Will Ferrell

One of the many comic actors to make the leap from Saturday Night Live to the big screen, Ferrell exudes a gawky, everyman likability. This tall, curly-haired player performed with The Groundlings before landing on SNL, where he became popular for his hilarious impressions (James Lipton, Alex Trebek, George "Dubya") and broad characterizations (an overgrown cheerleader, an overzealous lover). One of his creations, a bridge-and-tunnel clubgoer, led to his first leading movie role in 1998's lackluster A Night at the Roxbury, but future projects proved more rewarding. After a succession of small parts in small movies, Ferrell popped up in fellow funnyman Ben Stiller's modest 2001 hit Zoolander and stole the show as eccentric fashion-designer-cum-terrorist Mugatu (a reference to a furry Star Trek villain). Ferrell left SNL the next year to concentrate exclusively on the big screen, and by 2003 he was a bankable star, with a laugh-out-loud supporting role as an overgrown frat boy in Old School and his lovable turn in the feel-good smash Elf. Some of his films did better than others — Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, which he also cowrote (perhaps inspired by his early days as a sportscaster for a local cable station), was a hit, while Bewitched and The Producers bombed. Inspite of the occasional flops, however, Ferrell always retained his regular-guy appeal.