The Best Between Two Ferns Bloopers We Could Find
Before his mainstream breakout role in 2009's "The Hangover," and before attracting fans spanning from frat boys to alt-comedy aficionados, Zach Galifianakis appeared on a low-budget, absurdist comedy show produced by a then start-up production company, Funny or Die.
Fast forward 13 years and "Between Two Ferns" boasts 22 episodes, its own full-length movie on Netflix, and big-name guests ranging from Barack Obama to Bradley Cooper to Justin Bieber. The show follows a semi-genuine, semi-fantasy format, with Galifianakis playing a fictional version of himself as he tosses insults and uncomfortable questions at his real-life guests. And oftentimes, the guests dish it back to Galifianakis, too.
The result? Comedy gold. Even the actors, politicians, and musicians can't help cracking up when Galifianakis delivers stinging doses of brutally honest barbs. Galifianakis, too, loses his composure at the sheer cruelty and craziness of the interview questions at times. And those moments make for great bloopers, which sometimes are even funnier than the show itself; keep reading for some of the best.
Jon Hamm ... and other hot idiots
In his most iconic role, Jon Hamm played Don Draper –- the brilliant, tortured, dashingly dressed advertising mastermind and anti-hero –- on AMC's "Mad Men." And due to that role, he became an international heartthrob. He's been lauded as such by various publications' "sexiest man alive" issues. Of course, Galifianakis had to take a jab at that accolade.
In one "Between Two Ferns" outtake (seen at the very beginning of this gag reel), Galifianakis remarks on Hamm's fellow Hollywood heartthrob, Bradley Cooper, and his directorial debut with 2008's "A Star Is Born." He asks: "Are you hoping that will open doors for other hot idiots?" Cue the two breaking character, cracking up uncontrollably.
In fact, Hamm did direct two episodes of "Mad Men" during his tenure. But he doesn't hold any other directing credits ... yet. As for Hamm's intellect, he isn't exactly lacking in that department either. He was a drama teacher, at one point, and one of his students was "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star, Ellie Kemper. And she turned out okay.
Cumberbatch and the accent effect
Onscreen, Benedict Cumberbatch is mostly serious -– from the time-manipulating wizard Doctor Strange in Marvel movies, to the titular eccentric detective in "Sherlock," to the historical code-cracker Alan Turing in "The Imitation Game." But the English actor couldn't keep his composure when Galifianakis dropped a question about his accent on him.
"If you didn't have an accent, do you think people would be able to tell that you're not a very good actor?" Galifianakis asks during Cumberbatch's appearance on "Between Two Ferns," seen here in this blooper compilation at the 00:50 mark. From there, the two can't help but laugh.
In spite of Galifianakis' jab, Cumberbatch's most enduring (and undoubtedly lucrative) role as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has him affecting an American accent, not his native UK twang. And the one word that tied him up the most while speaking American-ese? Perhaps one of the most important words for that role: "Sorcerer." During the "Doctor Strange" premiere in New York City, Cumberbatch told Vulture: "Funny enough 'sorcerer' is really hard for some reason. And that is a very important word for the character. There's a lot of Rs going on in that one."
Before #VanLife was cool, with Tiffany Haddish
Before her big break in 2017's "Girls Trip," comedic powerhouse Tiffany Haddish famously lived in her car while she was coming up in the Los Angeles stand-up scene. And Galifianakis asked her about this part of her life in classic "Between Two Ferns" fashion: "You used to live in your car," he said, seen here at the 1:45 mark. "Is it as fun as it sounds or is there a downside?" Cut to the both of them busting out in giggles.
But Haddish did made the most out of living in her car, at least when it came to the location where she would park for the night. Her go-to spot was on the glitzy streets of Beverly Hills, which she justified in an interview with Vanity Fair as, "If Imma be homeless, I'm gonna be homeless in the best area."
Ultimately, she got off the streets and into a hotel, where she started plotting her future and securing an apartment to live in. And she did so with the help of none other than comedian Kevin Hart. He gave her $300 and told her to get a hotel room for the week, and to write down her goals. "I pretty much tackled almost all those goals," she said. And sure enough, a few years later, she was starring alongside Hart in 2018's "Night School." Oh, and she got that apartment, too –- and then some.
Letterman loses it
David Letterman, considered one of the greatest talk show hosts of all time, may seem like an unlikely guest to appear on a show that mocks the medium for which he's most celebrated. Or, perhaps, that makes him the perfect target?
Letterman has a new look these days, as opposed to his clean-shaven appearance on "Late Night." Yes, the beard. And, of course, Galifianakis took aim at that white, wiry bushel on Letterman's face. At the 4:08 mark in this clip, he says, "Again, I'd like to thank crystal meth Santa Claus for being here." It was so on the nose that the two couldn't help but start cracking up.
But Galifianakis wasn't done. He doubled down on Letterman's look by suggesting that the bearded, bespectacled former talk show host was only there because he "read something last night and was so eager to tell a bunch of young people about what he read." And with that, again, laughter. Although Galifianakis wasn't far off. "I did do a lot of reading," Letterman replied.
A slice of Brie ... Larson
From her role as Captain Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to her Oscar winning performance in "Room," to starring in indie breakout hits like "Short Term 12," Brie Larson has become a household name. And that's where Galifianakis went in for the kill: her name. "Your parents divorced when you were seven," he said, seen at the 3:55 mark here. "Was that your fault? And guess why? They named their daughter after a f****** piece of cheese." From there, Larson couldn't keep a straight face.
The truth about her name, however, is a little more complicated. It turns out, her parents didn't give her the name "Brie" –- well, not exactly. She was born Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, but she later changed it, citing that her real name was difficult for people to pronounce. "It just got extremely frustrating to correct people all the time," she told Glamour in 2014. "Plus, I never went by Brianne. It's a name you get called when you're in trouble!" As for the last name, she explained that "Larson is a family name from my great-grandmother."
McConoughey's hacky sack
In the first season of HBO's anthology crime drama, "True Detective," Matthew McConoughey and Woody Harrelson play a team of headbutting investigators, searching for answers to a series of ritualistic murders as they battle their own demons. But during McConoughey's appearance on "Between Two Ferns," Galifianakis was more concerned with the acting duo's personal, and more free-spirited, pursuits while filming. "Are you sad that somewhere there's a sack not being hackied?" he asked, seen here at 2:29. And McConoughey couldn't contain himself, breaking out in his characteristic cackle.
Galifianakis keeps it up, continuing with, "What was the marijuana budget on 'True Detective,' and have you smoked a lot of that budget today?" From that, McConaughey falls into an all-out fit of laughter. But, as a show, "True Detective" was much too serious for any of these offscreen shenanigans. McConaughey's character, Rust Cohle, certainly has issues with substances, but marijuana doesn't seem to be one of them.
In another role, however, McConaughey did play a certified pot-smoker and some of the aforementioned on-set hijinks went down. While filming 2019's "The Beach Bum," Snoop Dogg allegedly swapped out one of McConoughey's prop joints for the real deal. "I didn't speak another word of English, really," McConaughey recalled about the incident during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel. "It was one of those highs where I didn't really catch my breath until 5:30 the next day."
John Legend wants to fight Galifianakis
John Legend hates Galifianakis in the "Between Two Ferns" film. Here's why: While sitting in a hotel bar, Galifianakis saddles up next to Chrissy Teigen, Legend's wife. The two hit it off and end up going back to Teigen's room. You can guess what happens next. Cut to the next day, and Legend calls up the show's producers, saying that he really wants to be a guest on the show. That very same day. Coincidence? Nope. By no surprise, Galifianakis is extremely nervous. And Legend lays into him during their interview, letting on that he knows what happened the night prior, and he's (understandably) not happy. "I know what you did," Legend whispers in his ear after the interview, then blasts him with pepper spray in the face ... and the crotch, for good measure.
But in real life, the two were much more cordial while filming. Galifianakis mad a gag about Legend's role in "La La Land" –- seen during this blooper reel at the 1:57 mark –- asking if it "helped pave the way for white people to explain jazz to Black people?" Both of them start chuckling. In the film, Legend plays Keith, a working jazz musician who offers an opportunity to Ryan Gosling's Sebastian. And, of course, Legend knows a thing or two about jazz music (along with other genres) from his, um, "day job."
Adam Scott and the sound of silence
The cast of "Big Little Lies" –- HBO's two-season drama series based off the book of the same name –- was nothing short of stacked. There was Nicole Kidman, Reece Witherspoon, Zoe Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley, with Meryl Streep coming in for the second season. With such esteemed actresses taking up the leading roles, it's easy to imagine that some of the secondary characters would get overlooked. Like Adam Scott, who plays Witherspoon's husband. That's where Galifianakis dug in during Scott's appearance on "Between Two Ferns," filling an awkward silence seen here at the 3:39 mark with, "You hear that? That is the sound of everybody talking about your performance in 'Big Little Lies.' No one cares." It was so mean that Galifianakis and Scott couldn't help but laugh.
To be fair, Scott is mostly known for his comedic roles like in "Parks and Recreation," "Party Down," and "Step Brothers." But "Big Little Lies" wasn't his first go in a more serious part. More specifically, Scott has played a handful of jerks onscreen in films like "Art School Confidential," "The Vicious Kind," and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." And he seems to dig those roles just as much as the comedic ones. "I don't know I think a******* are really funny," he told Variety. "I love watching a******* and I just relish it. I love hearing about bad behavior, it's just so funny to me. Especially grownups acting like weird, inconsolable babies over really stupid things to me is really funny."
Tessa on Teslas
Galifianakis' fictional character on "Between Two Ferns" is a lot of things — rude, childish, and insecure, just to name a few. But as fans found out in the "Between Two Ferns" full-length film on Netflix, the character got a little bit of backstory. He comes from a small town, where his "show" is broadcast on a local public access television station. And sometimes –- amidst the barrage of insulting and awkward questions -– he can get a bit starry-eyed when hearing about the lavish (in comparison to his own) lives of his celebrity guests. Like what happened when he interviewed actress Tessa Thompson.
"You know a guy that owns a Tesla," he asked, featured here in this gag reel at the 2:55 mark. When Thompson replies that she does, Galifianakis simply whistles in wonder. And Thompson is taken aback, breaking her serious face and letting out a laugh. Galifianakis goes on to say, "It's amazing that this is even a thing," referring to the absurdity of the show itself. And Thompson can't help but agree through another round of chuckles.
It's no surprise that the whole Tesla thing came up because, as Galifianakis often does on "Between Two Ferns," that's what he called the "Westworld" actress instead of her real name. He's done the same with multiple other guests, often misspelling his guests' names, like Justin "Beevers" and Jerry "Signfeld" and "Cardib" and Keanu "Reefs."
Paul Rudd's new celeb gossip show
Of all the guests on "Between Two Ferns," Paul Rudd was one of the better sports — at least in the persona he portrayed for the mock interview. He dished it back at Galifianakis and quipped sometimes self-deprecating jokes about himself. This includes when he talked about getting into showbusiness and how he slept his way to the top, or rather, the middle. "I went right to the middle," he said. And, as seen in blooper reels (like here at the 1:13 mark), Rudd and Galifianakis had a good time during their shoot, which led to both men breaking character.
Galifianakis starts by asking if Rudd ever goes to the "DMZ" –- a fictional cross between the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) and TMZ (the celebrity gossip TV show). And in this imaginary crossover, the show hosts chat about celebrity driver's licenses. For instance, Rudd pictures one host potentially saying, "Oh ... James Franco wears corrective lenses." And that stops Galifianakis in his tracks, sending him into a fit of laughter. Later, at the 4:49 mark here, Rudd continues making Galifianakis crack up with a joke (we'll let you see that one for yourself). "I've told that joke for 20 [years]," Rudd says between giggles, "and I still laughed."
Pissed off Peter Dinklage
In the "Between Two Ferns" film, Galifianakis and his crew visit "Game of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage at his house. But they have ulterior motives beyond a simple interview. They're strapped for cash, and knowing the successful actor likely has some pricey accoutrements around his house, they plan to steal something. For instance, there's fictional items like an Andy Warhol painting of LaCroix, a copy of the as-of-yet-finished George R. R. Martin "Game of Thrones" novel "Winds of Winter," and an assortment of expensive Fabergé eggs. The crew goes for the eggs; and, as imagined, this leads to disaster.
During the interview in the movie, Dinklage catches on to what's actually happening — the egg heist. And he's not so keen about it, unsurprisingly. But Galifianakis tries to hold his attention on the interview by talking about a made-up character on Disney Channel's "Wizards of Waverly Place," one named "Chad Farthouse." And this is where Dinklage couldn't take it anymore. He starts laughing uncontrollably, as seen here at the 3:19 mark. He's trying to keep a straight face, despite the ridiculous name-drop from Galifianakis, but the giggle train has already left the station. "How does anybody do this?" he asks while catching a breath. Good question, Peter.