Bio:
Will Ferrell (born July 16, 1967 as John William Ferrell) is an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and writer. Saturday Night Live plucked Will from The Groundlings in 1995, and he went on to become arguably the greatest SNL cast member ever, during his seven seasons on the show. His most famous characters include his parodies of President George W. Bush, Jeopardy’s Alex Trebek, and Inside the Actor’s Studio‘s James Lipton. Will found even greater success, when he jumped to the big screen, in films like Old School, Elf, and Anchorman: Legend of Ron Burgundy. He took his comedic talents to the Internet, co-creating the website “Funny or Die” with his good buddy, Adam McKay.
Best Known For:
Ferrell is best known for his roles in comedy classics like Elf, Anchorman, and Step Brothers. He is also recognized for his impersonations of former president George W. Bush, and for appearing partially nude in all of his movies.
Personal Life:
Will was born in Irvine, Calif. to Betty Kay, a teacher, and Roy Lee, a musician. The couple divorced when Will was only eight years old. Will grew up wanting a steady job, witnessing the erratic schedule of his father’s life in show business. He graduated from the University of Southern California, but took odd jobs right after until he joined The Groundlings in Los Angeles. He married Viveca Paulin, a Swedish actress, in Aug. 2000. The couple now have three children — Magnus (2004), Mattias (2006) and Axel (2010).
