Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade

RE-RELEASE: Will Ferrell (Live at Largo)
October 22, 2025 | Audacy

Overview

In this vibrant and hilarious episode, Dana Carvey and David Spade sit down with comedy icon Will Ferrell for a lively conversation recorded in front of a packed audience at Los Angeles' Largo theater. Characteristically unscripted and brimming with spontaneous riffs, the trio dives deep into their shared history at "Saturday Night Live," Will’s ascent from the Groundlings to a breakout SNL star, iconic sketches, movie memories, secrets of their creative process, and wild behind-the-scenes moments. With plenty of affectionate ribbing, impromptu impressions, and some truly memorable anecdotes, this episode is a treat for SNL fans and comedy nerds alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Live Largo Show Setup & SNL Camaraderie

• The episode opens with Dana and David hyping the special nature of recording live at the Largo and welcoming Will Ferrell to ecstatic applause.
• They joke about celebrity "exit strategies" after shows and riff on the unique, upbeat energy that Will always brings.
• Early moments set the tone for the night: “He comes—he’s not walking through it…he’s trying to get laughs. He’s cracking up. We’re all cracking up, making fun of each other. These are the kind that are—I like the super fun, just goofy, stupid.” (Dana, 02:53)

2. Origins & Early SNL Days

Childhood to Groundlings

• Will recounts almost not pursuing comedy, watching open mics before daring to try:
  • “Almost get the guts to sign up, but sit in the back...and go, oh, I’m funnier than them…Ooh, no, not that guy.” (Will, 11:15)
• Spade remembers Will from his days at Butterfield & Butterfield after an Elvis memorabilia auction (31:53).

Audition Stories

• Will shares his now-infamous SNL audition, including bombing with a “cat toys” sketch:
  • “I thought that would be funny to play with cat toys on the ground...Dead silence.” (Will, 14:51)
• Dana and David marvel at Will’s “Get Off the Shed” sketch, which was both an SNL debut and an audition piece.

3. Inside SNL: Pressure, Panic, and Finding Your Place

• Will reflects on the anxiety and near-panic attacks of SNL:
  • “Especially after that first year…It would just come out of the blue…It’s inexplicable.” (Will, 25:52)
• David and Dana relate, discussing the slow process of earning confidence and audience acceptance on the show.
• The pressure cooker of SNL, and the relief/slight guilt of sometimes staying “too long.”
• On creative defense—when sketches would bomb, Molly Shannon recalls Will "tripling down":
  • “I had this perverse thing of like, okay, audience, you don’t like it—now you’re really not gonna like it. I’m going to punish you for hating this sketch even more.” (Will, 17:14)

4. Iconic SNL Sketches, Characters, and Impressions

• Will pays respect to Dana as an SNL luminary:
  • “Dana Carvey, one of my all time favorites. Great sketch players of all time. David, you did stuff too. That was interesting, but thank you.” (Will, 09:50)
• Dana, David, and Will trade stories about their big SNL moments—Perot, Larry King, the Bushes, Robert Goulet.
• Behind-the-scenes bits on cast dynamics, cue card chaos, legendary writers (Jim Downey, Al Franken), and technical gags (fake vomit, blood squibs).
• Spade on Will’s success as an impressionist:
  • "You’re on the Mount Rushmore." (Dana, 10:06)

5. Transition to Movies & Behind the Scenes of Classics

Groundlings to SNL—Timing & Opportunity

• Will shares about leaving USC, flirting with becoming a sportscaster, bank teller days, Groundlings ascension, and how quickly things moved once SNL came calling.
  • “By that spring of 95…It was pretty fast. It was like two years.” (Will, 41:18)

SNL Movie Alumni

• The challenges and business of adapting iconic sketches (like "A Night at the Roxbury") into films.
• Candid talk about movie box office legacies:
  • “Maybe Night at the Roxbury made 30. Wayne’s World was the big hit.” (50:11)
  • “Some movies like that, in hindsight, you probably thought they made more.” (50:32)
• His commitment in films, from "Old School" to "Elf" and "Anchorman":
  • “That was the thing I loved about Chris Farley...they won’t be able to out-commit me.” (Will, 52:03)

Unforgettable Shoots

• Will’s full-streaking scene in "Old School":
  • “That first take, I’m running and I’m trying…'Oh my God! Hey, hey, hey! So many pubes!'” (Will, 54:20)
• On working with Chris Kattan in “Roxbury”, and technical mishaps with effects teams.

6. Anchorman, Creative Process, and Industry Pushback

• Will and McKay pitched "Anchorman" for two years, faced a "pass" from most studios—only to be fast-tracked after "Old School" success.
  • “We had 10 or 15 different financiers…pass on it in one day. It was a great day.” (Will, 72:56)
• Will details finding the “Ron Burgundy” voice:
  • “Started thinking of the Ron Burgundy character, because I was watching footage of this news anchor who had been retired for 20 years, but he still talked like this…” (Will, 70:13)

7. Philosophy of Comedy & Comparison to Legends

• Dana and David compare Will’s style to Peter Sellers and Phil Hartman, highlighting his ability to "lower his IQ" on demand and complete dramatic commitment to absurdity (68:39, 69:33).
• Will on approach:
  • “You never wink and you commit like a dramatic actor.” (Spade, 68:42)
• On ensemble work:
  • “Phil Hartman and Dan Aykroyd were like my guys. I loved how they could swim—be the main guy or the background guy.” (Will, 29:26)

8. Memorable SNL & Conan Moments

• Will explains the origin of "More Cowbell," and how it took two tries—with Host Christopher Walken delivering the now-classic line.
  • “I know that if Christopher Walken says, ‘I have a fever—and the only prescription is more cowbell,’... Only he can get a laugh off of that.” (99:47)
• On never appearing as himself on Conan:
  • “No, he was just very good at acting and playing along…” (Will, 96:29)

9. Norm Macdonald & SNL Fellowships

• Multiple affectionate Norm Macdonald stories, including Norm’s prank on Chris Kattan (hiding his shoes for a whole season):
  • “An entire season goes by…Norm goes, ‘Oh yeah, I did take your shoes that flight in November. I threw them in the trash can. Just so you know.’” (Will, 82:16)
• The comedians discuss the bonds and strange trust games played among the SNL cast.

Memorable Moments and Notable Quotes

• On SNL Pressure:
  • “It literally took me five years before I didn’t feel nervous every single second.” (Dana, 24:46)
  • “By year six and seven, I think I finally had the guts to be like, I’m not going on a Tuesday [to dinner with the host].” (Will, 25:02)
• On Commitment:
  • “They won’t be able to out-commit me. It was like my promise to myself.” (Will, 52:03)
• On Anchorman’s Harsh Pitching:
  • “We had ten or fifteen different financiers or studios pass on it in one day. It was a great day.” (Will, 72:56)
• On Legacy and SNL “Mount Rushmore”:
  • “He’s a top two, at least… top three. Where in that three? I don’t know.” (David, 89:05)

Audience Q&A Highlights

[90:28] — Favorite sketch that never saw the light of day?

• Will: “I had written a sketch about a guy who looks exactly like Gabe Kaplan from Welcome Back, Kotter...He works at an insurance company...Day Gabe Kaplan comes in…but no one told my character…It worked great at table—died so hard onstage.” (Will, 90:45)
• Dana: “Obsessed with Kurt Cobain, worked at Baskin Robbins, wouldn’t wash my hair...Crickets.”

[94:25] — On playing the Bushes for Ron Howard’s "All the Presidents"

• “We just did our characters one at a time... You just remember things...full fecal.” (David, 95:35)

[96:29] — Why always appear in character on Conan?

• Will: “No, he was just very good at acting and playing along…they just embraced any sort of bit.”

Timeline of Key Segments

• 03:20 — Opening banter, introducing Will Ferrell
• 10:25 — Early days at SNL, David as Will’s “big brother”
• 14:51 — Will’s audition stories (cat toy sketch)
• 17:14 — On doubling down in a bombing sketch
• 23:55 — Monologue drama, hosting SNL
• 41:18 — From USC to SNL (Groundlings, first break)
• 50:11 — SNL movie legacy, box office discussion
• 52:03 — On commitment, inspiration from Chris Farley
• 54:20 — “Old School” streaking scene story
• 70:13 — Finding the Ron Burgundy voice
• 72:56 — Anchorman, repeated rejections and finally breakthrough
• 82:16 — Norm Macdonald’s hidden shoes prank
• 90:28 — Audience Q&A: favorite “failed” sketches
• 99:47 — The story behind “More Cowbell”
• 102:57 — Taking breaks, family life, summers in Sweden
• 104:31 — Starstruck at SNL: meeting Jagger, hosting memories

Closing Thoughts

With signature wit, self-deprecating humility, and the easy camaraderie of longtime friends, Ferrell, Carvey, and Spade deliver a rich, layered conversation—a fly-on-the-wall view into the creative pressures, oddball moments, and magical alchemy of SNL and mainstream comedy. Will’s inimitable blend of total commitment and quirky vulnerability colors every story, making this episode a must-listen for comedy fans and SNL buffs.

Summary prepared by Fly on the Wall Podcast Team
All notable quotes are sourced directly from the episode transcript by approximate timestamp.
For further questions, guest requests, or more episode recaps, contact flyonthewall@audacy.com.