It is kind of wild to think about, but there was a time before the "Frat Pack" ruled the multiplex. Before every other line in a bar was a quote about glass cases of emotion or loving lamps. If you look at the track record of movies with Will Ferrell and Steve Carell, you aren't just looking at a list of credits. You’re looking at the DNA of modern American comedy.
Honestly, these two are like the peanut butter and jelly of the 2000s. Ferrell is the chaotic, loud-voiced engine. Carell is the master of the weird, quiet, often slightly "off" energy. When they collide, things usually get weird in the best way possible.
The Anchorman Era: Where the Magic Started
You can't talk about movies with Will Ferrell and Steve Carell without starting in 1970s San Diego. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) is the big one. It’s the definitive collaboration. Ferrell was already a massive star coming off Saturday Night Live and Old School, but Carell was still "that guy from The Daily Show."
Basically, the role of Brick Tamland changed everything.
Legend has it that Adam McKay, the director, just told Carell to "say something" during a scene because they ran out of scripted lines. That’s how we got the iconic "I love lamp" moment. It wasn’t planned. Carell just looked around the room, saw a lamp, and committed to the bit. Ferrell, being the pro he is, didn't blink. He just rolled with it. That’s the secret sauce. They trust each other's insanity.
Then came the sequel. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) took the news team to the 80s. While sequels can sometimes feel like a cash grab, this one leaned even harder into the surrealism. You've got the lighthouse scene, the RV crash that takes forever, and that massive, star-studded brawl at the end. It proved that even a decade later, the chemistry hadn't soured.
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The Weird, Forgotten Side Projects
Most people remember the news team, but the list of movies with Will Ferrell and Steve Carell actually has some deep cuts.
Take Melinda and Melinda (2004). This is a Woody Allen flick that most comedy fans haven't even seen. It’s a weird experiment where the same story is told as both a tragedy and a comedy. Ferrell is the lead in the "comedy" half. Carell shows up in a smaller role as his friend, Walt. It’s a much more grounded, neurotic vibe than their later work. If you want to see them before they were "Anchors," this is the one to find.
Then there is Bewitched (2005).
Total honesty? The movie is a bit of a mess.
But!
The bright spot is when Steve Carell shows up as Uncle Arthur. He’s doing a direct homage to Paul Lynde from the original TV show, and he is clearly having more fun than anyone else on screen. Ferrell plays Jack Wyatt, a vain actor, and their scenes together are the only parts of the movie that feel truly alive.
Animated Rivalry: Despicable Me 4
For a long time, it felt like the duo had moved into different lanes. Carell went deep into dramatic territory with Foxcatcher and The Big Short. Ferrell stayed in the lane of high-concept comedies like Eurovision.
But 2024 brought a reunion nobody saw coming.
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In Despicable Me 4, Ferrell joined the franchise as the villain, Maxime Le Mal. It’s a voice role, sure, but the dynamic is classic. You have Carell’s Gru—now a family man and reformed hero—going up against Ferrell’s French-accented, cockroach-obsessed nemesis. Even through layers of animation, you can hear that old Anchorman rhythm. They know how to poke at each other. They know where the punchline is hiding.
Why We Are Still Obsessed With This Duo
There is a specific reason why movies with Will Ferrell and Steve Carell stay in the cultural conversation. It’s not just the jokes. It’s the lack of ego.
In comedy, you usually have a "straight man" and a "funny man."
With Ferrell and Carell, they both switch roles constantly.
One minute, Ferrell is the loudest guy in the room while Carell stares blankly. The next, Carell is doing something incredibly bizarre—like eating a big red candle—and Ferrell is the one playing the "sane" observer.
They also share a background in improv. Both spent years honing their craft in theaters like Second City. That means they don't just wait for their turn to speak. They listen. When you watch them together, you’re watching two guys who are genuinely trying to make the other person break character.
A Quick List of Their Shared Credits
If you're looking to do a marathon, here is the roadmap for movies with Will Ferrell and Steve Carell:
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- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) – The gold standard.
- Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004) – A straight-to-DVD companion film made entirely out of deleted scenes and subplots.
- Melinda and Melinda (2004) – The artsy, neurotic choice.
- Bewitched (2005) – Worth it just for the Uncle Arthur cameo.
- Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) – The 24-hour news cycle gets the Ferrell/Carell treatment.
- Despicable Me 4 (2024) – The voice-acting reunion.
Interestingly, they also both appeared in The Campaign (2012) and The Big Short (2015), though they didn't necessarily share significant screentime in the same way they did in the Anchorman films. In The Big Short, they were part of a massive ensemble, but their storylines stayed largely separate.
How to Watch Them Today
If you want to catch up on these classics, your best bet is hitting the major streamers. Anchorman usually bounces between Paramount+ and Netflix depending on the month. Despicable Me 4 is the newest entry, so it’s likely on Peacock or available for digital rental.
Keep an eye out for their subtle "acting" choices. In Anchorman, watch Steve Carell in the background of scenes where he doesn't have lines. He is almost always doing something weird with a prop or staring at a wall. That’s the commitment that makes the Ferrell/Carell duo so legendary.
Next Steps for You:
If you really want to see the "pure" version of their comedy, go find the outtakes for the first Anchorman. You can see the exact moment they realize a joke is working. It’s better than a film school lesson on timing. After that, check out Melinda and Melinda just to see how different they sounded before they became household names.