On the MeSsy podcast, Will Ferrell—legally known as John William Ferrell—spoke about how embarrassed he was as a child to use his own name.
Ferrell clarified that on the first day of school, teachers had named him John, which resulted in awkward corrections.
The actor had to constantly remind peers and teachers that he was Will, which caused him much discomfort.
Ferrell's family and friends called him Will when he was growing up, even though his legal name was John.
When Ferrell and Christina Applegate celebrated Anchorman's 20th anniversary, they talked about the slight agony of name correction.
The podcast's hosts, Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, thought Ferrell's story about his early years was funny and realistic.
Applegate responded to Ferrell's joke about his naming story being cheesy with a clever one about the name John.
Ferrell's admiration for Applegate's performance in the movie and his pride in Anchorman's legacy were also discussed in the podcast.