Top 10 Unscripted Will Ferrell Movie Moments

“Elf” (2003)

One funny improvised moment comes earlier on with the elf's reaction to Santa's impending arrival, but this chaotic storyline serves up even more hilarious unscripted bits afterwards. Ferrell infused a childlike wonder into the character of Buddy for the film “Elf.” This came in handy for a scene where Santa visits the Gimbels department store. With his super cheery personality, Ferrell's character freaks out when he discovers it isn’t the real Kris Kringle. The comedian’s talents for improvisation really shine in this particular moment. Director Jon Favreau allowed the actor to throw around several memorable phrases at the imposter. It’s especially funny to hear Buddy’s description of the apparent smell the faker gave off.

“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” (2006)

From the looks of the extended credits scene, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” is full of extra outtakes and improvised scenes. These vignettes showcase Will Ferrell’s ability to riff about anything. Along with his equally amusing co-star John C. Reilly, he sells a variety of products and services that get more insane with each passing minute. The performers even make something like stray dogs or funeral services laugh-out-loud funny. They don’t quite make the main part of the film, but the inclusion of these bits reveal the precious time it took to craft each comic scene.

“Zoolander 2” (2016)

During this “Zoolander 2” scene, Will Ferrell’s evil Mugatu embraces Kristen Wiig’s Alexanya Atoz in a ridiculous kiss. The makeout session takes a funny turn as the villainess’s gigantic headdress gets in the way. This didn’t stop Ferrell from going further, attempting to break through the costume. It all worked especially well in the over-the-top and wonderfully unhinged “Zoolander” universe. Watching them kiss and scream pushes cringe humor to a whole new level, with the actor meeting his improvisational match in Wiig. Neither actor broke as they brought things to a dramatic finish with tongues flying everywhere.

“The House” (2017)

“The House” didn’t get the attention of Will Ferrell’s other films, but it’s still full of great moments of improvisational comedy. Ferrell teamed up with fellow expert improviser Amy Poehler in this town hall scene. Realizing that their daughter won’t get the scholarship she needs, the concerned parents go into a frenzy about the funding being diverted for the construction of a local pool. With the A-list comedians involved, it was no question that they could turn this scene into something special. Several comedic performers also populate the gathering with tragically hilarious stories to punctuate the moment. In his closing seconds, the lead actor gets one more line to finish out the scene on a high note.

“Blades of Glory” (2007)

It’s safe to say that most Will Ferrell films contain lots of improvisation, but especially so for this ice-skating comedy. “Blades of Glory” features the comedian as bad-boy skater Chazz Michael Michaels. Given a wide template to work with, the performer brought many of his own ideas to the dialogue as a vast majority of it was entirely made up by him. His ad-libs enhance both the on-ice routines and many funny scenes between comedic actors like Jon Heder and Jenna Fischer. Knowing that his character was written with him in mind, Ferrell embodied the macho Michaels with a wonderfully entertaining backstory and a lot of room for improvised hilarity.

“Wedding Crashers” (2005)

“Wedding Crashers” claimed a spot as an absolute 2000s-era comedy classic before Will Ferrell even showed up. Included as a last-minute surprise, the actor’s appearance as the legendary event crasher Chazz Reinhold takes the film even further. Everything from his entrance to his obsession with meatloaf makes for an undeniably awesome moment. Asking Owen Wilson’s character about the dish, Chazz pesters his mother about food until audiences completely lose it. It’s difficult to gauge how much the comedian invented for the scene, but the wild energy he brings to it lands as signature Ferrell. He also caps off his cameo role with a hilariously awful trip to a funeral.

“The Other Guys” (2010)

“The Other Guys” manages to make the unlikely collaboration between Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg work. As comically opposite cops, the two characters share a desk and get into arguments like the one in this hilarious scene. Wahlberg serves up a ridiculous story about a fight between a tuna and a lion. With an insane premise to work with, Ferrell went off on a wild tangent about the fish. He flipped the script completely and built a robust argument in favor of the tuna. Somehow through it all, Wahlberg kept a straight face as his co-star crafted a glorious rant all his own.

“Step Brothers” (2008)

“Step Brothers” excels as another quotable team-up between Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. As two middle-aged men living with their newly married parents, the man-children become bitter rivals. The step brothers’ evil antics get going as they try to fall asleep in the same room, but resort to dissing each other instead. Unleashing a series of unrepeatable insults, the two veterans were able to dish out ad-libs like it was nothing. They even threatened each other before the scene finished. Given their positions in life, it makes it more hilarious to know that the performers did the entire scene as grown adults. It narrowly beat out the actors’ improvisation in the sleepwalking scenes, but this moment makes us laugh too for its elaborate absurdity.

“Elf” (2003)

The Christmas classic “Elf” gave Will Ferrell ample opportunity to explore his character, inside and out. In the scene where Buddy explores New York City, the bulk of his onscreen antics were improvised. Filmmaker Jon Favreau admitted that the shooting process only allowed for fast shots of the main character acting opposite real New Yorkers. Ferrell embraced the freedom of live ad-libbing with real people in an endlessly exciting sequence. His interactions with various pedestrians yielded several funny interactions including a confrontation with a Santa lookalike. He also proved how committed he was when he grabbed gum off a railing to chew. Fully immersed in his character, the comedian's gamble paid off as his role translated well to the real world.

“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” (2004)

“Anchorman” contains so many memorable scenes and instances of improvisation that it’s hard to pin down one moment to represent its brilliance. While it wasn’t easy to choose, this phone booth scene serves as one of the movie’s crowning achievements. Ron Burgundy’s inability to even get out full sentences or words only adds to the hilarity of it all. At one of his lowest moments, Burgundy’s various screams and cries are all courtesy of Ferrell’s free-spirited approach to the character. The actor’s status as a top comedian and an amazingly enjoyable performer grew exponentially after this moment.