If there’s one actor we know we can count on time after time to make us laugh, it’s Will Ferrell — and as the star of some of the best comedy movies of the last decade, he’s earned every bit of fame that’s come his way.
From leaving us in stitches during his Saturday Night Live run (more cowbell!) to leading some of the most hilarious, envelope-pushing comedy films out there, he is consistent in his ability to put a smile on our faces.
While it’s tough to narrow down his entire film catalog to just 10 of our favorites, we did our best to capture the classics. Here, take a look at the best Will Ferrell movies — do you agree with our ranking?
Best Will Ferrell movies, ranked
10. Old School (2003)
When Mitch (Luke Wilson) breaks things off with his girlfriend, he moves on in the hopes of putting the pieces of his life back together. Moving into a new home near his old college campus, his two friends, played by Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn, use Mitch’s bachelor-hood to their advantage, turning his home into an adult frat house. This raunchy comedy puts Wilson, Vaughn and Ferrell together as they re-live their college days in this 2003 comedy.
9. Zoolander (2001)
Zoolander‘s ensemble cast is enough to pull us in, but the hilarious performances of Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell make it a tried and true comedy classic. Stiller stars as male model Derek Zoolander, dethroned as the top male fashion model by Owen Wilson’s character of Hansel McDonald.
His fall from grace makes him an easy target for designer Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), who intends to brainwash Zoolander into killing the prime minister of Malaysia, who threatens the industry’s use of cheap child labor. Aside from hilarious performances, the costumes and physical transformations of these actors only adds to the laughs.
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8. Blades of Glory (2007)
Will Ferrell stars as Chazz Michael Michaels opposite Jon Heder as Jimmy MacElroy, two accomplished male figure skaters. When they both win gold at the Winter Olympics and are forced to share a spot on the podium, a fight breaks out between the two of them and they are subsequently banned from the sport and stripped of their medals.
However, a loophole eventually becomes apparent: just because they can’t compete as solo skaters doesn’t mean they can’t compete as a pair. Another raunchy comedy starring Ferrell, he takes his performance to new heights in Blades of Glory.
7. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby stars Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, an accomplished NASCAR driver who has it all, as he and his racing partner Cal (John C. Reilly), known as “Shake” and “Bake,” have mastered the art of winning first and second place (Ricky always in first). When a French Formula One Racer, Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), dethrones Ricky Bobby and he plummets down to rock bottom, he must do all he can to climb his way back to the top.
6. Land of the Lost (2009)
Loosely inspired by the television series of the same name, Land of the Lost puts Will Ferrell alongside Danny McBride and Anna Friel. Ferrell stars as scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, the founder of “quantum paleontology.” He, along with Holly (Friel), a scientist who supports his views, and the owner of Devil’s Canyon Mystery Cave roadside attraction (McBride), embark on an expedition, only to be transported to a world of dinosaurs and unearthly creatures, thanks to a time warp. The trio and their guide, Chaka, must do what they can to not only survive, but make it back home in one piece.
5. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Will Ferrell stars as Ron Burgundy, a revered anchorman in San Diego who reports alongside a team of men. When the station hires a female reporter (Christina Applegate), it isn’t long before she steals his thunder and is promoted to co-anchor. Threatened by her success despite his attraction toward her, their feud only grows as she continues to rise to the top of the ranks.
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4. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Ferrell stars as an IRS auditor who begins to hear a voice narrating his life. What he doesn’t realize is this narration is actually that of a book being written by an author (Emma Thompson) that parallels his life. When the detailed narration soon reveals his imminent death, he must go on a journey to find the voice, who he learns is an author when he sees her on TV, and convince her to change the ending to his story.
3. Kicking & Screaming (2005)
While it might be controversial placing Kicking & Screaming so high on this list, there’s something about this family classic that makes us want to watch it over and over. Will Ferrell stars as Phil Weston, a man who has suffered at the hands of his father’s (Robert Duvall) competitive nature for most of his life. When he gets the opportunity to coach his son’s soccer team in the same league that his father coaches in, he’s willing to do whatever necessary to bring the Tigers to victory — and finally win against his dad. This laugh-out-loud family comedy is full of iconic scenes, hilarious one liners, and of course — Will Ferrell in a tiger-striped track suit.
2. Step Brothers (2008)
It’s hard not to place Step Brothers in the top three of this list of the best Will Ferrell movies. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly lead this film as Brennan and Dale, two forty-year-old unemployed adults living at home, Brennan with his mother and Dale with his father. Their parents meet and get married, forcing the two men to become roommates. Initially clashing with one another as they adjust to their new living situation, the two men come to form a duo no one was ready for.
1. Elf (2003)
In one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time, Will Ferrell stars as Buddy the Elf, a human who, as a baby in an orphanage, crawled into Santa’s sack of toys on Christmas Eve, was brought back to the North Pole, and was raised as an elf. When Buddy learns of his true identity and finds out that his father is currently residing in New York City (on the naughty list), he sets out on a journey to find him and experiences a Christmas like no other.
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