A graduate of the University of Southern California, Will Ferrell became interested in performing while a student at University High School in Irvine, California, where he made his school's daily morning announcements over the public address system in disguised voices. He started as a member of the Los Angeles comedy/improvisation group The Groundlings, where fellow cast members Ana Gasteyer, Maya Rudolph and former Saturday Night Live repertory players such as Laraine Newman, Jon Lovitz and Phil Hartman began their careers. It was there he met Chris Kattan and the two became good friends and both went on to Saturday Night Live later. He has also appeared on several television programs, including Strangers with Candy, Grace Under Fire and Living Single during his time at The Groundlings. Will also lent his voice to the armless and legless dad of cartoon family "The Oblongs".

In 1995 he became a feature cast member at Saturday Night Live during the show's rapid re-casting. He was declared quite possibly the worst cast member ever during his first season. However, his talents of impersonations and range of characters shot him forward to making him arguably the greatest Saturday Night Live cast member ever. During his seven year run he is one of the few cast members to ever be nominated for an Emmy for a performance and played George W. Bush during the 2000 elections. He's appeared in every Saturday Night Live movie since his premiere on the show in 1995. In 2002 he left Saturday Night Live and was the only cast member to ever receive a farewell from all the current cast members at the end of the season finale show. Since leaving the show Will has pursued a career in films. In 2000 he married and now lives in L.A.


Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006): $20,000,000
Bewitched (2005): $20,000,000
Kicking & Screaming (2005): $20,000,000
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004): $7,000,000

Lives in both Los Angeles and New York City. Graduated from University High School in Irvine, California. [1986] Graduated from University of Southern California with a degree in Sports Information. Former member of The Groundlings. Brother of Patrick Ferrell. Became "Saturday Night Live" (1975)'s highest paid cast member ever in 2001. Producers were desperate to keep him, resulting in a salary of over $350,000. He can be heard (uncredited) in the movie Kingpin (1996) in the background during the final bowling scene between Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson's characters yelling, "Ernie, you're the man!" He and his wife Viveca Paulin ran the Boston Marathon on April 21, 2003. Is a member of the Delta Tau Delta international fraternity. Was not a class clown in high school but a scholar and an athlete. Was voted the 3rd funniest person in America by Entertainment Weekly. His style is unique among modern movie funnymen, a majority of whom have some sort of background in stand-up comedy. Ferrell's humor is character-driven and his genius lies in his improvised riffs from the minds of his typically cracked characters. His appearances on talk shows are often awkward, as he is uncomfortable appearing in public as himself. Ranked #51 in Premiere's 2004 Power 100 List. It is his first appearance on the list. Ranked #38 on Premiere's 2005 Power 50 List. Had ranked #51 in 2004. He is a member of an adult soccer league that plays at Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences - an exclusive private school in Santa Monica, California. Is of Irish descent. Has three dogs. Aside from University High School where he graduated, he also attended Rancho San Joaquin Middle School Irvine. Was chosen over future co-star Steve Carell in 1995 to join SNL. Was named #74 out of 137 on Entertainment Weekly's Must List (2004). Every summer Will and his wife celebrate mid-summer in Sweden, a typical Swedish tradition. 2007 - Ranked #17 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood. In January 2008 he spent two weeks traveling throughout Ireland with his dad, Lee, and brother Patrick. Has played the son of two The Godfather (1972) cast members: James Caan in Elf (2003), and Robert Duvall in Kicking & Screaming (2005). Worked as a teller at Wells Fargo when he was in high school. Will is a fan of the soccer clubs Celtic (from Glasgow) and Chelsea (From London). Can be seen wearing the jerseys from the clubs at events on TV. Nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Special Theatrical Event "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush". Met his wife, Viveca Paulin, in an acting class in 1994.