Will Ferrell is truly one of the funniest actors of his generation. From his SNL days to his many memorable small roles to the films where he is in the lead, Ferrell always had us in hysterics.
There is a lot about him that few people know. Let’s take a look at a handful of facts about Will Ferrell.
In 2001, Ferrell Was SNL’s Top Paid Cast Member
Will Ferrell’s demand in films was heating up by 2001, and SNL’s producers knew they had to do whatever it took to keep him as part of the cast.
Their solution was to make him the highest paid SNL cast member yet, giving him $350,000 a season.
In 1995, Ferrell Competed Against Steve Carrell To Get On SNL
Back in 1995, nobody knew either Farrell or Steve Carrell, and both were up for the SNL cast member opening.
While both of them are total crackups, Ferrell beat Carrell. It worked out well for Carrell, though, considering the roles that came to him later.
Being In Comedy Was Farrell’s Lifelong Dream
Not all comedians always saw that as their true calling, but Will Ferrell did.
When he was 10, he wrote in a school assignment that when he grew up, he wanted to play soccer professionally, but during the off season he wanted to be a comedian. Good thing he didn’t pursue soccer instead!
Comedy Was A Way To Avoid Being Humiliated
If you humiliate yourself, you are immune to the humiliation from others. While he had a horrible fear of being humiliated, he realized that if he was in charge of his own crazy antics, nothing else could humiliate him.
Ferrell would go out of his way to embarrass himself, and it helped him conquer his fears.
Ferrell Took Improv Classes With Chris Kattan
Ferrell and his Night at the Roxbury co-star Chris Kattan have a relationship that goes back to their days studying improv at The Groundlings.
They created a sketch around two characters which became the basis of their classic film.