Will Ferrell always pictured himself having a stereotypical desk job with a briefcase filled with stability. The actor, writer, and producer examined his “circuitous route” to comedy on an episode of the Awards Chatter podcast. He had a happy suburban-style childhood in Irvine, California and majored in sports information at USC with the plan to become a sports broadcaster. A career in comedy was never his goal nor was it even on his radar. He did, however, enjoy being funny whenever the opportunity presented itself. In high school, he wrote radio skits for the morning announcements, which became a popular recurring bit. “It was so much fun and the time flew by [writing them] that I thought I should remember this feeling because this didn't feel hard and it felt fun, and the next morning we read our little thing and people loved it.” That morsel of encouragement was followed by another unexpected supporter in his friend’s literary professor, Ronald Gottesman, at USC. During his work study, Ferrell dressed up as a janitor and interrupted the class in an attempt to make his friend laugh, but ended up making the stern professor chuckle as well. “There’s just people along the way who have kind of given you the confidence to explore these things.”
After a career intervention from his mom, Ferrell enrolled in classes that indulged the entertainer in him. One of those places was the legendary sketch comedy theater The Groundlings, where he would not only gain the respect and admiration of his peers, but of those at Saturday Night Live. He, along with his future SNL castmates Cheri Oteri and Chris Kattan, were flown to New York to audition for Lorne Michaels. Two auditions and an awkward meeting later (which involved a briefcase filled with fake money), Ferrell was officially hired as a cast member. To make matters even more stressful, he entered the show when it was on the verge of cancellation. Almost the entire cast and writers’ staff from the year prior was replaced, and SNL was the weakest link on NBC’s lineup of shows. He explained, “I don’t think we realized what level of scrutiny we were under,” and that behind the scenes, “everyone was really trying to ‘fix’ SNL.”
Though some critics weren’t thrilled with Ferrell on SNL at first (one even calling him the “most annoying newcomer”) he quickly proved himself to be one of the strongest players in the show’s history. For seven years, his outrageous characters, impressions, and overall down-for-anything attitude not only kept SNL afloat, but brought back its credibility. Since departing the show in 2002 to embark on a prolific (and hilarious) career in film, Ferrell’s returned to Studio 8H to host and is now part of the Five-Timers Club.
Let’s take a look at some of Will Ferrell’s best moments during his time at Saturday Night Live!
The Love-ahs with Clarissa and Dave
You’ve probably witnessed different levels of PDA in your life, but have you ever been in a hot tub with the self-proclaimed Love-ahs? One of Ferrell’s most memorable characters on SNL was of Roger Klarvin, a hairy, slow-talking man who loves his equally-handsy wife Virginia (Rachel Dratch) and wants everyone to know it. Their love is so contagious, that it rubs off on Clarissa (Winona Ryder) who wants to live like them.
Evil Boss
Everyone’s had to deal with a rude employee or mean boss, but odds are that your boss has never murdered anyone. In front of you. At work. Ironically this sketch about a workplace is not safe to watch at work. Ferrell becomes feral (see what I did there?) and ruthlessly berates, threatens, and beats his workers in front of potential hire Kurt (Pierce Brosnan). He’s racist. He’s sexist. He’s your evil boss.
Jeffrey’s
If you’re going shopping at Jeffrey’s, then you better know what you want. And it must be fashionable. It’s also best to have a thick skin, because the two clerks (Sean Hayes and Jimmy Fallon) have zero patience for mediocrity or anyone that doesn’t meet their high standards. Jeffrey’s prides itself on being one step ahead in the fashion world and its workers have no problem insulting you to your face. Just wait until you see their boss’s (Ferrell) futuristic phone. Ugh, if only people would stay out of their invisi-square.
Dissing Your Dog
Training your cute puppy can be nearly impossible. No matter how hard you try, there will always be an accident in the house, a chewed up cushion, or a dog that doesn’t like its food. You might even feel helpless. Before you raise your voice or lose your patience, order a copy of dog expert Dale Sturtevant’s tried and true dog training technique tape, “Dissing Your Dog.” Don’t yell at your dog, be condescending.
Short Shorts for the USA
Ferrell’s commitment and shamelessness in this sketch is truly admirable. He plays (another) Dale, an employee who took a little too much liberty with the recent memo he received from his boss (Seann William Scott). Dale takes advantage of this opportunity to show off his patriotism at work and ends up revealing a lot more than his co-workers would have liked. Coffee anyone?
More Cowbell
This list has a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. When the Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken) is willing to help out your band, you listen to every morsel of wisdom he has to offer. Surprisingly, he really digs the sound of Gene Frenkle’s (Ferrell) cowbell. In fact, he encourages Gene to explore his space and become one with his cowbell, no matter how distracting it may be.
Get Off the Shed: New Friends
Nothing beats a barbecue in the summer with your new friends and….Brandon? Can you get off the shed? Anyway, summer's a great time to relax and grill some burgers, and…Brandon! Get off the shed! Ferrell performed a version of this “get off the shed” character in his SNL audition, along with an impression of Ted Kennedy, Harry Caray, and a man who behaves like a cat. Brandon, for the last time. Get. Off. The. Shed!
The Roxbury Guys
What is love? These three Roxbury guys (Chris Kattan, Will Ferrell, and Jim Carrey) are determined to find out, even if it means breaking their necks in the process. These men live for the night and are fearless (and aggressive) on the dance floor. Their quest to find love gets increasingly pathetic as the night progresses, with the three of them searching for a companion at a high school prom and even a nursing home. The characters were so popular that they even starred in their own spin-off movie A Night at the Roxbury in 1998. Who wants to dance? You? Me? You?
Dysfunctional Family Dinner
After a long day of work and school, it’s nice to sit around the dinner table and catch up with family. Alright, this might not be the case for every family. In this sketch, Will Ferrell plays an uptight and overworked father alongside his stoic wife (Ana Gasteyer), and their hostile, closed-off daughter (Sarah Michelle Gellar). There’s not as much eating as there is clanging of utensils. And yelling. Lots of yelling. He drives a Dodge Stratus! Big time stuff!
Spartan Cheerleaders at Tryouts
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. We’re mere hours away from the Spartan Cheerleader tryouts! No one is more amped up on excitement (and caffeine) than high school best friends and coffee virgins Craig (Ferrell) and Arianna (Cheri Oteri). These eager beavers are out of breath and ready to show the school what they are made of. Could this really be the year they make the team? Go Spartans!
Celebrity Jeopardy!: French Stewart, Burt Reynolds, & Sean Connery
Stop what you are doing, because it’s time for a Celebrity Jeopardy! sketch. Ferrell channeled rage and disappointment into his Alex Trebek impression, which soon became a fan favorite on the show. In his defense, he continuously has to deal with combative imbeciles (thanks to their greatly exaggerated impressions) Burt Reynolds (Norm Macdonald) and Sean Connery (Darrell Hammond). Somehow, Reynolds gets his hands on an oversized hat, and while he can’t correctly answer any question, he figures out how to change his name to Turd Ferguson.
Harry Caray Interviews Dr. Kent Wahler
Hey! Who better to talk about the complexities of the universe than Chicago Cubs announcer and broadcast legend Harry Caray? Ferrell shakes and yells his way through this sketch that imagines what it would be like if Caray hosted a talk show and interviewed the most intellectual and sophisticated minds in all of science. Here Jeff Goldblum plays an astrophysicist who is dumbfounded by Caray’s nonsensical questions. The loud sportscaster does bring up a very good question: Would you eat the moon if it were made of barbecue spare ribs?
Ted Brogan is Born
What, you’ve never heard of someone giving birth to a full grown man before? Do you live under a rock? In this slimy sketch, Ferrell plays Ted Brogan, the 37-year-old man that’s been cooped up in this new mother’s (Rachel Dratch) womb. Adding to the absurdity is the fact that he’s a big jerk who just wants to go gambling. Come on, someone give him some dough for Atlantic City!
Inside the Actor’s Studio with Drew Barrymore
Isn’t acting delightful? In this recurring sketch, Ferrell plays James Lipton, the prestigious and sophisticated former dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Lipton hosted a long-running in-depth interview series called Inside the Actor’s Studio in which he would examine the career of an actor and ask them a series of unique questions. Ferrell captures Lipton’s stiff demeanor and verbose way of speaking in the best and most uncomfortable way.
George W. Bush Explains His Deal with China
Though he has so many fun impressions in his arsenal, Ferrell’s spin on George W. Bush takes the cake. It was such a hit, that he later performed a one-man show as the president on Broadway called You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush. In this Cold Open, Ferrell breaks down his new deal with China to his fellow Americans and explains how it definitely works in America’s favor. Don’t mess with Texas!
Will Ferrell can be seen starring alongside Paul Rudd and Kathryn Hahn in The Shrink Next Door on AppleTV+. He also has six projects in the works, including Spirited, a musical with Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer, and Fruitcake, a crime drama with Julianne Moore.