Will Ferrell - That's why he doesn't like his real first name
## Will Ferrell: "I'm John Ferrell, not Will"
Will Ferrell (56), the actor from "Barbie," explained why he dislikes being called by his birth name and why people rarely address him as such. In the latest episode of the "Messy" podcast on July 9, Christina Applegate (52) and Jamie-Lynn Sigler (43) brought up the topic. They had intended to discuss the 20th anniversary of the comedy classic "Anchorman," but Ferrell shared a painful childhood memory instead.
Ferrell, who gained fame as a "Saturday Night Live" cast member in the 1990s, recalled being asked if he had always enjoyed being part of groups. The American actor shared: "I grew up thinking that being funny was an easy way to make friends. But my real name, John William Ferrell, bothered me even then."
The Name Issue
"It's a small thing, but I remember it being embarrassing – it's not really a trauma – but I remember being mortified because my real name is John Ferrell. On the first day of school, the teacher called me John Ferrell, and I had to say, 'I'm Will, not John.' I had to explain myself for the first few weeks." He added, "I don't know why it was so embarrassing for me to say, 'I'm really Will.'"
The name change was not his decision. "My parents gave me the name John, but they called me Will. I grew up as Will, but legally, my name is John Ferrell."
Another Hair-Raising Issue
"The other issue in my life was that my really straight blonde hair became curlier and curlier during elementary school," Ferrell shared another childhood trauma. "The first day I was in junior high school, I couldn't straighten my hair anymore." However, he happily took on the role of the class clown to this day.
In the same podcast episode, actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler expressed her amusement at Ferrell's name issue, referring to him as "Will" throughout the conversation. Christina Applegate, joined by Sigler, expressed her surprise at Ferrell's discomfort with his birth name, given his successful acting career with the stage name "Will Ferrell." Despite the awkwardness of his early years, Ferrell's first Barbie doll was named "John," reflecting his birth name, adding another layer to his name saga.
