Arguably the first project to be called a “Will Ferrell movie” is 2004’s “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” He was a co-writer on “A Night at the Roxbury,” but that was still largely an “SNL” film and it didn’t feel like Ferrell had as much creative control as he could have (or should have). For “Anchorman,” Ferrell teamed with co-writer and director Adam McKay for the first time, announcing a comedic partnership that would produce some of the funniest movies of the decade. In fairness, much of what makes “Anchorman” great is that it’s an ensemble comedy made up of some of the best in the business, and that includes the late Fred Willard.
Willard’s comedy and improv skills were well established thanks to his frequent appearances in Christopher Guest mockumentaries like “This is Spinal Tap,” “Waiting for Guffman,” and “Best in Show.” In “Anchorman,” Willard played Ron Burgundy’s boss, station director Ed Harken, and he more than held his own alongside scene-stealing co-stars like Ferrell, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carell. Willard reprised the role for the 2013 sequel “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” He would later team up with Carell again for the Netflix series “Space Force,” which was one of his final roles. He died in 2020 at the age of 86, with cardiac arrest confirmed as the cause.
