In a recent visit to Chapel Hill, while on the Funny Or Die Comedy Tour, Semi-Pro star Will Ferrell spoke with recess' Varun Lella about sports, growing up and future roles.
Who would win in a one-on-one-on-one game between you and Woody Harrelson and Andre 3000?
Well, I would. Because I got great fundamentals and that's what wins games, I would think.
You have done soccer and NASCAR and skating, are there any other sports movies you want to do?
This is kind of coincidence that these movies have come out one right after another. That's kind of been the line of questioning, "Are you obsessed with sports comedies?" I'm not. They are fun to do, but I don't have a list of 80 sports-related movies I want to do.
Well, in a lot of ways it is more of a parody of the time and place.
Exactly, that's a good observation and a lot of people don't get that. It is really a parody of the '70s and this league, the ABA which a lot of people don't realize was a real league. It is not a movie about our characters playing bad basketball. It's more about this insane league. When you read accounts about the ABA you can't believe the stories or that it was around for nine years.
What were you doing in 1976 when the ABA was cancelled?
Well, I was nine, so I was in the third grade. So just kicking ass in the third grade.
You and Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) have a good relationship, and you are doing your next movie, Step Brothers, with him. How is this film different than your past work with Adam?
It is pretty different in that it is not based on broad, over-the-top characters. It is pretty grounded, or as grounded as we can get. It's dealing with family life, it features two characters that are 40 years old and live at home and have to get jobs, but have a laundry list of reasons for not doing so. I think we all know people like that. People who are like, "As soon as I get my welding degree, I am going to go do this... but I can't do that until I get my car fixed."
Given the positive reaction from critics to your roles in Stranger than Fiction and Winter Passing, would you consider doing more dramatic roles in the future?
I don't know, it just depends. I like not being confined to any sort of master blueprint. I loved those two experiences and especially Stranger Than Fiction, but I never want to be guilty of forcing that issue. I want it to feel like it fits. I am not that comedian that has the agenda of saying, "Please take me seriously." It's so much fun to do different movies and take on those challenges, but I love comedies too. Hopefully I get to do more, but I'm just going to take it as it comes.
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