Between “Talladega Nights,” “Blades of Glory” and the new basketball flick “Semi-Pro,” it may seem like Will Ferrell acts exclusively in sports comedies. Rest assured: He will not be doing a movie about cricket or deep-sea diving.
“I was going to get certified for SCUBA,” Ferrell told RedEye during an interview at the Peninsula Hotel, “but I have trouble pressurizing my ears. It hurts. So I wouldn’t want to have to do that.”
In “Semi-Pro,” which opens Friday, Ferrell stars as fictional 1970s American Basketball Association player Jackie Moon. The ABA is merging with the National Basketball Association, so Moon works to get his team, the Flint Tropics, into the NBA.
With plenty of goofball details and absurd scenes, the movie does seem like more of the same for Ferrell. Moon wrestles a bear during halftime, for example, and scores a hit disco song with “Love Me Sexy.” But Ferrell says the timing of “Semi-Pro,” which “Old School” writer Scot Armstrong told Ferrell about six years ago, is simply a result of when the script was finished.
“It gives this appearance that I’m obsessed with sports comedies,” Ferrell says. “I love them, they’re fun, but I’m not really always like, ‘OK, I gotta do a wind-surfing movie now.’ “
Ferrell told RedEye about his real-life b-ball skills, authenticity in his films and his sexy singing.
How would you fare if an NBA team called and said they needed you?
Ten-day contract? First of all, I would report right away. I think I’d be badly injured. They are strong, fast, professional athletes. I would get pummeled. I think I could catch a pass. I maybe could get a shot off because the guys would lay off me as a joke.
What would your nickname be?
It would either be “Vanilla Killa.” That’s K-I-L-L-A. Or what did [co-star] Andre [Benjamin] … Andre had a nickname for me as “The Big Beige.”
What’s something you did to increase your level of funkiness for a ’70s movie like “Semi-Pro”?
Well, I grew my hair out. That’s my real hair in the movie. I grew that out for six months. Started wearing platform shoes a lot, neckerchiefs. Just around the house. All my clothes just a little tighter, ’cause it was a more form-fitting era for fashion.
Does that make you self-conscious?
Not really, because it’s what it took to fit into the role. And it’s historically accurate. I’m all about historical accuracy [laughs] in my comedies.
Since Moon has to wrestle a bear, for historical accuracy, how many people were killed in the ’70s doing that?
There were a lot, yeah. In the ’70s there was a whole rash of bear attacks. That’s when most of the bear attacks took place. Between ’72 and ’76. Over 10,000 people died in that period of time for some reason.
Moon’s song is so sexy. Are you worried it’ll cause an overpopulation problem?
Well, I know “Love Me Sexy” has already been banned in China and India, ’cause they’re trying to [slow] population growth there. But some of those countries in Western Europe where there’s zero population growth and they’re actually losing people, “Love Me Sexy” is being imported there immediately.
What would I have to do for you to sing for me?
Well, you’d have to give me a certified check for … not that much. Like 50 bucks. But it would have to be certified.
Do you ever flip through a script and say, “I have to do whaaat?”
Yeah, there are moments where you’ll see something that someone’s written and it doesn’t make sense. It’s just to kind of gratuitously get you to get in those situations. But for the most part, if it makes sense, if I think it’s a funny idea, then I don’t have a problem doing it. But I don’t request it. I don’t yearn for it.
Like, “What if I got naked here”?
“This might be a good time …” “No, we don’t need you to.” “OK. But what about on the next page?” “It’s a courtroom scene. We don’t need you …” “I know, but what if the judge says, ‘OK, prosecuting attorney, please take off your shirt.’ “
Then what goes through your head when you look at a postcard for “Semi-Pro” and see yourself wearing only white socks, posing with a strategically placed basketball?
It kinda doesn’t feel like it’s me in a way. It’s a little bit like, “Oh, right.” ‘Cause a film obviously comes out so far after you shot it. A lot of times you’re like, “Ohhhhhhh, I did actually do that. They actually convinced me to do that. Oh well, it’s too late now.”
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MPAIS@TRIBUNE.COM
