John William Ferrell, popularly known as Will Ferrell, is an accomplished American actor, comedian, and film producer who enjoys an industry presence spanning more than three decades. Throughout his illustrious acting career, Will Ferrell has appeared in scores of box office hits.
The following is a rundown of some of the best movies that this iconic actor has appeared in.
1. Dick (1999)
July 17th, 1972, will go down as one of the most infamous days in the history of US politics. On this day, White House employees staged a break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices located in the Watergate complex, Washington.
The ensuing scandal, popularly known as the Watergate scandal, eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Well, for most of us who weren’t at the center of these intrigues, the Dick movie offers a perfect chance to relive the entire scandal, albeit in a comic manner.
2. Zoolander (2001)
Most of Will Ferrell’s movies on this list are all about Will himself. However, Zoolander is a notable exception. In this movie, Ferrell is cast fourth after Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Christine Taylor. The main character, Ben Stiller, plays the role of a half-witted, narcissistic, but good-natured male model known as Derek Zoolander. Zoolander is a renowned fashion model. But a series of events (natural and choreographed) deal a severe blow to his reputation.
As Zoolander’s reputation receives further beating, he eventually loses his spot as the top male fashion model and is replaced by Hansel. Ferrell plays Jacobim Mugatu, a fashion mogul who is tasked with the job of finding a pawn that can be used to assassinate the new Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Apparently, the new Premier has come on board with progressive policies that threaten to kill cheap child labor in the country’s fashion industry. If you’re looking for the ultimate satirical film that portrays the murky fashion industry, you won’t go wrong with Zoolander.
3. Elf (2003)
Elf is all about spreading positive vibes while still carrying some deep underlying lessons. Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a young baby boy that accidentally slips into Santa Claus’s sack on Christmas Eve, after getting drawn by the sight of a teddy bear.
The little boy is transported to the North Pole. There, he is discovered by Santa’s elves at a workshop, who adopt him and name him Buddy. But when Buddy learns about what befell him, he is determined to locate his biological father. As he travels back to New York City to meet his dad, he spreads messages of hope and positivity amidst cynicism and frustrations.
4. Old School (2003)
This is another Will Ferrell movie on this list where the comedian doesn’t play the central role. However, his performance is outstanding, and is one of the reasons behind the movie’s success. Old School is all about three friends who are desperately seeking happiness in a world where every good thing seems to be slipping out of their hands.
Will Ferrell is cast alongside Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn as hopeless guys in their thirties who are battling mid-life crisis. The three men are determined to relive their glorious college days, so they form a fraternity. The ensuing action will surely keep you on the edge of your seat.
5. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
If you’ve watched all the movies in the Anchorman series, you’ll agree that none of them holds more magic than the very first installment of the franchise. Wills Ferrell plays Ron Burgundy, a famous anchorman working for a San Diego TV station known as KVWN Channel 4. One day, the station director informs KVWN Channel 4 members that the media outlet has retained its reputation as San Diego’s highest-rated news program.
The team throws a wild party, which is graced by a beautiful woman named Veronica Corningstone. Ron Burgundy unsuccessfully tries to pick up on Corningstone but in a strange twist, the woman eventually joins the KVWN Channel 4 team.
Corningstone’s beauty is simply irresistible, so most of her male colleagues try to woo her for a romantic relationship. After playing hard to get for some time, she finally agrees to date Burgundy on condition that everything remains professional. But Burgundy cannot conceal his joy. He announces their relationship on air, opening up the station for a barrage of intrigues.
6. Melinda and Melinda (2004)
Just like in Zoolander, Will Ferrell is cast forth in Melinda and Melinda, after Radha Mitchell, Chloë Sevigny, and Jonny Lee Miller. Unlike most Will Ferrell’s films that are almost entirely comic, Melinda and Melinda carries both the themes of comedy and tragedy, almost in equal measure.
Melinda, which is played by Radha Mitchell, appears in both the comic and the tragic versions. Chloë Sevigny and Jonny Lee Miller appear alongside Radha in her tragic scenes, whereas Will Ferrell and Amanda Peet add the much-needed comic relief to the movie.
7. Bewitched (2005)
Not many actors can blend romance, fantasy, and comedy as effectively as Will Ferrell can. Starring Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman, Bewitched totally lives up to its title. The movie revolves around Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) who is approached to help in a remake of the sitcom, Bewitched.
But in the course of the remake, the actor discovers that his co-star, Isabel Bigelow (Nicole Kidman) is an actual witch. Bewitched takes the themes of romance, black magic, and fantasy to a whole new level.
8. The Producers (2005)
The Producers chronicles the struggles of musical producers who are determined to stay afloat. Nathan Lane plays the lead actor as Max Bialystock, who is smarting from the loss of his theatrical musical. He hires an accountant named Leo Bloom (Mathew Broderick).
Leo reveals to Max that his collapsed musical might escape the prying eyes of the IRS since the agency doesn’t investigate the financial books of failed productions. After Leo quits his job, the duo forms “Bialystock & Bloom,” with an intention of cashing in on failed productions. This film is a classic case of chasing money by all means.
9. Wedding Crashers (2005)
What happens when divorce mediators crash your wedding in an attempt to woo the bridesmaids? Well, you can only expect fireworks, and that’s exactly what Wedding Crashers is all about. The movie stars Owen Wilson as John Beckwith and Vince Vaughn as Jeremy Grey. The duo plays the lead role of divorce mediators, with Will Farrell playing an uncredited role.
For the most part, John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey’s antics pay off, until Jeremy crashes a wedding and have sex with a woman who later becomes possessive of him. Things begin to go awry from this point, much to the delight of the naughty duo.
10. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is a dedicated IRS agent. His next assignment is auditing the accounts of an intentionally tax-delinquent baker named Ana Pascal. Some chemistry begins simmering between the two.
However, on the same day, Harold starts to hear a disembodied female voice narrating his entire life, as though he were the protagonist in a novel. Although he cannot communicate with the voice, something piques his interest. Apparently, he is soon to die. It’s now Harold’s duty to prevent his own death.
11. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Talladega Nights revolves around a man who is determined to live his life on the fast lane, a lane that he was introduced to right from his birth. Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) was born in a racing car after his dad accidentally missed the turnoff to the nearest hospital.
Though Ricky barely knew his father, the last he remembers is his dad telling him that ‘if you ain’t first, you’re last.’ These famous last words have stuck with him and fueled his drive to succeed in NASCAR. Sadly, Ricky’s performance begins to decline and he is eventually fired from his racing team. The highlight of the movie is how Ricky endeavors to stage a comeback while also dealing with a broken family.
12. Step Brothers (2008)
The historic rivalry between stepbrothers is aptly captured in this sensational 2008 movie featuring Will Ferrell as Brennan Huff and John C. Reilly as Dale Doback. Brennan and Dale’s parents fall in love and marry each other, forcing their errant sons to live together under the same roof.
Brennan and Dale continue with their unruly behavior and are frequently grounded on account of it. The plot takes a more exciting twist with the introduction of Brennan’s younger but more successful brother.
13. Everything Must Go (2010)
When a salesman who also happens to be a notorious alcoholic, Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell), attends a conference in Denver, he gets sexually involved with a female coworker. He immediately loses his job of 16 years but that’s just the beginning of his woes. His wife leaves him, he goes bankrupt and attempts to sell his personal belongings.
Broke and helpless, Nick is also battling with withdrawal. Luckily for him, he has a bunch of helpful neighbors who can see the good in him. In a new twist, Nick eventually discovers that the much-hyped incident in Denver never happened.
14. The Other Guys (2010)
The Other Guys begins as your regular movie about buddy cops. But Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) are an incompatible pair. While Allen is a mild-tempered accountant, his partner is a hot-tempered, no-nonsense detective.
As the two New York City Police Department detectives go about cracking their cases, their partnership somewhat grows stronger. The movie captures all the politics that goes down behind the curtains at NYPD, with the themes of sex and comedy flowing throughout the plot.
15. Downhill (2020)
Downhill is a remake of the 2014 sensational drama, Force Majeure. In this black comedy-drama, a married couple, played by Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, goes on an ill-fated ski holiday in Ischgl, Austria. The couple soon discovers that they’re about to die in an avalanche.
As they prepare for their possible death, the couple attempts to reexamine their lives and their feelings for one another. The film highlights how fickle love and marriage can get when partners are looking at an imminent tragedy straight in the face.
Final Word
Will Ferrell has treated the world to scores of scintillating comedy films. The above reviewed movies are some of the best he has made appearances in.
