Will Ferrell shares the 'hardest' acting role he's ever been casted for
Topics: Film and TV, Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell
Gregory Robinson
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images/NBC
Topics: Film and TV, Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell has revealed the acting job he believes was the ‘hardest’ — and his answer may surprise you.
The beloved actor, 57, has an impressive resume; we're talking about Buddy the elf, sex addict and figure skater Chazz Michael Michaels, and San Diego anchorman Ron Burgundy. He’s done a lot in his film and TV career.
But pretending to be a whimsical elf or learning how to skate on ice were not the toughest jobs for Ferrell, believe it or not.
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Despite all of his hilarious film roles, the acting job that he describes as being a mix of fun and hard work is starring on Saturday Night Live.
During his stint on the long-running NBC series, Ferrell took part in a huge number of well-known and often quoted sketches, including 'More Cowbell', 'Spartan Cheerleaders at Tryouts', 'Dr. Beaman’s Office: Test Results', and a 2002 'Weekend Update' skit with Britney Spears.
He also cracked people up with his impressions of George W. Bush, Dr. Phil, and Alex Trebek.
Between 1995 to 2002, Ferrell was a main member on the iconic sketch comedy show. Now that the show is celebrating its historic 50th season, Ferrell is feeling nostalgic.
“I had a wonderful seven seasons on that show, where I made lifelong friends,” he told People.
“I knew in that moment it would be the hardest but most fun job I would ever get to do, and I still look back on it that way.
"It's really an amazing thing that you have this live television show that still continues to put its finger on the pulse of what we're all thinking about, and it's a real credit to [creator] Lorne [Michaels] or having thought of it in the first place.”
He added: "It was the one thing I always dreamed about being a part of. "It's kind of enormous to think about in a way, 50 years of what has really defined American comedy."
With Christmas fast approaching, the time has come to re-watch Elf. Let’s face it, regardless of how many times you watch Buddy search for his dad in New York city, it never gets old.
Ferrell has shared details from behind the scenes of the 2003 festive comedy, including the time he made his on-screen dad, the late James Caan, a little mad.
The Barbie actor revealed that Caan, who passed away in 2022, didn't have to try very hard to balance out Ferrell's performance, as he actually didn't find him very funny.
He said: “James Caan - may he rest in peace, and we had such a good time working on that movie - he would tease me.
“We’d be in between setups, he was like, ‘I don’t get you. You’re not funny.’ And I’m like, ‘I know! I’m not Robin Williams.’
"He’s like, ‘People ask me, 'Is he funny?' And I’m like, 'No, he’s not funny!' It was all with love.”