A couple of movie duds notwithstanding, Will Ferrell’s comedy career has been a steady climb leading to a recent explosion. Here are some highlights:
Ferrell, born in 1967, went to high school and college in Southern California. He graduated from USC with a degree in “sports information,” an expertise that to this day he cannot explain.
Finding he wasn’t any good at day jobs, Ferrell tried out for the Groundlings school and performance group in Los Angeles. He was an instant star, colleagues say.
Scouts for NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” saw Ferrell at a Groundlings show and hired him in 1995; after a rocky first season, Ferrell became the comic every writer wanted in every skit. His best characters included Craig the Spartan cheerleader, George W. Bush, Janet Reno and James Lipton. Ferrell stayed with “SNL” for seven years.
After a couple of bombs (i.e., “A Night at the Roxbury”) Ferrell found his movie stride playing scene-stealing characters in “Dick,” “Austin Powers” and “Zoolander.” He won the spotlight in 2003’s “Old School,” then became box-office gold in “Elf.”
Success allowed Ferrell to pursue writing projects in 2004, such as “Anchorman,” and try movies in different genres, including Woody Allen’s “Melinda and Melinda” early in 2005. A serious role in “Winter Passing” may see an arthouse run late this year.
Ferrell is now the busiest comic in Hollywood. Coming up: “Wedding Crashers,” “The Producers,” “Curious George,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” “Talladega Nights” and many more.
– Michael Booth
