Will Ferrell, 'Anchorman' deluxe
Actor as local news star in new film
(CNN) -- Will Ferrell has been an elf, he has been a middle-aged frat boy and he has also been President Bush. Now he's behind the anchor desk.
The actor -- who's riding a hot streak with his last two films, "Old School" and "Elf," both having been hits -- stars as Ron Burgundy in "Anchorman," a comedy about a pompous news reader at a San Diego, California, TV station in the mid-1970s.
Ferrell appeared on CNN and talked to anchor Daryn Kagan about the movie, which opens Friday.
WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: Hi, Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Get ready to laugh.
FERRELL: Yes, get ready.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERRELL: Good evening. I'm Ron Burgundy?
FRED WILLARD, ACTOR: Damn it! Who typed a question mark on the TelePrompTer?
The decision has been passed down to make Veronica our co-anchor.
FERRELL: No! No, no, no!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Yes, yes, yes! It's the battle of the sexes in the news, in the local newsroom spoof "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy." It's set in the 1970s in San Diego. The film features scenes of a weatherman calling Iowa the Middle East and a gang brawl between rival news teams.
And there's a love story in there, as well. Actor Will Ferrell, popular newsmaker himself, plays a pompous newsman who dons those sideburns and the polyester suits. Will Ferrell, making the rounds, talking up this movie. Good morning, Will.
FERRELL: Good morning, Daryn.
KAGAN: I got to see the movie yesterday afternoon.
FERRELL: And?
KAGAN: Still giggling.
FERRELL: Oh, good.
KAGAN: Still laughing. Was not that big of a stretch from my days in local news, I have to say, some of the characters.
FERRELL: Can I just start by saying, you look electric.
(LAUGHTER)
FERRELL: You look electric. Is that journalistic of me or not?
KAGAN: No, but it's appreciated. Thank you.
You know, I was actually a little concerned. I didn't know who was going to show up today. I didn't know fit was going to be Will or Ron Burgundy.
FERRELL: Well Ron has been making a few public appearances.
KAGAN: Yes he has. Your inner Ron, I think, is maybe coming out.
 Burgundy and his colleagues on the all-male news team are threatened by Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). |  |
FERRELL: Inner Ron is always below the surface.
KAGAN: Yes, right, yes. You know, Ron Burgundy has a few problems with women though. Especially working with women in news.
FERRELL: He does. He's a dinosaur, well, he isn't in the movie, but for viewers now it's obviously an attitude that doesn't exist at least on the outside anymore.
Yes, he's very threatened by women. He learns, though, in the end that women and men are pretty equal though, even though I think he still is 60-40 [that] men are better.
KAGAN: The scene that's playing on the other side of the screen right now is when you are in the office and you call in Christina Applegate ...
(CROSSTALK)
FERRELL: Right, the guns.
(A clip from "Anchorman" shows Ferrell with his shirt off.)
KAGAN: Yes.
FERRELL: Are you impressed by the physique? Be honest, Daryn. You look electric.
KAGAN: I was feeling electric. I almost forgot about the comedy looking at your incredible physique there up on the big screen.
FERRELL: Yes, well, that's one of my many weapons in my comedy arsenal -- the body.
KAGAN: The body.
You know, another part of your arsenal that was a fun part of the movie, there are a lot of cameos. A lot of people show up in this movie I did not know were going to show up.
FERRELL: We have some amazing cameos that I don't know if you are familiar with. Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson ...
KAGAN: Yep.
FERRELL: Jack Black.
KAGAN: Jack Black, Tim Robbins.
FERRELL: I don't want ...
KAGAN: You don't want to give it away. ...
In the one minute I have left, how did you explain to Christina Applegate and how did you convince her to be part of this group of guys? how'd you solve this?
FERRELL: Well, we paid her a lot of money.
KAGAN: Oh, that's good.
FERRELL: And she was just -- she was excellent in her auditions, as well as being so funny. And I took her on a wonderful weekend up to Big Sur, we just drove up the coast ...
KAGAN: Yeah. I'll bet your mutual spouses appreciated that.
FERRELL: We did a lot of talking.
KAGAN: While we're waiting for this President Bush tape to come in, are you swinging one way or the other just in terms of comedy, who you hope wins the presidential race?
FERRELL: Well, President Bush is pretty funny, I have to say. But I don't know if he's funny for our country.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: We will see. Well, you're funny for our country.
FERRELL: Yes, I am. Thank you.
KAGAN: The movie is "Anchorman." Your next one coming up is "Bewitched." You have to stop by and talk about that one.
FERRELL: I certainly will.
KAGAN: We got to wrap. Will, sorry to cut you short, but we got the real President Bush.
FERRELL: OK. Excellent.
KAGAN: Will Ferrell, "Anchorman."
