Will Ferrell Net Worth, Professional Career, Personal Life, Best Movies, Awards & Honors

Will Ferrell is a well-known actor and comedian who rose to prominence from Saturday Night Live for his comedic performance and amazing impressions of celebrities. He is one of the leading Hollywood comic actors who has appeared in more than 50 movies in his career. Ferrell’s major portion of income generates from his acting career, but other than this, he also owned a production company and is a part-owner of a major league soccer team. As of 2023, Will Ferrell’s net worth stands close to $160 million.

Will Ferrell Net Worth in 2023

Name	Will Ferrell
Profession	Actor
Net worth (2023)	$160 million (est.)

Will Ferrell’s Personal Biography

Will Ferrell was born on July 16, 1967, in Irvine, California, to Betty Kay and Roy Lee Ferrell Jr. His mother was an elementary school teacher while his father was a musician who played saxophone and keyboards for the Righteous Brothers. Will’s parents divorced when he was eight years old. He also has a younger brother. When an infant Ferrell suffered from pyloric stenosis and had surgery to fix the condition. After watching his father in a show business that has no steady income and involved a lot of staying away from home, Ferrell decided never to go into show business.

In 1995, Farrell met Swedish actress Viveca Paulin in an acting class and they started dating. The couple got married in 2000 and have three sons together. The family lives in New York City and sometimes in California.

Full name	John William Ferrell
Profession	Actor, comedian, producer, writer
Comedy Genres	Improvisational, sketch, physical, character, cringe, political satire, etc
Years active	1991 – present
Age	Born on July 16, 1967
Gender	Male
Place of birth	Irvine, California, U.S.
Education	University of Southern California (BA)
Marital status	Married
Spouse	Viveca Paulin (2000 – present)
Children	3
Nationality	American
Parents	Betty Kay (mother) Roy Lee Ferrell Jr. (father)

High School Comedy & Initial Career

Ferrell started performing comedy sketches in high school along with a friend. He even participated in talent shows and used to write his own material. He later enrolled in the University of Southern California to study sports broadcasting and earned an internship at a local television station in the sports department. However, Ferrell didn’t enjoy broadcasting and gave up the job once he graduated from college.

After college, Ferrell took up a job as a hotel valet and later as a Wells Fargo bank teller but lost both jobs due to careless behavior. His mother then encouraged him to pursue something he liked and Ferrell moved to Los Angeles. He joined the comedy group The Groundlings in 1994 and started developing his improvisation skills. Ferrell soon started receiving small roles in TV series, low-budget films, and commercials.

SNL, Movies & Voice Acting

In 1995, when Saturday Night Live’s popularity began to decline, the show producers started looking for fresh comedians. One of the producers saw Ferrell’s performance in The Groundlings and asked him to audition for the show. Will auditioned successfully for SNL and soon started gathering attention for his impersonations. His famous impressions included US President George W. Bush, US Vice President Al Gore, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, and Cuban President Fidel Castro, singers Robert Goulet & Neil Diamond, and others. He left the show in 2002 after working for seven years. In a 2014 poll, Will was voted the best Saturday Night Live cast member of all time.

While still a member of Saturday Night Live, Ferrell appeared in several movies including some hits like “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery”, “Zoolander”, “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”, etc. After leaving the show, Ferrell starred in the movie “Old School” (2003) which not only became a commercial success but also earned an MTV Movie Awards nomination for Ferrell for Best Comedic Performance. His next project “Elf” released in the same year earned him another MTV Movie Awards nomination. Ferrell’s further movies “Stranger Than Fiction” and “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” also received critical and box office success.

Ferrell has worked as a voice actor in several episodes of the Fox series “Family Guy” and has also given his voice in another Fox sitcom “King of the Hill”. Ferrell has also given his voice for the film “Curious George”, “Megamind”, “The Lego Movie” and its sequel “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”.

Stage career, Podcasting & Production

In 2009, Ferrell made his Broadway debut with the one-man show “You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush” where he once again portrayed former US President George Bush. Ferrell launched his podcast in 2019 named “The Ron Burgundy Podcast”. Originally slated for two seasons, the podcast became a major success and was renewed for a fifth season in 2022. Along with producer Adam McKay, Will founded the production company Gary Sanchez Productions which produced an HBO show called “Eastbound & Down”. Ferrell was also one of the executive producers of “The Chris Gethard Show” and “Dead to Me”. The company was shut down in 2019 after a dispute between Ferrell and McKay.

Check Richest TV Hosts in the World

Top 10 Movies of Will Ferrell

Here is a list of some of the popular movies that Will Ferrell has worked in.

1. The Lego Movie (2014)
2. Elf (2003)
3. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
4. Everything Must Go (2010)
5. The Other Guys (2010)
6. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
7. Old School (2003)
8. Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby (2006)
9. Megamind (2010)
10. Blades Of Glory (2007)

Awards Won By Will Ferrell

Primetime Emmy Awards

• 2019 Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for Live in Front of a Studio Audience: “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons”
• 2020 Outstanding Drama Series for Succession
• Outstanding Variety Special (Live)  for Live in Front of a Studio Audience: “All in the Family” and “Good Times”
• 2022 Outstanding Drama Series for Succession

MTV Movie & TV Awards

• 2007 Best Kiss for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Teen Choice Awards

• 2007 Choice Movie Actor – Comedy for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Blades of Glory

Kids’ Choice Awards

• 2016 Favorite Movie Actor for Daddy’s Home

ESPY Awards

• 2007 Best Sports Movie for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
• 2008 Best Sports Movie for Semi-Pro

Others

• 2007 Spike TV Guys’ Choice Award for Funniest Mo-fo & Most Viral Video  
• 2008 James Joyce Award in recognition for “excelling in his field”
• 2011 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
• 2015 British GQ Men of the Year Comedian of the Year

Interesting Facts

1. Ferrell was ranked #51 and #38 on Premiere magazine’s Power 50 List in 2004 & 2005 respectively.
2. He has been featured on the cover of GQ magazine thrice.
3. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.
4. Ferrell still holds record for the most field goals made in his school.
5. He was the first and last guest on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”.
6. Ferrell was ranked #17 on EW’s The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood in 2007.
7. He was voted the 3^rd funniest person in America by Entertainment Weekly.

Top Salaries of Will Ferrell

Check out some of the highly-paid movies of Will Ferrell:

• Spirited (2022) – $20,000,000
• Land of the Lost (2009) – $20,000,000
• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) – $20,000,000
• Semi-Pro (2008) – $20,000,000
• Bewitched (2005) – $20,000,000
• Kicking & Screaming (2005) – $20,000,000
• Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) – $7,000,000
• The Shrink Next Door (2021) – $1,000,000 /episode

Frequently Asked Questions