Will Ferrell Questioned Viability of Funny or Die Early On

at
Share This Post

On the internet, the name Funny or Die has become synonymous with comedy. The website, in the ten years since its launch, has generated countless viral videos, and has provided various no-name comics and content creators with a platform with which they can get their work seen by millions. The site has become something of a proving ground for comedians online, and has gone from a single-server website with a few funny sketches to a comedy empire that has its hands in various TV and film projects.

Funny or Die was launched on April 12th, 2007, which means that we’re approaching the site’s 10th anniversary. To celebrate that fact, tech site Wired wrote up an oral history of the site’s inception, speaking with founders Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, celebrity collaborators like Kristen Bell and Jon Hamm, and various writers, directors and producers who have had their content featured on the site over the years. The result is a thoroughly interesting and funny account of how Will Ferrell cursing at a toddler started a comedy movement.

The full story, being an oral history, is essentially a collection of quotes on various topics from a bunch of the characters mentioned above. In it, Wired writer Brian Raftery touches on some of the big milestones that Funny or Die experienced, from their initial launch and wooing of investors, to the 2008 financial crisis’ effect on the company, to the beginnings of the fan-favorite sketch Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis. While we’ve included a couple quotes below, you should absolutely check out the full piece here.

Funny or Die co-founder Adam McKay on the site’s humble beginnings:

“The spirit of it was, ‘Let’s just screw around.’ We thought we’d tell our friends about it, and maybe it would be a little comedy clubhouse, where people like Zach Galifianakis and Paul Rudd will want to do stuff. But we had very, very small ambitions.”

Co-founder Will Ferrell on his initial doubts about the site’s viability:

“We’d seen a number of comedy websites that had failed, and we really weren’t convinced that the internet could be a destination for short-form comedy.”

Co-founder Chris Henchy on the site’s first hit video, called “The Landlord:”

“I was here in New York when we put ‘The Landlord’ up, and I remember it had about 100 views when I went to lunch—and when I came back, it already had 60,000 views. We were like ‘Oh my God, this is working.’ I was like, ‘Let’s shut it down, it’s too big!’ But it kept going.”

Read more comedy news.

The following two tabs change content below.

Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.
Bill Tressler

Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.