For comedian Will Faerell, a name is no laughing matter.
Ferrell’s legal name is John William Farrell, but was always called Will by his parents. So at the start of every school year, he’d have to school his teachers that he preferred Will – something that embarrassed him profusely.
Ferrell, 56, spoke about his name on Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s “MeSsy” podcast on July 9.
He was on the podcast to talk about the 20th anniversary of “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” People reported.
Ferrell, 56, told Applegate, 52, he was embarrassed when people would address him as John when he was growing up.
Ferrell told Applegate that being funny was easy and allowed him to feel part of a group.
“Being funny was an easy way to make friends,” he said.
But his name was a bone of contention.
“This is a minor thing in terms of — it’s not really even trauma — but I remember feeling so embarrassed because my real name is John, John William Ferrell, so first day of school, I’d be John. The teacher would be like ‘John Ferrell?’ and it was so embarrassing to me to have to say ‘Here, but I go by Will, I don’t go by John.’”
Ferrell described it was “excruciating” to have to wait the first week of school for the teacher to call him Will.
“My parents named [me] John but they called me Will. I grew up as Will, but on a rule sheet, my legal name is John Ferrell,” he said.
“I don’t know why that was so embarrassing to me to have to explain ‘I’m actually Will,'” he said, adding other children would ask him about his name after he would correct teachers every school year.
“People are probably going to be listening to this going ‘That is the lamest thing ever,'” Ferrell said, to which Applegate responded: “We just lost anyone named John.”
Ferrell and Applegate costarred in 2004’s “Anchorman,” a satirical comedy about a fictional news station.
Ferrell starred as anchorman Ron Burgundy Applegate was Veronica Corningstone, a possible love interest.
