Top 10 Times Will Ferrell Broke People on SNL

Together with Cecily Strong, Will Ferrell gets to embrace his sassier side in this sketch. The two play a couple that unexpectedly starts shooting footage for their reality show at a barbecue they’re attending. Their behavior turns outrageous the second the camera starts rolling, with verbal onslaughts that feel like something straight out of a “Real Housewives” episode. Strong’s character tries to chew out her friends while Ferrell joins in and hides his laughs, making others giggle. He also picks meat up off the grill and throws it, prompting more laughter. With chaotic energy for days, this controlled trainwreck is exactly the kind of sketch that causes people to break.

As the employer from hell, Will Ferrell can do whatever he wants. In this sketch, he’s in the process of hiring a new candidate while harassing his other workers in horrible ways. It’s so ridiculous that Pierce Brosnan, who’s playing the applicant, has a hard time keeping his composure. Ferrell is at the top of his comedy game here, so sitting in his vicinity as he yells and mistreats everyone is not easy. Brosnan ends up smiling so wide that he has to do some facial gymnastics to keep his cool. As Ferrell’s character takes things to an extreme, Brosnan at least has the benefit of being able to hide his reaction a little. It’s so wild that it’s amazing the others didn’t break.

Playing a stuck-up drama teacher in this sketch, Will Ferrell is a ticking time bomb from the beginning. His character really relishes in making the students wait for their casting assignments. While telling everyone to back away from the board, he bumps into co-star Aidy Bryant. This sets off a chain reaction where several of the other actors all start to laugh in a moment that can only be described as thoroughly enjoyable. Always a consummate professional, Ferrell tries to recover, and snaps back into his evil persona. Somehow everyone stifles their laughter long enough to make it through this underrated ode to theater programs.

This surprising version of Harry Caray, which combines a broadcast legend with science education, is irresistible. His talk with Linda Ham takes several twists and turns into unexpected territory. Joan Allen struggles to hold on, as she naturally can’t take Will Ferrell seriously while he rambles on as the baseball announcer. Ferrell is so deep into character that he becomes almost hypnotizing as well as funny. As the sketch comes to a close, Allen basically drops the act, seemingly realizing that her scene partner is only getting funnier. We can’t argue with her either, because the comedian’s every line is hilarious.

What begins as a doctor’s visit becomes a fever dream of a sketch. Will Ferrell’s Dr. Beaman informs a couple that something is wrong, but does so in the most outrageous way possible. Honestly, Ferrell’s every move in this sketch would make any elite performer break. He can’t contain himself after Tim Meadows’ dance, leading an already breaking Molly Shannon to laugh as well. The entire idea almost collapses at this point, with only Chris Parnell being able to keep a straight face. Before it’s all over, Ferrell readjusts and brings the glorious sketch home with some solo work — but the laughs stick with us!

There’s just something about Will Ferrell in too-small clothing that gets us every time. The premise of this sketch, which aired less than a month after 9/11, is that this group of office workers has been encouraged to wear their patriotism on their sleeves - literally. Ferrell was apparently supposed to come in wearing patriotic short-shorts, but right before airtime improvised them into a sort of makeshift thong contraption that barely hides his modesty. So, that’s genuine shock on the faces of his costars. And we don’t blame any one of them for losing their composure when Ferrell… makes himself comfortable. His dedication throughout this bit makes for a hilarious experience that his collaborators, like the audience, clearly love.

This sketch is hilarious from the jump, and there’s a ton of build up. It all comes down to the finale though, when Will Ferrell’s boss character arrives. He strolls in on a scooter with an icy look that quickly causes Jimmy Fallon and Sean Hayes to lose it. There’s also the little cell phone that adds another hilarious detail to his entrance. Needless to say, his castmates are basically left in stitches, and he himself almost giggles. Fallon is already known for breaking, but trying to stay composed while Will Ferrell is doing some of his best work? That’s tough. Ferrell doesn’t even need to be in the entire sketch to steal the spotlight and generate laughs!

While trying to enjoy the hot tub, Jimmy Fallon’s Dave encounters an interesting couple played by Will Ferrell and Rachel Dratch. The duo speak with indecipherable accents as they become more ridiculous with each passing second. Their strange behavior starts to put the whole sketch on edge, sending Fallon and Drew Barrymore’s characters for a loop. It’s like a “Twilight Zone” episode that’s played for laughs that even the cast members can’t resist. Everyone, including Ferrell and Dratch, begin to crack as the wacky dialogue gets the best of them. Ferrell soon brings the house down as he spits out his oddly poetic lines through chuckles.

Will Ferrell comes in hot in this iconic sketch. His character starts playing the cowbell in a raucous recording session that doesn’t go as planned. Given free reign to go wild, Ferrell goes all out with his instrument, and the others have to work to avoid ending up in a laughing fit. That, combined with Christopher Walken’s top-notch performance, makes it hard for the actors to hold it together. Jimmy Fallon’s drummer in particular crumbles as he tries to tell off his bandmate, and he can’t help but laugh as Ferrell and Walken do their thing. It’s a perfect storm of hilarity that makes this sketch extra memorable.

We’re not sure how this character found his way into this sketch, but we’re glad he’s here. Gus Chiggins is the odd man out in a military operation that’s about to ship out. Unsurprisingly, the other men have some questions and concerns about the old prospector being there in the first place. Will Ferrell’s absurd performance makes every second of the bizarre premise worth it. His voice, mannerisms, and overall demeanor need to be seen to be believed. Most of the cast breaks one by one as they have to keep asking about Chiggins. While the other cast members are supposed to act mad at the outsider, they can’t contain their giggles after Ferrell’s lines.