What Really Went Down Between Will Ferrell and Adam McKay to Cause Their Professional and Personal Split
Over the last two decades, the names Will Ferrell and Adam McKay were synonymous in making comedies, starting with their working relationship on SNL, where McKay was a writer for two seasons and Ferrell starred. This led to the films Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, and more, as well as the start of their website, Funny or Die, which saw them co-star in its very first video, "The Landlord."
Two years ago, they officially ended their partnership after 13 years, dissolving their production company, Gary Sanchez Productions, and issuing a joint statement to the press saying: "The two of us will always work together creatively and always be friends. And we recognize we are lucky as hell to end this venture as such."
But it wasn’t as happy a departure as they made it seem. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, McKay explained what really went down, and described their last conversation, saying:
"I said, 'Well, I mean, we're splitting up the company.' And he basically was like, 'Yeah, we are,' and basically was like, 'Have a good life.' And I'm like, 'F***, Ferrell's never going to talk to me again.' So it ended not well."
Apparently, it came to this, while McKay and Ferrell were working on the Untitled Los Angeles Lakers miniseries for HBO that McKay is now developing through his new production label, Hyperobject Industries, and is set to direct. Early on in the process, Ferrell wanted to be cast as 1980s team owner, Jerry Buss, but McKay and others involved couldn’t see him in the part. Instead, they wanted John C. Reilly, Ferrell's best friend and frequent co-star. McKay cast Reilly without telling Ferrell, and Ferrell was so hurt that he cut off the relationship. McKay went on to say:
"I f***ed up on how I handled that. It's the old thing of keep your side of the street clean. I should have just done everything by the book. In my head, I was like, 'We'll let all this blow over. Six months to a year, we'll sit down, we'll laugh about it and go, It's all business junk, who gives a s***? We worked together for 25 years. Are we really going to let this go away?' [But Ferrell] took it as a way deeper hurt than I ever imagined and I tried to reach out to him, and I reminded him of some slights that were thrown my way that were never apologized for."
It’s too bad that this ended their partnership and friendship. Maybe one day they will be able to move past it and make some more funny movies.