joyce Award from the University College Dublin. In 2011, he was given the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. This is a very important award for comedians in America. Many famous comedians honored him at the ceremony. In 2015, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in movies.

In 2022, the Los Angeles F.C. soccer team, which Will Ferrell partly owns, won the MLS Cup. This means he has an MLS championship title!

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See also

In Spanish: Will Ferrell para niños