After 25 Years of Acting, These Are Will Ferrell's Best Movie and TV Roles

Published on June 1, 2020 at 6:25 PM

Trying to narrow down Will Ferrell's best movie and TV roles is like trying to choose a favorite flavor of ice cream. A lot of them are so good: from his beginnings on Saturday Night Live in 1995 to his role as Pete Staunton in 2020's Downhill. Alright, maybe Get Hard and Holmes & Watson weren't that good, but they had their moments. With the premiere of Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga on June 26, we felt it was time to take a trip down memory lane and maybe have a laugh or two by looking back at some of his best roles. We even coupled them with some memorable quotes, which will probably be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. See them all ahead.

Buddy the Elf in Elf (2003)

When Buddy the Elf discovers he's actually human, he leaves the North Pole in search of his real dad. While initially reluctant to accept his son, Walter Hobbs (James Caan) eventually brings him into his life upon learning the results of a DNA test. Buddy then tries to fit into the real world and falls in love with Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). However, when it seems Christmas may be ruined, it's Buddy's uniqueness that saves the day.

Memorable quotes:

"Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"
"I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite."
"Santa! Oh, my God! Santa's coming! I know him! I know him!"
"You did it! Congratulations! World's best cup of coffee! Great job, everybody! It's great to be here."

Elf is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Ricky Bobby is one of racing's top drivers and he's got it all. However, after he loses to French Formula One driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) everything he knows is put into question. With the help of his family (including his estranged father), he has to do everything he can to regain his title and his confidence.

Memorable quotes:

"If you ain't first, you're last."
"I hope that both of you have sons . . . Handsome, beautiful, articulate sons, who are talented and star athletes and they have their legs taken away. I mean, I pray you know that pain and that hurt."
"Dear eight pounds six ounces . . . newborn infant Jesus, don't even know a word yet."
"Help me, Tom Cruise! Tom Cruise use your witchcraft on me to get the fire off me! Help me, Oprah Winfrey!"

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Ron Burgundy in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

In 1970s San Diego, Ron Burgundy is the top anchorman. After welcoming Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) into the boys club of broadcast news, he's soon outshone and a bitter feud ensues, which results in him offending the city of San Diego and ruining his career. It isn't until a breaking news story at a zoo that he's given a second chance.

Memorable quotes:

"It's so damn hot. Milk was a bad choice."
"You stay classy, San Diego. I'm Ron Burgundy?"
"Well, I could be wrong, but I believe diversity is an old, old wooden ship that was used during the Civil War era."
"I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany."
"I'm in a glass case of emotion!"

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Brennan Huff in Step Brothers (2008)

After Brennan Huff's mother and Dale Doback's (John C. Reilly) father get married, their worlds get turned upside down. At first, the pair seem to have nothing in common and are constantly at each other's throats. Things then take a turn when they find a common ground, but their ridiculous antics end up straining their parent's relationship. As a result, they are forced to work together and grow up in order to reunite their parents.

Memorable quotes:

"Did we just become best friends?"
"It'll give us so much extra space in our room to do activities."
"Maybe someday we could become friends. Friends who ride majestic, translucent steeds, shooting flaming arrows across the bridge of Hemdale."
"I was watching Cops."
"Get out of my face or I'm gonna roundhouse your ass."

Step Brothers is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Jacobim Mugatu in Zoolander (2001)

Made famous by "Blue Steel," male model Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is worried about becoming obsolete thanks to his rival Hansel (Owen Wilson). In turn, this makes Zoolander an easy target for evil fashion designer Mugatu, whose main goal is to brainwash the model to kill Malaysia's prime minister. The only solution is for Zoolander and Hansel to set aside their differences and take Mugatu down.

Memorable quotes:

"It's that damn Hansel! He's so hot right now!"
"The man has only one look for Christ's sake! Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigra? They're the same face! Doesn't anybody notice this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!"
"I invented the piano key neck tie! I invented it! What have you done, Derek? Nothing."

Zoolander is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Sky Corrigan in Superstar (1999)

Socially awkward Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher (Molly Shannon) dreams about dating popular student Sky Corrigan and becoming a star. In order to achieve her dreams, she enters a talent contest where her biggest rival is Sky's girlfriend Evian Graham (Elaine Hendrix). Against the wishes of her grandmother, Mary Katherine prepares to win both the contest and Sky's heart.

Memorable quotes:

"I made up a new dance move. It's called the 'move on with your life.'"
"Nice moves!"
"I call this one, the pepper mill."

Superstar is currently available on Hulu with a Starz account.

Gene Frenkle on Cowbell on SNL (2000)

The "More Cowbell" sketch is a fictionalized version of VH1's Behind the Music focused on the recording of Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." While the rest of the SNL cast portrays the real members of the band, Ferrell portrays fictional cowbell player Gene Frenkle. After Gene's overzealous playing gets in the way of the others, they ask for him to pull back. It isn't until producer Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken) states "I've got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell" that Frenkel is allowed to fully embrace his performance.

Memorable quotes:

"I'm standing here, staring at Bruce Dickinson! And if Bruce Dickinson wants more cowbell, we should probably give him more cowbell!"
"And, Bobby, you are right — I am being selfish. But the last time I checked, we don't have a whole lot of songs that feature the cowbell."
"And I'll be doing myself a disservice and every member in this band, if I don't perform the hell out of this."

Click here to watch the "More Cowbell" SNL sketch.

Frank "The Tank" Ricard in Old School (2003)

Distraught over the fact that his girlfriend has been cheating on him, attorney Mitch (Luke Wilson) moves to a new house in order to get his life back on track. With the help of his friends, newly-married Frank and party-boy Beanie (Vince Vaughn), Mitch turns his house into a fraternity in order to circumvent campus housing rules imposed by Dean Gordon Pritchard (Jeremy Piven).

Memorable quotes:

"You're my boy, Blue! You're my boy."
"We're . . . we're going streaking! We're going up the quad and to the gymnasium . . . There's more coming, but everybody's doing it."
"SNOOP! SNOOP-A-LOOP!"
"That's how you do it. That's how you debate."

Old School is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Chazz Michael Michaels in Blades of Glory (2007)

Chazz Michael Michaels and his rival, Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder), are banned from singles figure skating after they get into a fight upon tying for gold at the Winter Olympics. The only way they can get back into the sport they love is to skate as a pair.

Memorable quotes:

"We're gonna dance to one song, and one song only: 'Lady Humps' by the Black Eyed Peas. What you gonna do with all that junk, all that junk inside your trunk? I'm a get you, get you drunk, get you drunk off my lady humps, my humps, my humps, my lovely lady humps."
"Yeah, mind-bottling. You know, when things are so crazy it gets your thoughts all trapped, like in a bottle?"
"You're living in the past, Sammi. Me and the Woodland Fairies, we're living in the here and now."
"I am never satisfied! It's a curse . . ."

Blades of Glory is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Steve Butabi in A Night at the Roxbury (1998)

Brothers Doug (Chris Kattan) and Steve Butabi (Will Ferrell) still live with their parents and have no goals in life, aside from opening the hottest club the city has ever seen. After a chance run-in with Richard Grieco (who plays himself in the movie), their luck seems to change. That is, until they drift apart due to a fight and Steve gets engaged to Emily Sanderson (Molly Shannon).

Memorable quotes:

"I was like, Emilio!"
"Ok. What's up? . . . 2, 3, 4. What's up? . . . 2, 3, 4."
"You're right, we should go out for lunch after this."
"But there's no HBO! GOD!"
"No . . . YES!"

A Night at the Roxbury is currently available on Netflix.

Alex Trebek on SNL (2000)

In a series of "Celebrity Jeopardy" sketches on SNL, Ferrell plays an exasperated Alex Trebek. One of the most iconic sketches involves Norm Macdonald as Burt Reynolds, Jimmy Fallon as French Stewart, and Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery.

Memorable quotes:

"Mr. Reynolds has apparently changed his name to Turd Ferguson."
"That's the 'Pen Is Mightier!'"
"Well, all you had to do was write down a number. And you wrote. . . Threeve. A combination of three and five. Simply stunning. And you wagered. . . Texas with a dollar sign in front of it. I'm speechless."
"Mr. Connery, the category was numbers, and you wrote . . . letter V. Well, I tell you what my friend, V is a Roman numeral, so despite your best efforts, you answered correctly. Let's see what you wagered, 'Suck it Trebek.'"

Click here to watch a "Celebrity Jeopardy" SNL sketch.

Detective Allen Gamble in The Other Guys (2010)

Desk-bound NYPD detectives Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) finally catch a break as a minor case turns into a big deal. Eager to get back into the good graces of their boss, Terry and Allen put the investigation into high-gear. However, things don't go as planned and the pair soon find themselves dealing with more than they ever could've bargained for.

Memorable quotes:

"Did that go the way you thought it was gonna go? Nope."
"Gator's b*tches better be using jimmies!"
"I can't hear! I can't hear! There's blood blisters on my hands! Oh, my God! How do you walk away in a movie without flinching when it explodes behind them? There's no way! I call bullsh*t on that! When they flew the Millennium Falcon outside of the Death Star, and it was followed by the explosion, that was bullsh*t!"
"You turned my beautiful Prius into a nightmare!"
"I think we all experienced our own ballet today. A ballet of emotion, and feelings."

The Other Guys is currently available on Netflix.

James Lipton on SNL (2000)

The most iconic of the recurring "Inside the Actor's Studio" SNL sketches has to be the one where James Lipton (Ferrell) interviewed Match Game star Charles Nelson Reilly (Alec Baldwin). Other celebrities include Clint Eastwood (Norm Macdonald), Billy Bob Thornton (as himself), and Dustin Diamond (Tobey Maguire).

Memorable quotes:

"Yes it is. Match Game was absolutely scrumtrulescent."
"If you haven't seen A Troll in Central Park, you must. It is like looking into the face of God and seeing him smiling back and saying, 'You are my most wondrous creation.'"
"You are a delight."

Chazz Reinhold in Wedding Crashers (2005)

Best friends Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) and John (Owen Wilson) spend most of their free time crashing weddings. Things hit a snag when they crash a high-profile wedding with John falling for the Secretary of the Treasury's daughter (Rachel McAdams). This leaves Jeremy to reconnect with Chazz whose outlook on crashing is extremely different.

Memorable quotes:

"Hey mom, can we get some meatloaf?!"
"I almost numchucked you, you don't even realize!"
"Grief is nature's most powerful aphrodisiac."

Wedding Crashers is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Phil Weston in Kicking & Screaming (2005)

Phil Weston has always been a disappointment to his father, Buck Weston (Robert Duvall). As a father himself, Phil has inherited his father's competitiveness and wants his equally un-athletic son Sam to win. Serving as Sam's soccer coach, Phil hopes to take the last-place team all the way to the championship to defeat his father.

Memorable quotes:

"I am angry. I'm like a large tornado of anger, swirling about."
"No, you go to hell, and while you're there, why don't you grab me a juicebox!"
"All in good time, Connor. But in the event the pizzas don't arrive, I have already made the decision . . . that we will eat Byong Sun."
"Mike Ditka scares me! Have you ever looked into his eyes? Or at his hair?"

Wedding Crashers is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Megamind in Megamind (2010)

Megamind thinks of himself as the most powerful supervillain in the world. When he defeats his rival Metro Man (Brad Pitt), he realizes he doesn't have a purpose in life and sets out to create a new superhero. Things don't go as planned and the new hero realizes it's more fun to be the bad guy.

Memorable quotes:

"There's a benefit to losing: you get to learn from your mistakes."
"Ollo?"
"But metals can be melted, by the heat of revange!"
"Uh, yes, the spyiiiiiider. Even the smallest bite from 'arachnis deathicus' will instantly paralyze . . . AARGH! Get it off! It bit me!"

Megamind is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Brad Whitaker in Daddy's Home (2015)

Brad Whitaker wants to be the best stepfather to his wife's (Linda Cardellini) two children. When her ex-husband Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) comes back into town, things become extremely hectic. If that wasn't enough, Brad's inferiority complex finds himself in an intense battle to one-up Dusty and win back the approval of his family.

Memorable quotes:

"The step-king has had enough of the king's BULLSH*T!"
"I mean, kids at the end of the day, they know who's been around, and, holy balls!"
"You can eat my dust, Dusty."

Daddy's Home is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Jackie Moon in Semi-Pro (2008)

Singer Jackie Moon sinks all his earnings from his only hit into owning a basketball team. However, his team, the Flint Michigan Tropics, is the worst in the league. To make matters worse, the ABA and NBA announce plans to merge and only a few teams will make the cut. It's up to Jackie and the Tropics to turn things around and prove they're worth keeping.

Memorable quotes:

"ELE! Everybody love everybody!"
"In the annals of history people are going to be talking about three things: the discovery of fire, invention of the submarine, and the Flint, Michigan Mega Bowl."
"Everybody panic! It's just like the Titanic but it's full of bears!"

Semi-Pro is currently available on Amazon Prime.