At some point in every big screen comedian’s career, they eventually end up transitioning into more dramatic roles, a decision that sometimes earns them much critical acclaim. Admittedly, the results can be very mixed, but the likes of Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy, Steve Carell and Jonah Hill to name just a few used their initial success in comedy to launch new chapters in entirely different genres.
One actor that seems very reluctant to make the jump, though, is Will Ferrell, who appears content to keep playing variations on the screaming man-child routine that first brought him to mainstream attention two decades ago. Which is surprising, as his longtime friend, frequent collaborator and Gary Sanchez Productions co-founder Adam McKay made the transition look easy, with the Anchorman filmmaker’s first two dramatic features both gaining Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. Heck, McKay even scooped the Best Adapted Screenplay prize for The Big Short.
The last time Ferrell made a movie that wasn’t a comedy, however, was all the way back in 2006, where he ultimately ended up giving the best performance of his entire career. Stranger than Fiction is a fantasy-tinged drama that follows an IRS worker who starts having his life narrated by a disembodied voice in the style of a novel, and he then races to try and prevent his own death that’s set to happen at the end of the story.
The Talladega Nights star is a revelation on more restrained form for a change, and it remains a real source of frustration that he hasn’t pursued more challenging roles in the years since. As such, those that are bored of the 53 year-old’s established persona should definitely check out Stranger than Fiction when it arrives on Netflix next month, on October 1st.