Will Ferrell has been a Hollywood staple actor, with a net worth of over $160m, but how much does he earn per movie?
Will Ferrell has enjoyed the massive payouts that come with being a hugely popular comedic actor. He’s earned anything from $350,000 to $20 million for his movies, the latter being a salary he’s enjoyed on several occasions.
Read on to learn more about the massive success that is Will Ferrell.
The Legend of Ron Burgundy
It isn’t often that an actor creates and personifies a character so well that they become ‘legendary’. In the case of Will Ferrell, his portrayal of news anchor Ron Burgundy did just that. In 2004, the first Anchorman movie debuted and was an instant success and a huge hit.
The character of Ron Burgundy would be reprised in a sequel several years later, but would actually exist outside of the film’s universe. Ferrell would assume the role of Burgundy at the drop of a hat. Over the years, he’s appeared on talk shows and reality shows as the character.
It was this character that catapulted him into the real triumph stakes. While Ferrell was an established actor before that point, Anchorman is the flick that really made him. In 2004, he earned seven million dollars in the role. However, just one year later, he’d be pulling in a twenty million dollar salary – twice.
In 2005, Ferrell starred in two movies: Bewitched, and Kicking & Screaming. Both of these films netted Ferrell a cool twenty million, a number that would be seen again numerous times over Ferrell’s career. In 2006 he earned the same amount for Talladega Nights, then in 2008, the same again for Semi-Pro.
He tried to avoid being labeled a one-trick pony, but he was funny at heart. His characters always tended to gravitate toward the naive, slightly dim persona. You can see a great video of Anchorman below, showing Ferrell at his finest.
Where The Legend Began
Will Ferrell didn’t start life with the ambition to become an actor, but a funnyman. It’s reported that he found out he was ‘funny’ way back in elementary school. It’s said he’d make his classmates laugh by playing the goof and pretending to hurt himself.
In fact, Ferrell was allegedly put off show business completely as a child. His father worked in the industry, and the family never knew where the next paycheck would come from. They traveled around the country, and his father was away from home a lot while he worked.
As he grew up, he tried to refine his comedy. He began performing at talent shows, showing his comedy skits to his peers. When he started studying at university, he reportedly carried out numerous pranks on his fellow students around campus.
It was in 1991, when Ferrell relocated from Irvine, California, to Los Angeles that he found his break. He integrated as part of a comedy group known as The Groundlings. Here, he was able to work professionally, refining his ad-lib and improvisational talent.
As the nineties rolled ever onwards, Ferrell found himself in increasing demand. He enjoyed his first true taste of success on Saturday Night Live. The show had helped launch and expose several comedians, and Farrell was to be the next.
In the mid-nineties, he made numerous appearances on the show, working on impressions. He had a huge list of impressions that he could perform to near-perfect accuracy. Saturday Night Live worked wonders for Ferrell, and by 1997 he’d be appearing in his first proper movie.
Despite the claims he wanted to avoid show business, he’d entered the industry in earnest. By the time the millennium came around, Farrell had acted in no fewer than ten movies. This was a long way from the juvenile comedic acts of his school years, and Ferrell was well on his way to those twenty million dollar payouts.
Not satisfied with just acting, Ferrell began playing his hand at producing, writing, and directing. He’s served as a producer – or executive producer – on dozens of productions. He’s also made numerous cameo appearances in many films, television shows, and reality television shows.
As time goes on and Will Ferrell ages, he may turn his attention to more serious roles. However, his positive reviews and constantly great reception suggests comedy may be his path for years to come.