Will Ferrell is one of the greatest comedic actors of his generation. Since his early days cracking up audiences on " Saturday Night Live," Ferrell has been entertaining comedy fans all over the world with his tremendous energy and commitment to making people laugh. Although he was hilarious on SNL, Ferrell really started to become famous when he left the show to focus on making movies. Here is a look at some of the greatest comedies that Ferrell has starred in over the years.
"Old School" - 2003
Still one of the best movies of his career, " Old School" was the first real classic film of Ferrell's career. The dedication that Ferrell showed making this movie was tremendous, including being willing to strip naked to film one of the funniest streaking scenes in movie history. After this movie came out, Hollywood realized that Ferrell could be a leading man who could carry a movie to tremendous success at the box office. Filmed with a budget of just $24 million, "Old School" pulled in $87 million at theatres.
"Elf" - 2003
This was truly the year of Ferrell. In 2003, not only did "OId School" delight audiences, but " Elf" was also released. It instantly became a Christmas classic, and the film is still one of the favorites of Ferrell fans nearly 15 years later. This sweet tale of a human being that grows up thinking he is an elf could only be pulled off by a comedic actor with the outstanding talent of Ferrell. It is almost impossible to picture any other actor pulling off the role the way that he did. His chemistry with costar Zooey Deschanel was fabulous, and Bob Newhart as his elf adoptive father is tremendous. The film only cost $33 million to make, and it grossed an incredible $220 million at the box office. It wasn't long after the movie's release that you saw people wearing Elf shirts everywhere.
"Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" - 2004
After a stellar 2003, Ferrell kept the momentum going the next year with the release of " Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy." This is the most quotable Ferrell movie. In fact, some people are such big fans that they can hardly go a day without quoting their favorite lines from the film. Burgundy was a character that could only be played by an actor who is willing to completely commit himself to playing a jackass the way that Ferrell did. It is truly a film for fans of ridiculousness, which Ferrell can do better than any other comedian in Hollywood.
"Wedding Crashers" - 2005
Although he is only in a few scenes in the movie, Ferrell's character Chazz Reinhold is arguably the funniest character in the film. His bellowing at his mom for meatloaf is one of the most hilarious parts of the movie.
"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" - 2006
This is another movie from Ferrell that cracks audiences up with its sheer ridiculousness. This was the first time that Ferrell partnered with John C. Reilly, and the two produced comedy gold together in the movie. This was one of several films that Ferrell has been in that he actually wrote the script for, proving that he can write comedy just as well as he performs it.
"Blades of Glory" - 2007
A few years after "Wedding Crashers" came out, Ferrell again played a character named Chazz. This time, instead of being a funeral crasher, Ferrell played a figure skater. Playing opposite Jon Heder of "Napoleon Dynamite" fame, Ferrell once again proved that he would do anything to make audiences laugh no matter how ridiculous. It takes a special kind of bravery to allow yourself to look silly to make people laugh, and Ferrell is never afraid to look ludicrous as he proved in "Blades of Glory."
"Step Brothers" - 2008
This is yet another movie where Ferrell lets himself look ridiculous for the sake of making people laugh. This was the second time that Ferrell paired up with John C. Reilly, and the two proved once again that they are a dynamic comedy duo.
Will Ferrell is a never-ending source of delight for comedy fans. His movies have grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. It is no wonder that people are always on the lookout for Ricky Bobby, Old School and Elf shirts. When you wear one, people know that you have a great sense of humor.