Will Ferrell at K-State
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Ferrell kicks off comedy blitz at K-State
Goofball actor Will Ferrell launched his Funny or Die comedy tour at K-State, and some lucky K-Staters snagged tickets to an exclusive preview of his new film “Semi-Pro.”
The comedy tour
More than 7,500 fans packed into Bramlage Coliseum to see Ferrell perform with comics Demetri Martin, Zac Galifianakis, and Nick Swardson. Although jeers greeted Ferrell when he took the stage in a red and blue sweatshirt—in the middle of Wildcat territory!—they turned to cheers when he tore it off to reveal a purple shirt.
Football coach Ron Prince appeared onstage for an up-close-and-personal interview with Ron Burgundy from “Anchorman.” Burgundy’s hard-hitting questions covered steroid use among coaches and whether Prince ever bites his players.
Why did Ferrell choose K-State to kick off his tour? It wasn’t just the incredible number of students who’ve memorized the lines from “Old School” and “Anchorman.”
“We knew we wanted to bring this tour to a part of the country that maybe wouldn’t get a chance to see something like this, and K-State totally fit the bill.” Ferrell said. “Some of our promoters were like ‘No it’s a great place to go. Take something like this, and people will respond.’ It’s fun to get to do this kind of thing—for myself and the other comedians—and know that this crowd is going to be so fired up.”
Cool celeb sightings: Governor Kathleen Sebelius attended the show (a “Zoolander” fan perhaps?), and Ferrell’s entourage spent Super Bowl Sunday at Kite’s in Aggieville.
Read the Collegian report of the show—and K-State’s prestigious shark award
Read about other Union Program Council campus events
The movie
About 60 students scored passes for a sneak preview of “Semi-Pro” earlier that afternoon.
“Semi-Pro” stars Ferrell as the owner/coach/choreographer of an ABA basketball team—the worst in the league—struggling to survive the 1970s.
The American Basketball Association was the NBA’s rinky-dink rival. Although it launched Dr. J and a few other stars, most players on its rosters never earned anything close to superstar salaries.
“I read about this guy who was negotiating a deal and wanted $10,000 and a new refrigerator,” Ferrell said. “They came back with a counter offer of a used refrigerator. And he said, ‘I’ll take it.’”
The outrageous styles of the 1970s fit Ferrell’s brand of wacky comedy. “It’s kind of a remarkable time. You can’t believe people wore the clothes they did—and had the hairstyles they did—and still thought ‘I look good.’”
Ferrell said his basketball uniform was custom-tailored by the costume designer for a wedgie-inducing fit.
“I kept telling her my shorts weren’t short enough,” he said. “I truly lobbied for the short shorts!”
So is “Semi-Pro” another comedy classic? We overheard a student who attended the sneak preview say, “Now that was worth skipping class for!”
Hear Ferrell describe what’s great about K-State (and bad about short shorts)
Check the website for “Semi-Pro,” opening February 29