NBC recently launched its Saturday Night Live premium short form series called Stories from the Show that’s filled with intimate interviews from cast members (former and current) about their time on the long-running sketch-comedy show. After a rousing, dog-food-centered entry from Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell’s now taking his couch turn, and in a magnificent turn of events, he’s appearing as himself. That’s not entirely unprecedented, of course, although Ferrell is prone to channel his most famous characters, including Ron Burgundy, while being interviewed or even grilling others.
Well, that’s not the case here. Instead, we see the mild-mannered Ferrell chuckling over the stumbling blocks he experienced during his SNL run. “This is going to be rough,” he begins, although what transpires is lovely. The Blades of Glory star discusses how and why he would infiltrate the writers’ room as Lisa Kudrow’s brother, Chip, and how he came to wear the same outfit every single day for a year. Oh, and he gives plenty of air time to his bizarre “Ron” character, who crashed Puff Daddy’s dress rehearsal on a dare. When later quizzed on the performance, Ron could only offer, “I’m not familiar.” The nerve of Ron, right? Diddy might not be amused to recall this backstage scandal.
Overall, Ferrell is an understated force to witness when he turns his characters off for the camera, if only for a handful of minutes. He’ll soon be seen alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Downhill (releasing February 14), a dark comedy and remake of the critically acclaimed Swedish film, Force Majeure. Before that happens, the above episode is worth watching, and here’s some vintage footage of Ferrell doing his “Ron” thing.
