Will Ferrell

Background

John William Ferrell, best known as Will Ferrell, is an American actor, comedian, and producer who is well revered in Hollywood. His talent, comedic nature, and hard work have granted him immeasurable success and a large fan base. Will Ferrell might be famous today, but the story begins with John William Ferrell, born on July 16, 1967, in Irvine, California. His mother, Betty Kay, was a teacher, while his father, Roy Lee Ferrell Jr., was a musician. Ferrell was born into a cozy family of four. He is of English, German and Irish descent and a Cancer by design. Ferrell attended Culverdale Elementary, then Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, and University High School, all in Irvine. He realized he was funny in third grade, and by high school, Ferrell would deliver jokes on the school’s intercom. He enrolled at U.S.C., and in 1990, he graduated with B.A. in sports information.

He moved to Los Angeles after college, and auditioned for “The Groundlings.” Ferrell started creating characters with Chris Kattan, a fellow “Groundlings” member. He received small roles in “Living Single,” “Grace Under Fire,” some commercials, and low-budget films. Ferrell joined “Saturday Night Live” in 1995 after a successful audition. He spent seven years on the show and hosted it five times. While on S.N.L., Ferrell appeared in multiple movies including “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” (1997), “The Ladies Man” (2000), “Zoolander” (2001), and several more. In 2003, he appeared in his first film post-S.N.L., “Old School.” The film was a hit and earned Ferrell an M.T.V. Movie Awards Best Comedic Performance nomination. In 2006, he starred in “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” which grossed $47 million, “The Other Guys” (2010), which earned over $140 million, and several more films.

Ferrell has also dabbled in voice acting. He’s been on “Family Guy,” “The Lego Movie” (2014/2019), “Megamind” (2010), and several more. Ferrell started producing shows in 2007 with “Funny or Die.” He co-produced “Eastbound & Down” and “The Chris Gethard Show,” which ran for four years. As a three-time Primetime Emmy Award winner, Ferrell is a highly successful actor and producer. He shares this success with his wife, Viveca Paulin, and their three sons.