Will Ferrell says that a conversation with his dad before he pursued comedy taught him to stop fearing failure.
On Wednesday’s episode of the “IMO” podcast, Ferrell spoke with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson about the period when he decided to give Hollywood a real shot.
At that time, he was taking classes at The Groundlings, an improvisational and sketch-comedy school in Los Angeles, and said he had begun to realize that the work “just feels right.”
Before taking the leap, Ferrell sought his father’s opinion.
Looking back, the “Elf” star said his dad’s response became what he still considers “the best showbiz advice ever.”
“He was like, ‘If it was based on talent, I wouldn’t worry about you. I’m going to tell you you’ve got talent, but there’s so much luck,'” Ferrell said, recounting his father’s words.
“Give it a shot, but don’t get discouraged if you get down the road and you’re like, this is just too hard. You didn’t fail. You tried, and you’re capable, just pivot and do something else,” Ferrell said.
Even though it wasn’t a “rah-rah speech,” the comedian said his father’s words “took the pressure off succeeding.”
“I thought, well, I’m not going to make it anyway. Let’s just have fun,” Ferrell said.
Many other celebrities have also spoken about the advice they received from parents or mentors early in their careers.
Rashida Jones has said her father, Quincy Jones, encouraged her to use the opportunities available to her because of her family’s ties to the entertainment industry.
“My dad said to me, when I graduated from college: ‘You’re gonna go wait in line with 70,000 other people for a job? That doesn’t seem really that practical,'” Jones said. “And he was right, you know.”
Selena Gomez has also credited her grandpa with teaching her the importance of punctuality.
“My papa used to say, ‘If you are on time, you’re already late,'” Gomez said.
