Saturday Night Live has produced some big stars, from Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy to Adam Sandler and Kristen Wiig. And of course, Will Ferrell is also among their ranks. Before he went on to take over the movie industry, Ferrell was a main cast member on the NBC series from the mid-'90s to the early 2000s, and he gave some pretty memorable performances. Now the co-lead of Apple TV+'s Spirited is opening up about why he decided to leave the show and what series EP Lorne Michaels told him before he left.
Unless you're the endlessly delightful Kenan Thompson, it's only natural that one leaves SNL after a specific amount of time. Despite having been in iconic sketches and still being quite popular when he left in 2002, Will Ferrell told the Wall Street Journal that he knew when it was his time to leave. And when discussing what ultimately led to his decision to leave the show, he mentioned that a certain elf was partially responsible:
I was creeping up on my seventh season, and it was just feeling like, for better or for worse, a good time to go. It was a mix of scary and ‘No, this is the right time.’ I don’t know why. Because there really wasn’t a pile of scripts waiting for me. It was more like, “I’m doing well from the show. I’m pretty well-known. Let’s use this momentum to try.” I had Old School. And then we had this script that was a great concept but needed some work about a grown man at the North Pole who thought he was an elf. So I packed up. ‘I’m leaving the show. Let’s see what happens.’
While the choice sounded like a difficult and scary one, the actor and comedian made the right decision. It’s interesting to hear that Elf came at just the right time for him, and it doesn't really surprise me that by that time, the star was ready to branch out and try some new things. Still, he's never strayed too far from his roots. The Anchorman actor has since returned to SNL multiple times to host, and the episodes were very funny.
Of course, when it came time for his final show, Will Ferrell had one last conversation (as a cast member) with Lorne Michaels. Ferrell revealed that the legendary TV producer paid him a pretty high compliment when he was preparing to depart:
You sit down with Lorne Michaels at your last show, and he says—which is one of my favorite Lorne comments because it’s an absolutely amazing compliment, and at the same time, there’s still some instability to it—‘I have to say, I have to put you in the top three of anyone ever having done the show. Where in that top three—I can’t tell you.’ … I was like, ‘Thanks. Wow, that’s great…. Oh, I guess. Am I third?’ Look, I have some talent. I knew there’d be people funnier than me, and I’d probably be funnier than other people. But I [also] knew no one would commit more than me. That’s the one thing I could control.
Lorne Michaels admitted in 2021 that Will Ferrell sits in his top two or three of SNL cast members so, even nearly 20 years later, that sentiment hasn’t changed. Even though he didn’t sit at the top of Michaels’ favorites, the praise seemingly served as a motivator. But seriously, that's some considerable praise, and I don't think many would argue against Ferrell being one of the show's greatest alums.
In the years since leaving the long-running sketch comedy show, the now-55-year-old Hollywood vet has produced some of the most beloved comedies in cinematic history like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Step Brothers. At present, he has a number of projects on the docket, including Greta Gerwig's highly anticipated Barbie movie. I honestly can't see the actor slowing down anytime soon.
While Will Ferrell's come-up has been wonderful to see, it's also great that he still keeps SNL close to his heart. In late 2021, the actor gave a crowd more cowbell during a performance with Marc Anthony, and it was pretty amazing. One can only hope that we continue to get new performances from Ferrell and also get to see him occasionally appear on the sketch show he once starred on.
All seasons of Saturday Night Live are available to stream with a Peacock subscription. That's how you'll find some of Will Ferrell's best sketches. All the while, you can also check out the funniest Ferrell movies to watch.
