Actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/will-ferrell">Will Ferrell</a> turned a few heads on Sunday when he showed up to an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nhl">NHL</a> game between the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers dressed in his costume from the popular 2003 Christmas comedy “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Elf</a>.”
The 57-year-old comedian donned his Buddy the Elf costume but not his demeanor, as multiple snapshots show Ferrell looking grim and watching the game with what appeared to be an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. The actor attended the game at Los Angeles’s Crypto.com Arena with his wife, Viveca Paulin, and their son Axel, 14, per <a href="https://people.com/will-ferrell-buddy-the-elf-smoking-drinking-grumpy-nhl-hockey-game-photos-8767408" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a>.
FanDuel Sports Network broadcaster Carrlyn Bathe reported live from the game saying she spoke to Ferrell, who reportedly said “it was a tough holiday season” and “he’s looking for a Kings win.” Ultimately, the actor got his wish as the Kings beat the Flyers 5-4.
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Buddy the Elf isn&#8217;t looking too good these days&#8230; 😭🤣 <a href="https://t.co/tGgo6KGFSf">pic.twitter.com/tGgo6KGFSf</a>
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) <a href="https://twitter.com/GinoHard_/status/1873568394337026186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“Elf” has become a Christmastime staple. It follows a human named Buddy (Ferrell) who is adopted by elves after sneaking into Santa’s sack while he’s visiting an orphanage. Chaos ensues when Buddy travels to New York City during the holiday season to meet his birth father, book publisher Walter Hobbs (James Caan).
Buddy is known for being childlike, exuberant, naive, and full of over-the-top Christmas spirit. He’s thrust into many uncomfortable situations with jaded New Yorkers, but over the course of the film, he teaches them to embrace Christmas magic. 
The movie was a critical and commercial success, grossing $220 million worldwide against a $33 million budget. Ferrell was specifically praised for his depiction of Buddy.
Ferrell turned down an “Elf” sequel and an offer of $29 million to reprise his starring role. “I would have had to promote the movie from an honest place, which would’ve been, like, ‘Oh no, it’s not good,’” Ferrell explained. “And I thought, ‘Can I actually say those words? I don’t think I can, so I guess I can’t do the movie,’” he <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/will-ferrell-rejected-elf-2-offer-no-regrets-1234675076/">said</a> in 2021, per <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/will-ferrell-rejected-elf-2-offer-no-regrets-1234675076/">IndieWire</a>.
The “SNL” alum told <a href="https://people.com/will-ferrell-says-he-feels-so-lucky-to-have-done-elf-exclusive-8752585">People</a> earlier this month that he’s proud of the film&#8217;s impact. &#8220;It&#8217;s really quite special,&#8221; the actor said. &#8220;I mean, it continues to grow by leaps and bounds, and it continues to kind of entrench itself as kind of a holiday classic for people. I&#8217;m so lucky to have a movie like that in my catalog.&#8221;

Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell Attends NHL Game In ‘Elf’ Costume, With A Cigarette And A Frown

Will Ferrell Attends NHL Game In 'Elf' Costume, With A Cigarette And A Frown

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“Saturday Night Live” alum Will Ferrell made some of the best 21st century comedies even better.
“Old School.” “Anchorman.” “Elf.” “Step Brothers.” “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” He only had a cameo in “Wedding Crashers,” but boy, did he make every second count.
Now? He’s adrift in an industry that no longer craves R-rated comedies, at least the ones that leave the lectures off screen. He’s pushed his liberal leanings to center stage, from his election pandering to a documentary that ignores the real concerns tied to the trans community.
<div id="attachment_822701" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-822701" class="wp-image-822701 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BNDc0MzkzMTkwOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODI2NjIzNA%40%40._V1_-865x576.jpg" alt="Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in &quot;Talladega Nights: The Ballard of Ricky Bobby.&quot; (2006). Columbia Pictures. Relativity Media. Apatow Productions. IMDB." width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BNDc0MzkzMTkwOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODI2NjIzNA%40%40._V1_-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BNDc0MzkzMTkwOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODI2NjIzNA%40%40._V1_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BNDc0MzkzMTkwOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODI2NjIzNA%40%40._V1_-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BNDc0MzkzMTkwOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODI2NjIzNA%40%40._V1_-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BNDc0MzkzMTkwOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODI2NjIzNA%40%40._V1_.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in &#8220;Talladega Nights: The Ballard of Ricky Bobby.&#8221; (2006). Columbia Pictures. Relativity Media. Apatow Productions. IMDB.</div>
At 57, he has plenty of time to course correct and prove he’s got a killer third act within him. For now, all we can do is re-watch his classic comedies and hope he breaks free from that Hollywood groupthink.
At least a little.
The comic actor’s “SNL” run (1994-2001) gave us indelible characters like his Harry Caray impersonation, cheerleader Craig Buchanan and Steve Butabi (that Roxbury guy). He quickly found his footing on the big screen, partnering with director Adam McKay for smashes like “Anchorman,” &#8220;Talladega Nights” and “Step Brothers.”
The hits slowed down in the 2010s. Films like “The Campaign” (2012), “Zoolander 2” (2016) and “The House” (2017) failed to break out.
The culture curdled around that time, witness the shrieking reaction to his successful buddy comedy “Get Hard” (2015). The film earned an impressive $90 million, but critics complained the film’s premise was problematic. Ferrell plays an ignorant white-collar criminal who hires a black blue-collar Joe (Kevin Hart) to prepare him for a stint in the hoosegow.
The writing was on the wall, both for Ferrell’s comedy opportunities and the industry’s bawdy, R-rated romps.
<div id="attachment_822703" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-822703" class="wp-image-822703 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BMTkzNDA5NzYwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjExNTE5NDE%40._V1_-864x576.jpg" alt="Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell in &quot;Get Hard.&quot; (2015). Gary Sanchez Productions. Warner Bros. IMDB." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BMTkzNDA5NzYwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjExNTE5NDE%40._V1_-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BMTkzNDA5NzYwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjExNTE5NDE%40._V1_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BMTkzNDA5NzYwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjExNTE5NDE%40._V1_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BMTkzNDA5NzYwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjExNTE5NDE%40._V1_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BMTkzNDA5NzYwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjExNTE5NDE%40._V1_-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BMTkzNDA5NzYwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjExNTE5NDE%40._V1_-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BMTkzNDA5NzYwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjExNTE5NDE%40._V1_.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell in &#8220;Get Hard.&#8221; (2015). Gary Sanchez Productions. Warner Bros. IMDB.</div>
The 2020s found him appearing in smaller films and adding his voice to wacky fare (“Strays”) that got lost in the marketplace. He snagged a bona fide blockbuster with “Barbie” (2023), but his work in the film amounted to a cameo that hardly boosted the film.
His Apple TV+ comedy musical “Spirited,” a leading man role alongside Ryan Reynolds, hardly captured the zeitgeist.
The other side of Ferrell’s brand started to make itself known along the way. Sure, he imitated President George W. Bush during his “SNL” stint, but the impression seemed good-natured, not vicious.
A subsequent project felt anything but gracious.
In 2016, word spread that Ferrell’s production shingle had acquired a buzzy script in which he’d play President Ronald Reagan in a “comedy” about the late leader’s Alzheimer’s disease.
The plot had Reagan completely checked out in his second term, thinking he was merely an actor <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/will-ferrells-reagan-script-actual-888804/">going through the White House motions.</a>
The script, by first-time feature writer Mike Rosolio, landed in ninth place on 2015’s Black List, having been singled out for praise by 25 Hollywood executives. It was popular enough in Hollywood circles that James Brolin, John Cho and Lena Dunham performed a live reading of the script last March.
The script, according to the reliably liberal Hollywood Reporter, was as hard-Left as anyone could image even if the site refused to label it as such. And, yes, it mocked Reagan as a dementia-addled fool.
Even the media at time, often blasé about attacks on the GOP, recoiled at the concept. Reagan’s grown children cried foul, too.
Ferrell swiftly dropped the project.
<h3><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH&#8217;S &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a></h3>
It’s a minor miracle he didn’t suffer any professional fallout from the debacle. Perhaps his comedy canon offered him a measure of protection.
That may not be the case much longer.
More recently, he filmed a documentary tied to the current culture wars. “Will &amp; Harper” follows Ferrell as he takes a road trip with his longtime friend and comic collaborator Harper Steele.
<div id="attachment_822705" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-822705" class="size-large wp-image-822705" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BZmUwZDk1YTMtM2FiMy00ZTA0LWE2MjctMDlhMDM3MDkxMjM3XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1024x576.jpg" alt="Delirio Films. Gloria Sanchez Productions. Wayfarer Studios. Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in &quot;Will &amp; Harper&quot; (2024). IMDB." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BZmUwZDk1YTMtM2FiMy00ZTA0LWE2MjctMDlhMDM3MDkxMjM3XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BZmUwZDk1YTMtM2FiMy00ZTA0LWE2MjctMDlhMDM3MDkxMjM3XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BZmUwZDk1YTMtM2FiMy00ZTA0LWE2MjctMDlhMDM3MDkxMjM3XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BZmUwZDk1YTMtM2FiMy00ZTA0LWE2MjctMDlhMDM3MDkxMjM3XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MV5BZmUwZDk1YTMtM2FiMy00ZTA0LWE2MjctMDlhMDM3MDkxMjM3XkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Delirio Films. Gloria Sanchez Productions. Wayfarer Studios. Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in &#8220;Will &amp; Harper&#8221; (2024). IMDB.</div>
Steele previously wrote for “SNL” and transitioned to a woman in recent years. The documentary captures that story, how Ferrell processed the change and finds them uncovering far more love than hate across America.
Yet Ferrell played dumb while promoting the movie, saying he didn’t understand why more people don’t accept the trans community. He blamed that on people’s lack of “<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2024/10/09/will-ferrell-transphobia-stems-from-not-being-confident/75406972007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confidence</a>,” not real concerns about states allowing childhood transitions or sexualized affairs like Drag Queen Story Hours.
He even <a href="https://deadline.com/2024/09/will-ferrell-regrets-janet-reno-snl-impersonation-1236084161/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apologized for his old “SNL” bits</a> where he impersonated Attorney General Janet Reno.
“That’s something I wouldn’t choose to do now,” adding the bit “hits a false note now.” Left unsaid? Today’s “SNL” uses female cast members to play male politicians without a hint of outrage.
<div id="attachment_822695" style="width: 883px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-822695" class="size-large wp-image-822695" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-138437839-873x576.jpg" alt="SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Pictured: (l-r) Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton, Will Ferrell as Janet Reno (Photo by NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)" width="873" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-138437839-873x576.jpg 873w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-138437839-300x198.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-138437839-768x507.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-138437839.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 873px) 100vw, 873px" />NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images</div>
Ferrell also gave a generic apology to other “SNL” bits which may be deemed offensive in some quarters today.
In recent days Ferrell has teamed up with actor/activist Billy Eichner to revisit the gay comic’s “Billy on the Street” shtick. This time, they’re wearing “<a href="https://youtu.be/14HlkTHC9yE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Loud White Men for Kamala</a>” (Eichner’s shtick requires plenty of screaming) as they roam the streets of New York. 
Among the questions they asked passers by? &#8220;Would you have sex with a Trump voter?&#8221;
It’s unwise to count Ferrell out. His comic instincts remain sound, even if his industry struggles to adequately tap his skill set.
Still, Ferrell can ill afford to alienate any more audience members moving forward. He has no current comedy franchise to call his own. Big screen comedies in general are in short supply, and his most recent stabs at the format, like “Strays” and “Eurovision Song Contest” all came and went without making much cultural noise.
He’d be better off finding an independent film studio willing to let him be himself, the guy who once ruled the R-rated comedy scene. He could even bring it back to prominence, striking a blow against the woke mob that damaged his career in the first place.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-01-Nov-2024-01-32-PM-3449

Cringey Kamala Videos And Road Trips: What Happened To Will Ferrell?

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/comedian">So-called comedians</a> Will Ferrell and Billy Eichner campaigned for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> by hitting the streets as “Loud White Men for Kamala,” asking random people in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city">New York City</a> questions like whether they would have sex with a Trump supporter.
Eichner shared a clip of the new campaign on his X page. “BILLY ON THE STREET IS BACK with WILL FERRELL!!! LOUD WHITE MEN FOR KAMALA!!! LET’S GO!!!!!!!” he wrote in the caption. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BILLY ON THE STREET IS BACK with WILL FERRELL!!! LOUD WHITE MEN FOR KAMALA!!! LET’S GO!!!!!!! <a href="https://t.co/KPfEcr5aSZ">https://t.co/KPfEcr5aSZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/OiyDsqLBC1">pic.twitter.com/OiyDsqLBC1</a>
&mdash; billy eichner (@billyeichner) <a href="https://twitter.com/billyeichner/status/1851310072120381886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The included video showed the two comedians approaching men and women on the street, asking various questions such as, “Who are you voting for?” When one person says he voted for Harris via mail in ballot, Eichner shouts, “Yeah, mail in ballot, b***!”
He approaches a woman and says, “Miss, for a dollar, would you have sex with a Trump voter?” 
She responds, “No!” and makes a disgusted face.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
“Thank you,” Eichner says.
He asks another woman the same question, prompting her to reply, “Blah.” 
At another point, Eichner jokes that if Harris wins, she would “make Buddy the Elf Secretary of Christmas,” referencing Ferrell’s leading role in the 2003 comedy “Elf.”
Social media reactions to the bit pointed out that the whole thing appeared forced and potentially staged.
“I&#8217;m embarrassed I even watched this,” one response <a href="https://x.com/MrReaganUSA/status/1851404226813182184">said</a>. 
“Every male in the video looks EXACTLY like I thought they would. almost (sic) like they were typecast actors,” another viewer <a href="https://x.com/realTimothyC/status/1851333461988061238">observed</a>.
“Congratulations on turning more people off than you convinced,” another comment <a href="https://x.com/politicalpapaa/status/1851335677876568181">said</a>. 
“One of the cringiest things I’ve ever watched,” another person agreed.
The “Anchorman” star released another <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo7KwWIg-7o">video</a> campaigning for Harris earlier this week, saying, “This election is going to be one of the closest in history. Your vote will make the difference.”
“Last time, only a few thousand votes kept Trump out of office. And this time, we will hold you personally responsible, Gary,” Ferrell continues, referencing a character he played on “Saturday Night Live.

Eichner and Ferrell

Will Ferrell And Billy Eichner Fall Flat In ‘Loud White Men For Kamala’ Bit

Will Ferrell And Billy Eichner Fall Flat In 'Loud White Men For Kamala' Bit

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Comedy actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/will-ferrell">Will Ferrell</a> said he &#8220;made it clear&#8221; to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/netflix">Netflix</a> that he wanted his newly released pro-transgender documentary “Will &amp; Harper” available for streaming prior to the 2024 election.
The 57-year-old stars in the project alongside his friend, former “SNL” head writer Harper Steele, who identifies as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transgender">transgender</a>. “When Will Ferrell&#8217;s good friend Harper comes out as a trans woman, they take a road trip to bond and reintroduce Harper to the country as her true self,” the official Netflix description <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81760197">says</a>. 
Now, the “Anchorman” star acknowledges the film’s release date was very intentional.
“When we sat down with Netflix we made it clear that we wanted this out before the election,” Ferrell told <a href="https://variety.com/2024/scene/columns/will-ferrell-harper-steele-netflix-will-and-harper-election-day-1236158481/">Variety</a> at the film’s premiere. “We wanted it to have enough runway for people to get to see it and hopefully start having important discussions in their living rooms.”
Steele chimed in, saying that many “parents and kids” are excited to see the movie.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
“We’ve heard from people who say they can’t wait to see this with friends and family who maybe don’t share the same viewpoint and they’re looking forward to watching it all together,” Ferrell continued. “Hopefully it could slowly chip away at some of that.”
Ferrell recently <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/will-ferrell-harper-steele-netflix-b2618823.html">told</a> The Independent that “transphobia” exists because &#8220;we fear what we don’t know.&#8221;
&#8220;But I don’t know why trans people are meant to be threatening to me as a cis male. I don’t know why Harper is threatening to me,&#8221; Ferrell said. 
&#8220;It’s so strange to me, because Harper is finally&#8230; her. She’s finally who she was always meant to be. Whether or not you can ultimately wrap your head around that, why would you care if somebody’s happy? Why is that threatening to you? If the trans community is a threat to you, I think it stems from not being confident or safe with yourself.&#8221;
&#8220;There is hatred out there,&#8221; the actor said. &#8220;It’s very real, and it’s very unsafe for trans people in certain situations.&#8221;
The film’s director Josh Greenbaum told the outlet that the film wasn’t necessarily meant to be political.
“We were all aware that it would be received as a political film and brought into the political conversation,” Greenbaum told the outlet. “But at its core it’s a very pure, simple story of two friends.”

Will and Harper

Will Ferrell ‘Made It Clear’ To Netflix He Wanted Pro-Trans Documentary Released Before Election

Will Ferrell 'Made It Clear' To Netflix He Wanted Pro-Trans Documentary Released Before Election

2024 Election

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“Saturday Night Live” alum <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Will Ferrell</a> said he would no longer accept a part that included him dressing like a woman for laughs.
The 57-year-old actor discussed playing Clinton-era Attorney General Janet Reno decades ago during a recent interview with his friend, “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/saturday-night-live">SNL</a>” head writer Harper Steele, for an episode of “The Interview” podcast, per <a href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/will-ferrell-regrets-snl-drag-sketches-janet-reno-1236139470/">Variety</a>.
Ferrell specifically said he regretted participating in the “Janet Reno’s Fantasies” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">sketch</a> from Season 23 of SNL in 1997.
When the interviewer mentioned that the sketch “hits a false note now,” Ferrell replied by saying, “That’s something I wouldn’t choose to do now.”
“This kind of bums me out,” Steele, who identifies as transgender, said. “I understand the laugh is a drag laugh. It’s, ‘Hey, look at this guy in a dress, and that’s funny.’ It’s absolutely not funny. It’s absolutely a way that we should be able to live in the world. However, with performers and actors, I do like a sense of play.”
“This is an interesting question to me,” Steele added. “Do queer people like ‘The Birdcage,’ or do they not? Robin Williams, at least as far as we know, was not a gay man, and yet he spent about half of his comedy career doing a swishy gay guy on camera. Do people think that’s funny, or is it just hurtful? I’ve heard from gay men that it was funny, and I’ve heard from gay men that it was hurtful. I am purple-haired woke, but I wonder if sometimes we take away the joy of playing when we take away some of the range that performers, especially comedy performers, can do.”
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The outlet noted that Ferrell recalled “a fair amount” of sketches from “SNL” which would make him “lament the choice.” 
The “Anchorman” star also jokingly said, “I mean, in a way, the cast — you’re kind of given this assignment. So I’m going to blame the writers.”
Steele agreed, “Yeah, he’s not culpable at all,” then continued, “I wrote Monica Lewinsky stuff I wasn’t proud of. I wrote some good Britney Spears stuff and some stuff that I’m not as proud of. I wrote some Clinton things I wasn’t proud of. I’m just moving on. I have to.”
Ferrell is promoting his project “Will &amp; Harper,” a Netflix documentary he did with Harper featuring the two of them going on a cross-country road trip.

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Actor Ryan Reynolds says that if a song from his holiday Apple TV+ offering &#8220;Spirited&#8221; were to earn an Academy Award nomination, he would feel obligated to &#8220;show up on that stage and embarrass myself.&#8221;
The song in question is titled &#8220;Good Afternoon&#8221; and is already reportedly on a &#8220;<a href="https://variety.com/feature/2023-oscars-best-original-song-predictions-1235396256/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shortlist</a>&#8221; shared by entertainment site Variety:
<ol>
<li>“Lift Me Up” by Tems, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and Ryan Coogler (&#8220;Black Panther: Wakanda Forever&#8221;)</li>
<li>“Naatu Naatu” by Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj (&#8220;RRR&#8221;)</li>
<li>“Ciao Papa” by Alexandre Desplat, Roeban Katz and Guillermo del Toro (&#8220;Guillermo del Toro&#8217;s Pinocchio&#8221;)</li>
<li>“Applause” by Diane Warren (&#8220;Tell it Like a Woman&#8221;)</li>
<li>“Til You’re Home” by Rita Wilson (&#8220;A Man Called Otto&#8221;)</li>
<li>&#8220;Hold My Hand” by Lady Gaga and Bloodpop (&#8220;Top Gun: Maverick&#8221;)</li>
<li>“This is a Life” by David Byrne, Ryan Lott and Mitski (&#8220;Everything Everywhere All at Once&#8221;)</li>
<li>“Carolina” by Taylor Swift (&#8220;Where the Crawdads Sing&#8221;)</li>
<li>&#8220;Good Afternoon” by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (&#8220;Spirited&#8221;)</li>
<li>“Stand Up” by Jazmine Sullivan and D’Mile (&#8220;Till&#8221;)</li>
</ol>
&#8220;Good Afternoon&#8221; writer Justin Paul <a href="https://variety.com/2023/artisans/awards/ryan-reynolds-spirited-good-afternoon-oscars-original-song-1235489178/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Variety</a> that he&#8217;d love to see the song nominated, in part because he&#8217;d love to see actors Reynolds and Will Ferrell perform the number live at the Academy Awards.
&#8220;I need them on stage,&#8221; he said.
And Reynolds appears to be amenable to that, though he&#8217;s not expecting it. &#8220;I’m not thinking about that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Look, if this song is nominated for an Academy Award, I would say that the least I can do is show up on that stage and embarrass myself.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Spirited — “Good Afternoon” Full Scene | Apple TV+" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OMkJIR9pX1w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The one person likely to be disappointed — should &#8220;Spirited&#8221; get the nod and land Reynolds alongside Ferrell on the Oscars&#8217; stage — is &#8220;X-Men&#8221; actor Hugh Jackman. <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-hugh-jackman-begs-academy-not-to-nominate-ryan-reynolds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jackman</a>, who often trades barbs with Reynolds — and is set to appear with him in the next &#8220;Deadpool&#8221; movie — shared his concerns about the prospect.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
But don’t get me wrong … <a href="https://t.co/8ymOYUOq9m">pic.twitter.com/8ymOYUOq9m</a>
&mdash; Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealHughJackman/status/1610639446709342210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In a video posted just after the new year, Jackman begged the Academy not to nominate Reynolds, claiming it would &#8220;make the next year of my life insufferable.&#8221;
Reynolds responded with a video of his own, first calling on the Academy to nominate Jackman for his role in &#8220;The Son&#8221; and then, after apparently pretending to shut the feed off, mumbled under his breath about him.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For Hugh-r consideration. <a href="https://t.co/0qDASD4xDm">pic.twitter.com/0qDASD4xDm</a>
&mdash; Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) <a href="https://twitter.com/VancityReynolds/status/1613198396403351553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Apple Original Film’s “Spirited” New York Red Carpet

‘The Least I Can Do’: Ryan Reynolds Promises To Show Up And ‘Embarrass Myself’ If ‘Spirited’ Tune Scores Oscar Nod

Ryan Reynolds Promises To Show Up And 'Embarrass Myself' If 'Spirited' Tune Scores Oscar Nod

Apple

Ryan Reynolds

It’s no accident Will Ferrell’s “Elf” swiftly became a holiday staple.
Director Jon Favreau’s 2003 comedy delivers everything we demand in a Christmas classic. One critical aspect of the film, though, doesn’t get enough attention.
The music.
The film’s Christmas magic starts with Ferrell, perfecting his man-child shtick in the ultimate setting – the Big Apple. That routine has grown tired of late, thanks to over exposure, his increasingly political mien and inferior comic vehicles. With “Elf,” though, it’s the perfect marriage between comic persona and screwball setup.d
Plus, Ferrell’s Buddy the Elf gobbling down cotton balls offers a master class in physical comedy. Watch it again if you doubt it.
The film’s signature laughs have aged gracefully, relying on character-driven yuks over meta-jokes and cheap gags. We’ll forgive the flatulent Elf bit early in the film, it’s a one-and-done.
The deep cast includes “Godfather” tough guy James Caan, scene stealer Artie Lange as a sweaty St. Nick and the underrated Mary Steenburgen.
It helps that “Elf” delivers a Santa’s bag full of killer quotes, from “You’re an angry elf!” to “You sit on a throne of lies!”
Yet the film’s soundtrack rarely jumps to people’s lips when the film returns each Christmas season. It’s a perfect assemblage of yuletide staples and throwback tracks, all anchored to a narrative that grows with every viewing.
The film’s creative team might have felt pressure to add contemporary music to the story, juicing the film’s box office potential with current hitmakers.
Listen to Destiny Child alum Beyonce cover “Santa Baby!”
Instead, Team “Elf” relied on music from a more innocent era, a second way to enhance Buddy’s naivete.
Louis Prima and Wingy Manone’s “Pennies from Heaven” kicks off Buddy’s New York arrival, a bouncy tune performed under a series of slapstick bits. It’s not a Christmas song by definition (it is by default now, though), but it gives Favreau the sonic backdrop on which to ladle on the “fish out of water” gags.
Tone is everything in a successful film, but it’s even more important for a movie hoping to join “A Christmas Story,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “Christmas Vacation” as seasonal faves. 
The brassy “Pennies from Heaven” establishes the upbeat mood from the opening note.
Ella Fitzgerald’s “Sleigh Ride” gets the seasonal juices flowing, but the musical highlight for many comes later. Buddy hears a woman singing within the bowels of Gimbels department store (actually a Vancouver mental hospital), and he seeks out the source of the music. It’s Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), his future love interest, gently singing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” in the shower.
The naïve Buddy joins along, fulfilling the song’s male duet part. Ferrell is no Mel Torme, but he handles the task well enough. Deschanel is an accomplished vocalist, so she does the heavier lifting as well as the comic shock at Buddy’s invasion.
The sequence is triggering on two fronts to today’s woke crowd. The original song’s lyrics are too sexually aggressive, they cry, a problem “solved” by John Legend’s painful 2019 cover with Kelly Clarkson.
“It’s your body and your choice,” Legend warbles. Ugh.
The song’s organic tension jumps with Buddy’s inappropriate bathroom drop-in. The move is both completely in character and wildly innocent. In fact, those two factors help Jovie realize Buddy may be more than just a work colleague.
“Nutcracker Suite” does feature a more modern musician, Brian Setzer, but his instrumentals stick to a classic tone.
Leon Redbone, who does double duty as a Burl Ives’-esque snow man named Leon, contributes three tracks to the film. Redbone’s “Winter Wonderland” offers a throwback appeal tied to his Tin Pan Alley stylings.
Like Setzer, Redbone’s music hearkened back to another era, aggressively resisting modern tics. Favreau, the driving force behind Disney Plus’ “The Mandolorian,” knows how to modulate pop culture moments then … and now.
Redbone returns during the closing credits to join Deschanel on a second, more polished version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” 
Quick note: The deeply private Redbone died last year at the age of 127, according to a statement released by his family. His actual age? 69.
Classic Christmas songs like Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” and “Winter Wonderland” round out the soundtrack.
Some pop culture classics endure thanks to pure excellence. “Seinfeld” will delight us for years, if not decades, thanks to precise writing and indelible performances. It helps that the show’s scribes avoided mentioning “current” movie releases when films entered the conversation.
A similar magic powers “Elf.” It doesn’t feel rooted to any specific time. We see few visual cues that it’s 2003, and the music continually blurs the sense of time and place.
Many films today work in current references or political asides for an extra laugh or nod to the “right” audiences. “Elf” avoided those pitfalls, and it wasn’t an accident.
Favreau, who helped shape Buddy’s child-like antics by watching his then-one-year old son, told <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/elf-at-10-jon-favreau-reflects-on-buddys-magical-legacy-187068/">Rolling Stone</a> his “Elf” mission statement was nothing if not audacious – create the next holiday classic.
“Our goal, even then, was to make a movie that could be part of that pantheon,” Favreau said. “The fact that it’s in rotation is the highest honor that movie can have.”
Favreau noted on the film’s Blu-ray extras he assembled much of the soundtrack after hearing co-star Deschanel sing. He didn’t realize that was part of her skill set when she joined the project, and her voice, which he compared to Doris Day, helped mold the soundtrack that followed.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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