IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

Be Free, Be Yourself, and Be Crazy with Will Ferrell

July 1, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Briefcase That Never Opened

Will Ferrell walked into his final audition for Saturday Night Live carrying a leather briefcase stuffed with fake money from a novelty store. His plan: sit down with Lorne Michaels, start stacking bills on the desk, and say, "We can keep talking until the cows come home, but we know what really talks. Money." Then he would pack up and walk out. He never got to do it. The atmosphere in the room was wrong, so he threw out his entire prepared bit. He left thinking Lorne thought he was an idiot. When he was called back for a second meeting—the one where he actually got the job—he brought the briefcase again. The assistant made him leave it outside. He never got to stack the fake money. Years later, Lorne told him he thought the whole thing was hilarious.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Opening Banter & Makeup Hacks** - Craig and Michelle banter about Craig's allergy cough and his wife's shower-cap trick for changing shirts without smearing makeup.
  • 2 (02:30) **Introducing Will Ferrell** - Craig and Michelle welcome Will Ferrell, highlighting his SNL legacy, film career, and upcoming Netflix series "The Hawk."
  • 3 (07:05) **Leaving SNL & The Leap to "Elf"** - Will explains why he left SNL after seven years and the risky bet he took on the movie "Elf."
  • 4 (09:05) **Finding Buddy the Elf's Essence** - Will describes how he built the character of Buddy by seeing the mundane world as wondrous and naive.
  • 5 (13:46) **Will's High School Years: Sports, Class Clown, and Early Comedy** - Will discusses being a three-sport athlete, a "conscientious class clown," and how the locker room shaped his comedy.
  • 6 (16:46) **Family Instability and the Decision to Try Comedy** - Will describes his father's unstable career as a musician and how it made him initially want a stable office job.
  • 7 (24:11) **The First Lucky Break & SNL Audition** - Will recounts booking three sitcom roles in one week, getting his SAG card, and then the SNL audition process.

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Show Notes

Actor, comedian, writer and producer Will Ferrell joins the show for a laugh-out-loud conversation about his upbringing, comedy career, fatherhood, and more. Ferrell opens up about what he was like in high school, the sketches that landed him a spot on Saturday Night Live, and how he and his wife first met. Plus, we hear all about Ferrell’s upcoming Netflix series, The Hawk, which is out July 16th. 

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