What The Cast Of Anchorman Is Doing Today
In 2004, Ron Burgundy and the Channel Four News Team introduced themselves to viewers everywhere with a hearty "News Team! Assemble!" Their beloved movie, "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," featured the eponymous Ron (played by Will Ferrell) and his coworkers struggling to adapt to the channel's first female news anchor, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). Memorable and highly quotable, the comedy became popular enough to spawn a sequel in 2013, "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues."
Though it's unclear if the Channel Four gang will return for "Anchorman 3," co-writer/director Adam McKay has been more open to the idea than he's been previously, mentioning to Cinema Blend in 2018 that a third movie could involve the News Team acting as embedded reporters in a war. Nothing definite has been confirmed, but that doesn't mean that the "Anchorman" stars have been waiting around for a "threequel." Pretty much all of them have been pretty busy since the News Team's last adventure.
Will Ferrell's filming a Christmas musical
Milk may have been a bad choice for Ron Burgundy, but his actor tends to make pretty good career choices. A year after the first "Anchorman" movie, Ferrell made a brief, but highly memorable appearance in "Wedding Crashers" as event crash-master Chazz Reinhold, and in 2008, he starred in the extremely popular movie "Step Brothers" with John C. Reilly (although the "Boats & Hoes" song is arguably more popular than the movie itself). Ferrell also continued his habit of portraying fictional celebrities in 2006's "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and more recently, 2020's "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga." Additionally, he's dabbled in dramatic roles, such as 2006's metafictional "Stranger Than Fiction," as well as animation, including as sympathetic supervillain Megamind (with a penchant for poor pronunciation) in the 2010 movie of the same name.
Ferrell, along with fellow "Anchorman" alum McKay, co-founded the website and studio Funny or Die, and has appeared in several of its productions. He's returned to several of his famous roles, including Jacobim Mugatu (in "Zoolander 2") and George W. Bush (on Broadway), so it's unsurprising he's also reprised Burgundy many times outside of film, including six talk shows in one night in 2019 and for the star-studded Ron Burgundy Podcast, which recently concluded its fourth season. Ferrell's now performing in the upcoming movie "Spirited," a musical retelling of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Fellow comedic legend Ryan Reynolds will play Christmas grouch Ebenezer Scrooge.
Christina Applegate co-stars in Dead to Me
Gaining acceptance in a sexist, male-dominated environment was quite a challenge for Veronica Corningstone, but she pulled it off with skill while eliciting plenty of laughs thanks to Christina Applegate's pitch-perfect performance. Corningstone and Ron Burgundy began as lovers before becoming bitter rivals, as Veronica soon became Ron's co-anchor and then his replacement after pulling a prank that got him fired. The two eventually patched up their differences, marrying and birthing a son, Walter.
Since "Anchorman," Applegate has continued to appear in films, officially joining the Griswolds as Rusty's wife Debbie in 2015's "Vacation" and playing the dictatorial but ultimately misunderstood Gwendolyn James in "Bad Moms," the People's Choice Award winner in early 2017 for Favorite Comedy Movie. It's television where Applegate's career has truly thrived, however. She earned several award nominations and a 2009 People's Choice Award win for her role as Samantha Newly, a woman with retrograde amnesia atoning for her past misdeeds, in the sitcom "Samantha Who?" That same year, Applegate was honored with the TV Land Innovator Award, along with her "Married... With Children" castmates.
Applegate's also appeared in a number of "Funny or Die" videos (including one where she does an often spot-on impression of Meryl Streep) and currently co-stars with Linda Cardellini in Liz Feldman's Netflix series "Dead to Me" — which Applegate, Feldman, and Cardellini happen to co-executive produce with "Anchorman's" Ferrell and McKay.
Steve Carell made playing inept bosses an art form
Arguably the breakout character in "Anchorman," Brick Tamland entertained viewers with his glorious (and often loud) nonsequiturs and inscrutable thought processes. Tamland was played by Steve Carell, whose star was already on the rise thanks to a notable tenure on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart."
Since then, Steve Carell's resume has only gotten even more impressive. He rocked the sitcom world as the hilariously inappropriate boss with a heart, Michael C. Scott, in the American adaptation of "The Office." Carell earned a Golden Globe and several Primetime Emmy nominations for that show alone. He's also played the beloved evil genius Gru in the "Despicable Me" film series and filled the shoes of Donald Rumsfeld in "Vice." He even flirted with an Oscar for "Foxcatcher," the 2014 film in which he played the eccentric John du Pont. He's developed a diverse resume, acting in many more movies and TV shows in both comedic and more serious roles. Last year, he collaborated once again with Jon Stewart as the lead in the film "Irresistible," and co-created the Netflix comedy "Space Force," whose second season is on its way, according to Hollywood Reporter. Today, Carell isn't too far from his "Anchorman" past: He can be seen on Apple TV's drama "The Morning Show," where he's gained a Primetime Emmy nomination for his performance as disgraced news anchor Mitch Kessler.
Paul Rudd has joined the Ghostbusters and Marvel Cinematic Universes
Wannabe smooth-talker and unofficial Sex Panther cologne spokesperson Brian Fantana was a [slightly] more understated presence among the Channel Four News Team compared to the rest of his "Anchorman" co-stars, but the movie wouldn't feel complete without the weatherman's antics and very '70s 'do and mustache.
Rudd has continued to appear and star in several comedic films, including "I Love You, Man," "Knocked Up," and both the prequel and sequel to "Wet Hot American Summer." On television, he played Leslie Knope's upbeat, often clueless, and always rich city council competitor Bobby Newport in "Parks and Recreation," and did double duty on "Reno 911!" as Guy Gerricault (wooer of pregnant Lamaze method students) and Ethan the Drug Lord (real drug baron, failed Tony Montana impersonator). His most high-profile role since "Anchorman" has undeniably been Ant-Man (Scott Lang) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, proving that even the smallest of leads can be the biggest of stars. Rudd joined another major film franchise in 2021's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and is set to appear in Apple TV+'s "The Shrink Next Door."
David Koechner hosts America's Top Dog and appears on The Goldbergs and American Dad!
"Whammy!" Sportscaster Champ Kind immediately stood out from the News Team pack with his ever-present cowboy hat and a love of horseplay that surpasses that of his co-workers. He also seemed to have a not-so-hidden longing for Ron Burgundy, which is hinted at in the first "Anchorman" movie and much more evident in the sequel. Played by David Koechner, the boisterous Champ furthermore seemed to have questionable ethics, as seen when he was selling fried "chicken" that was actually made out of wooden bats in "Anchorman 2."
Koechner has reunited with his Anchorman co-stars on several projects since, most notably with Steve Carell on "The Office" as Michael Scott's rowdy, unprofessional BFF Todd Packer. He's led a fairly varied career in movies, TV, and animation, even appearing as the mystery date in Celebrity Dating Game. Fans can see him these days as Bill Lewis on "The Goldbergs" and Stan's co-worker Dick Reynolds (a role originated by Stephen Root) on "American Dad!" He also co-hosts "America's Top Dog" and continues doing stand-up.
Fred Willard brought laughs that'll extend beyond his recent passing
Comedy legend Fred Willard played Ed Harken, the boss of the Channel 4 news crew and a relatively calming presence, though he often had the misfortune of fielding phone calls regarding his teenage son's escalating delinquency. He was the most open to Veronica Corningstone joining the crew, but still needed a little convincing at times for certain things, including letting Veronica substitute for Ron.
Willard was a staple of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," making more than 100 appearances under various guises (a tradition he continued on "Jimmy Kimmel Live"). He once again played in a fictional newsroom in "Back to You," only as a sports anchor rather than a news director. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for his performance as John Forrester in "The Bold and the Beautiful," and was nominated for several awards for his time as Phil Dunphy's dad Frank in "Modern Family." Sadly, Willard passed away in 2020, but his work both before and after "Anchorman" will always be remembered.
Vince Vaughn stars in Queenpins
Vaughn's comedic chops were in full form in "Anchorman" as Ron Burgundy's arch-nemesis, Channel 9's Wes Mantooth, who'd always inadvertently undermine his own innate menace, e.g., by riding a bicycle to a news fight. Mantooth reaches a sort of understanding with Burgundy at the end of the first movie, but sadly loses his life in the sequel, when Brick unintentionally kills him by igniting a gasoline trap Wes had set for Ron's other enemies.
Vaughn has appeared in many comedic films since. He co-starred in "Wedding Crashers" with Owen Wilson, and then joined several other famed actors in "Couples Retreat," which reunited him with "Swingers" writer/co-star Jon Favreau and also featured Vaughan's actual father, Vernon. He has dabbled in the crime genre, particularly turning heads with his Saturn Award-nominated performance in "Brawl in Cell Block 99" as a flawed, but noble convict who must overcome both the manipulations of a cruel criminal and inhumane treatment from a corrupt prison warden. He also starred in the second season of the gritty "True Detective."
In recent times, Vaughn has played the much-missed Marty Funkhouser's half-brother, Freddy, on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and acted again with "Couples Retreat" co-lead Kristen Bell in the coupon crime movie "Queenpins." Coming up for Vaughan is an Apple TV+ series adapting the humorous noir novel "Bad Monkey," where he'll play a disgraced detective with a mystery on his hands... and a severed arm in his freezer.
Ben Stiller directs the upcoming series Severance
Though he only shows up very briefly in the movie, it's hard not to remember Ben Stiller's cameo as Arturo Mendez, complete with massive mullet, walrus mustache, and a bombastic bilingual entrance to an infamous news fight. While he wasn't able to make good on his promise to make "the sewers run red with Burgundy's blood," he was able to save all the newscasters involved in the fight from getting arrested by warning them of the police's arrival.
Stller's had a number of box office hits and acclaimed movies following his "Anchorman" appearance, such as the mega-hit "Tropic Thunder" and the uplifting travel movie "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," both of which he directed. He renewed the Focker/Byrnes feud with Robert De Niro and their "Meet the Parents" co-stars in two sequels, and broke out Derek Zoolander's Blue Steel look once again for "Zoolander 2." He's also made quite the impact on kids' cinema as museum watchman-turned-adventurer Larry Daley in the "Night of the Museum" franchise, as well as recovering steak addict Alex the lion (aka the "King of New York") in the "Madagascar" movies. Additionally, Stiller's had several noteworthy television roles, appearing as himself (and, eventually, Larry David's enemy) in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and as hyper-committed magician Tony Wonder in "Arrested Development."
Stiller acted in 2021's "Locked Down" and is slated to appear in Paul Thomas Anderson's film "Licorice Pizza" soon. He's also directing the upcoming Apple TV+ show "Severance."