He adds warmth to his characters." Ferrell, 36, grew up comfortably middle-class in Irvine, Calif.. His father was a musician who played keyboards with the Righteous Brothers.

84% Elf (2003): A movie full of Yuletide cheer, "Elf" is a spirited, good-natured family comedy, and it benefits greatly from Ferrell's funny and charming performance as one of Santa's biggest ...

When Will Ferrell first joined Saturday Night Live in 1995, the guy who would go on to become a comedy legend faced some serious skepticism from his peers. Hard to believe, right?

Now that I see it in the movie, it’s brilliant,'" Ferrell remembered. "That was so funny, he’s walking out, shaking his head, going like, 'Great job. I thought you were way too over the top.

Will Ferrell says that James Caan, who played Buddy the Elf’s father Walter Hobbs in the 2003 Christmas comedy Elf, told him he wasn’t funny while they were on set.