If ever you're in the mood for a good laugh, you can’t go wrong with Will Ferrell. From Saturday Night Live to the big screen, Ferrell has spent decades honing his comedic talents to perfection.
A master of improv, Ferrell is responsible for producing some of the funniest characters in comedy history. Some are calm and sane, while others are quick to lose their marbles, and some are just plain weird. With his many personas and acting ability, Ferrell is a major player in the world of comedy.
Allen Gamble/Gator – The Other Guys
The Other Guys features Ferrell as Allen Gamble, a seemingly plain detective/forensic accountant.
A recurring running gag for Gamble is that he seems to constantly attract beautiful women, leaving his quick-tempered partner Terry in disbelief. Even when it is revealed that he is a former pimp named Gator, Gamble still manages to tell his backstory in the funniest way possible.
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Ferrell performs some of the most comedic scenes in the film while juggling between his Gamble and Gator personalities. One moment, he is the calm and humorous Gamble, who proudly audited his parents as a child. Then at the drop of a dime, he makes outrageous statements and other funny pimp quotes as Gator.
Mustafa – Austin Powers Franchise
One of Ferrell’s greatest strengths is his ability to make every character he plays hilarious, regardless of screen time. Hence, even his cameos are considered equally hilarious.
Among his many minor appearances, Mustafa from the Austin Powers movies is one of his funniest to date. Appearing in only the first two films, Mustafa is responsible for some of the franchises funniest and memorable moments.
Every time Mustafa is seemingly killed, he always finds some way to bounce back, albeit while in incredible pain. In these moments, he follows up with painful, yet hilarious cries asking for support, often making things worse for himself in the process.
Renter – The Landlord
The Landlord, directed by Adam McKay and Drew Antzis, is a short film featuring one of Ferrell’s funniest characters.
The film features Ferrell, who is simply known as the Renter, being confronted by his two-year-old landlord. Audiences are then treated to the sight of Ferrell getting yelled at by a toddler who swears at him and threatens to throw him out into the street. It becomes impossible not to laugh as the child cusses at Ferrell to the point where she moves him to tears.
Since its release in 2007, The Landlord has acquired over 100 million views on its home website Funny or Die.
Gus Chiggins – Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live produces some of the funniest sketches known to mankind. However, not all of them have a chance to make it on the air.
One of Ferrell’s funniest sketches, Gus Chiggins, Old Prospector, is one of these hidden nuggets of comedy gold.
Ferrell’s antics as an old-timey prospector, complete with accent and old-fashioned quotes like "Oh, peaches", are so funny that several of the actors, including Jimmy Fallon, can’t help but break character and join in the laughter.
Filmed a month after 9/11, Gus Chiggins was a hilarious character that brought some much-needed relief during one of the darkest moments in American history.
Buddy the Elf – Elf
In one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, Ferrell draws out his inner child to bring audiences the holiday antics of Buddy the Elf in Elf.
While searching for his long-lost human father, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City. From his fight with a mall Santa to waging an epic snowball fight, Buddy’s childlike wonder and naivety gets him into some awkward, yet hilarious moments.
With a wicked sense of holiday humor fit for the whole family, Buddy pulls all the stops to bond with his adoptive family, woo his love interest, and even save Christmas.
Jacobim Mugatu - Zoolander
Among the many characters Ferrell has played over the years, Mugatu from Zoolander is easily one of his most eccentric.
Dialing Ferrell’s usual brand of crazy up to 11, Mugatu stands out not just for his over the top appearance, but for his loud and absurdly funny behavior. Although ruthless, Mugatu fulfills his objectives in the wackiest ways possible.
These include yelling at models, throwing foamy lattes at his assistant, as well as appearing in a psychedelic brainwashing video while trying to pass himself off as a child and pulling off some horrific, yet hilarious dance moves.
One thing is for sure, audiences will not soon forget the man who invented the piano key necktie.
Frank "The Tank" Ricard – Old School
Shortly after leaving Saturday Night Live, Ferrell was chosen to play Frank “The Tank” Ricard in Old School.
Even though he is not the film’s main character, Ferrell stands out as one of its funniest. What follows is the story of three grown men trying to start their own fraternity, all while committing acts of pure stupidity with hilarious results.
Frank gives audiences an unforgettable show as he performs all sorts of crazy stunts from drinking large amounts of alcohol, streaking in public and even taking a tranquilizer dart to the neck.
Frank’s behavior is so embarrassingly funny that it guarantees to leave audiences in stitches.
Brennan Huff – Step Brothers
When it comes to comedic masterpieces, it is pretty hard to top a movie the likes of Step Brothers. Ferrell plays the role of Brennan Huff, who is basically a child living in a grown man’s body.
While working alongside fellow comedian John C. Reilly, Ferrell channels his comedic genius to entirely new levels of jackassery. Brennan pulls all the stops from savage quotes and swearing, to committing hilarious acts of violence against his stepbrother Dale, such as hitting him with a bicycle, as well as hitting him with a shovel and trying to bury him alive.
There is no question that Brennan Huff will forever be remembered as one of Ferrell’s funniest characters.
Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby would not have been as funny without Ferrell playing the role of NASCAR racer Ricky Bobby.
One of his funniest moments occurs while he is saying grace at family dinner and prays to his own version of the Baby Jesus. Another funny moment occurs after Ricky's car wreck, where he emerges delirious, believing himself to be on fire. He then strips down to his underwear and runs around the track while praying to several deities, as well as Tom Cruise and Oprah, to save him.
Overall, Ricky is an extremely funny character. Especially considering that he was willing to drive with a live cougar in his car.
Ron Burgundy – Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
For every die-hard comedy fan, the character Ron Burgundy from the Anchorman films is nothing short of a legend. After nearly 15 years since his debut, Ron Burgundy remains one of Ferrell’s funniest characters.
As an anchorman in the 1970’s, Ron Burgundy remains ignorant of changing social norms in the workplace. As a result, this often leads him to commit hilarious acts of buffoonery. Ron Burgundy is forever immortalized for his hilarious quotes, and memorable fight scenes with other popular news teams.
Ron Burgundy’s hilarious legacy has even resulted in the birth of some of the funniest memes on the internet.
Now if only he could figure out what San Diego really means.