Will Ferrell provided a surprising update about his career months ago while appearing on late night television. He explained that he had no prior knowledge of NASCAR before filming a wildly popular movie.
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"This was a reaction to how hard Anchorman was to get made," Ferrell told Jimmy Fallon while reflecting on Talladega Nights. "So, we had so many rejections with that script, and we thought we were never going to make it. And at that time, it was the peak, like popularity, of NASCAR.
"I said, 'We should just pick a topic that everybody loves and just make a movie. We should make a NASCAR movie.' And Adam McKay called me, and he's like, 'That's not a bad idea.'"
Ferrell continued and said that he "knew nothing" about stock car racing and NASCAR. He joked that he didn't know cars were involved in the sports.
Despite having no knowledge of NASCAR, the longtime comedic actor achieved success with Talladega Nights. This film featured cameos from prominent members of the industry, including Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Talladega Nights had the brand of comedy for which Ferrell gained popularity, and it had endlessly quotable lines. It also had no shortage of cars wrecking wildly.
The interesting thing is that this film has split NASCAR fans and drivers. Some love it while joking that it is a documentary due to the portrayal of certain members of the industry. Others have criticized the film while saying it is condescending to NASCAR drivers and the sport's fans.
Some people just laugh at the ridiculous scenarios that have inspired tributes over the decades. This includes the cougar in the car, which both Kurt Busch and Ryan Preece have brought back to prominence during races at Talladega Superspeedway.
The final race, and the ensuing footrace to the finish line, also inspired another future Hall of Famer. Carl Edwards crashed at Talladega in 2009 on the final lap of the race. Once he climbed from his car, he ran to the finish line while the crowd cheered. He went full Ricky Bobby.
