Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell have been co-stars several times over the years in movies like Daddy’s Home (and its sequel) and The Other Guys. Given filming, press junkets and red carpet events, not to mention social events in Hollywood, and their kids periodically communicating, the two have spent considerable time together. That apparently means Wahlberg has had the time to craft a pretty amusing impression of Ferrell, and he's not afraid to use it.
A video of the two appearing on The Graham Norton Show has been running around again, and I can totally see why. In it, the former SNL star is talking about coaching for his kids and his Daddy’s Home co-star busted out an impression of the SNL star that was pretty spot-on and that I really did not see coming. It’s a clip that’s so good, it continually runs around the interwebs.
He’d be the worst coach. Because they could be down 20 [mimics], ‘Don’t worry guys, you’re doing really good. You know what? There are a lot of positive things happening. Why are you crying? It’s OK!
If you've seen most of Will Ferrell's best movies, including Kicking and Screaming, you might have an idea of what Ferrell sounds like in the above quote. However, in order to get the full effect of the impression, though, you should check out the full clip below.
Meanwhile, Will Ferrell knows when a roast is spot on. He leaned into Wahlberg’s take and admitted his co-star might have been onto something when it comes to his coaching strategy. It’s a moment that both highlights Ferrell’s nice guy personality (and why that maybe isn’t the best fit for a coach). He also joked on the Graham Norton Show that kids "learn more from defeat than winning." What a bit:
You learn more from defeat than winning. Sadly, that’s exactly my strategy, yeah. But I did have a moment where I was screaming at my oldest son, who was 10-years-old at the time, and I was like, ‘Magnus, MAGNUS, MAGNUS! And he stopped in the middle of the game and was like, ‘WHAT?’ And I realized I had lost my mind. I just said, ‘Never mind. … just trying to get you closer to the ball. But it’s hard, it’s hard to not get wrapped up in the excitement.
I've never really thought of Mark Wahlberg as much of an impressionist, so this video is a welcome surprise.
Given Ferrell himself is known for impressions, though, it's a fun connection for the two co-stars to have. Probably most popular among these was Ferrell's ability to channel Alex Trebek during SNL's wildly funny and long-running "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketches, sketches Trebek himself adored. However, he's done Harry Carey, Harrison Ford, Dr. Phil, and, of course, the also well-known George W. Bush. (Oh and he has some regrets over a Janet Reno impression.) Now, I just need him to work on a Mark Wahlberg impression and dish it right back.