Will Ferrell

• The episode begins with the host expressing excitement about their guest, Will Ferrell, whom they describe as a comedic giant.
• They plan to discuss his time on Saturday Night Live, his movies, the importance of makeup in character building, a mutual film flop, Swedish stereotypes, and his new show, The Hawk.
• Before Ferrell joins, the host introduces Chris Parnell, who also appears in The Hawk and is a fellow SNL alumnus.
• Parnell is there to speak about Ferrell and provide a question for him.
• Parnell greets the host, noting how long it has been since they last saw each other, likely at the SNL 50th anniversary.

The episode begins with the host expressing excitement about their guest, Will Ferrell, whom they describe as a comedic giant. They plan to discuss his time on Saturday Night Live, his movies, the importance of makeup in character building, a mutual film flop, Swedish stereotypes, and his new show, The Hawk. Before Ferrell joins, the host introduces Chris Parnell, who also appears in The Hawk and is a fellow SNL alumnus.

Parnell is there to speak about Ferrell and provide a question for him. Parnell greets the host, noting how long it has been since they last saw each other, likely at the SNL 50th anniversary. The host mentions Tina Fey's supposed restraining order against Parnell, which he dismisses.

The host then asks Parnell about his long friendship with Ferrell, which began at the Groundlings in the mid-90s. Parnell clarifies that they didn't truly connect until he joined SNL, where they shared an office with Jerry Collins, known as the "Gentlemen's Quarters." Parnell was a few years ahead of Ferrell at the Groundlings and joined SNL three years later. Parnell recalls their time sharing an office in the late 90s as cool and fun.

They had a ritual of sharing scotch after Wednesday read-throughs and sometimes dressed in similar outfits. Parnell admits to feeling insecure about getting material on the show, but Ferrell seemed unfazed by the competitive and collaborative environment. Parnell describes Ferrell as fearless and confident, but never arrogant.

Their collaborations outside SNL include Anchorman and the upcoming series The Hawk. Parnell reveals he plays a PGA Tour board member in The Hawk who harbors animosity towards Ferrell's character, Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins. His character is upset that Lonnie doesn't take the sport seriously, and also holds a personal grudge from many years ago.

Parnell describes his character as an "uptight asshole," which he found easy to play. The host asks Parnell what makes Ferrell a great person, beyond his comedic talent. Parnell highlights Ferrell's genuine laughter, noting that someone who can make others laugh so well and also laugh freely at others is a sweet person.

Parnell then offers two questions for Ferrell: who were his comedy idols growing up, and has he always been so confident? The host agrees these are good questions, noting Ferrell's "captain" energy. Parnell then shares a memory of a sketch he used to perform called "Merv the Perv," a character whose name Ferrell coined.

Merv would politely ask ladies if they'd like to "party in his pants," which were tear-away pants. Parnell expresses happiness to contribute to the discussion and congratulates the host on the new show. Ferrell then joins the host, expressing his excitement to be there.

He mentions a press day for The Hawk, which involves a trip to Connecticut for the Travelers Insurance Golf Tournament. The host notes that Ferrell's character in The Hawk is a golfer, and they've been creating Instagram content in character. Ferrell admits he loves being in character but sometimes finds it tiring, though the host insists he is one of the least tired performers.

Ferrell acknowledges his work ethic, but also admits to some "smoke and mirrors." He enjoys the "stupid stuff" involved in promotion, finding it relaxing and even embarrassing, which he likes. Ferrell attributes the quote "comedy is embarrassing" to Ted Danson, who said it in the context of acting. The host recalls Ferrell claiming it as his own quote.

Ferrell explains Danson's sentiment, which he agreed with. The host then praises Ferrell's "captain energy," noting his height and leadership qualities. Ferrell reflects that his intention on SNL was to remind everyone that it was supposed to be fun, a "jackpot" job where they should make each other laugh.

The host agrees that Ferrell's relaxed demeanor made everyone else feel comfortable. The host recalls their single overlapping year on SNL in 2001, a "great year for comedy" when people were "ready to laugh." She describes Ferrell as the "cool senior" who knew how to relax people and keep the bits going. The host then asks about Ferrell's high school years.

He was a popular kid, voted "best personality," but this didn't translate to dating success. He played many sports, captaining the basketball team despite averaging only 1.2 points per game, excelling in defense and rebounding. He was also a kicker on the football team due to his soccer background.

Ferrell's father was a musician with the Righteous Brothers, and Ferrell initially found show business scary due to its instability. He witnessed his talented father struggle to find consistent work. This led him to desire a "real job" with a briefcase, an office, and a set schedule.

He imagined clocking in and out, like a secretary. The host asks how he transitioned from this desire for a stable job to the Groundlings. Ferrell explains it was a "death by a thousand cuts," a gradual shift.

He didn't perform in high school plays, but he and a friend, Bart, wrote sketches for school assemblies, imitating teachers and even performing as the Schmengi Brothers from SCTV. They also wrote humorous morning announcements for senior class t-shirt fundraisers. Ferrell recalls a defining moment in high school when he spent three hours crafting a short paragraph for an announcement, and it felt like ten minutes, realizing he loved the process.

During college at USC, where he studied sports information, Ferrell had odd jobs. He parked cars and worked one day at Disneyland. He quit Disneyland by having a friend call and claim he was trying out for the Dallas Cowboys, a story that still exists in Disney's corporate files.

He never worked as a waiter. Ferrell joined the Groundlings right after graduating from USC. He didn't join college improv or audition for anything, but rather found outlets for his comedy by doing bits and making friends laugh.

He would interrupt friends' classes dressed as a maintenance worker, pretending to fix things or blowing smoke in the classroom, thrilling in the danger and the small audience. He also used his work-study job in the audiovisual department to push an overhead projector across campus with his pants slightly down, with a friend acting as a shill to get others to laugh at him. He found this "thrilling" because the joke was on them.

The host observes that this desire to make friends laugh is a core part of Ferrell's appeal. She notes that people feel a parasocial connection to him, seeing him as a friend. Ferrell acknowledges that this can lead to disappointment when he's not "doing the bits" in real life.

At the Groundlings, Ferrell's peers included Cheri Oteri, Chris Parnell, and Jennifer Coolidge. He and Cheri Oteri joined SNL together. He also knew Molly Shannon, who recently received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Ferrell recalls Molly's "greatest speech of all time" at the ceremony, where she told a story about meeting him at a bakery. Ferrell describes Molly Shannon's Mary Katherine Gallagher character as saving SNL during their new cast's first season in 1995-96. He remembers feeling the audience's thunderous laughter during dress rehearsal, a "somatic thing" that felt emotional.

He believes her character, an "outsider and dark" and physically comedic, created momentum for the new cast, which had received bad reviews. Ferrell himself was called "most annoying newcomer" in a review, which he taped to his wall and used as motivation to "lean into it even more." He notes that people have strong opinions about comedy, similar to music. Ferrell shares a story about a particularly harsh review of Anchorman, where a Los Angeles Times writer dedicated two paragraphs to expressing her hatred for him before even reviewing the film.

He also recalls Roger Ebert's review of Step Brothers, which declared it "the end of Western civilization" and urged people not to buy the DVD. Ferrell finds a "mischievous quality" in these negative reviews, a thrill in surviving them. The host then brings up Ferrell's patriotic underwear sketch on SNL in 2001, after he had run the New York Marathon and was chafed.

She remembers the audience's laughter, which signaled that "comedy's gonna be okay." The host transitions to Ferrell's string of comedy hits after leaving SNL, including Zoolander, Elf, Old School, Anchorman, and Step Brothers. She notes that Zoolander initially struggled due to its release around 9/11 but later found its audience. Ferrell recalls feeling uncertain while filming Elf in his elf tights, wondering if it would be a "home run" or a "complete strikeout." He credits director Jon Favreau for wanting a timeless feel.

The host praises Elf as a comfort movie and a Christmas classic, highlighting Ferrell's ability to play with status in his characters, like Ron Burgundy in Anchorman. Ferrell enjoys playing Ron, who can say whatever he wants without needing facts. He recently surprised Bill Curtis, the narrator of Anchorman, at a live show of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me as Ron Burgundy.

Ferrell loves costumes, and Ron Burgundy's burgundy suit is iconic, though he also had other delightful outfits. The host and Ferrell discuss their two films together: Blades of Glory and The House. Ferrell admits he didn't enjoy learning to ice skate for Blades of Glory, and he still has his custom skates and framed costume in his garage, as his wife, Viveca, won't allow it in the house.

The House, despite being a "flop" with a low Rotten Tomatoes score (which has since risen to 20%), was a fun movie to make. The host then asks about Viveca, Ferrell's Swedish wife of 25 years. Ferrell confirms that the stereotype of Swedes being sly and having a dry sense of humor is true, as is their unintentional directness.

He shares a story of trying to speak Swedish on a tour boat, only saying nouns like "chicken" and "shoes," leading a scout to report back, "Not him," implying he was stupid. He also notes that Swedish men are often gourmet cooks, skilled builders, and mechanics, and are very precise. The host praises Ferrell's recent film with Harper Steele, a beautiful and well-received documentary.

Ferrell says people still approach him to thank him for the film, sharing stories of how it helped families discuss gender identity. He describes it as a surprising and fun experience, a "coolest thing ever." He highlights the film's message of friendship and advocacy, and how Harper gave permission for open and honest conversations. Ferrell and Harper Steele teamed up again for The Hawk, where Ferrell plays Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins.

He describes his character's "incredible look," always a little sunburned with a golf tan, a detail pitched by makeup artist Autumn Butler.