Will Ferrell has revealed that he used to be ‘so embarrassed’ at having to correct people over his real name as a child.
The Anchorman legend shed light on his younger days in a new interview, explaining that he found it ‘excruciating’ at the beginning of every school year, when he was addressed by his ‘legal name’.
Appearing on the MeSsy podcast, the 56-year-old told hosts Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler that he was born John William Ferrell, but always went by ‘Will’.
Describing himself as a ‘conscientious class clown’ growing up, he said: ‘This is a minor thing in terms of – it’s not really even trauma – but I remember feeling so embarrassed because my real name is John, John William Ferrell.
‘So, first day of school, I’d be John. The teacher would be like “John Ferrell?” and it was so embarrassing to me to have to say “Here, but I go by Will, I don’t go by John.”
‘For the first week of school, it took a week before the teacher remembered, “That’s right, you’re Will.” And that was excruciating to me.
‘The beginning of my school year was always like, “Oh, my gosh, I hate this. I have to remind the teacher that I’m not John.”’
When Jamie-Lynn questioned what it was about the moniker that he ‘didn’t like’, Will insisted that it ‘wasn’t his choice’ – his parents always called him something different.
‘It wasn’t my choice. My parents named me John but they called me Will,’ he continued. ‘I grew up as Will. But on a rule sheet, my legal name is John Ferrell.
‘I don’t know why that was so embarrassing to me to have to explain, “I’m actually Will.”’
‘People are probably going to be listening to this going, “That is the lamest thing ever.”’
Without skipping a beat, Christina quickly quipped: ‘We just lost anyone named John.’
Sorry to any Johns out there…
Will isn’t the only famous face who switched their name before hitting the big time – Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Whoopi Goldberg, Nicolas Cage, Reese Witherspoon, Sir Elton John, Olivia Wilde, Jamie Foxx and Sir Michael Caine are just some of the stars who made a big change.
Jurassic Park legend Sam Neill previously shared his ‘embarrassment’ after being born ‘Nigel John Dermot Neill’, branding the moniker a ‘disadvantage’.
During an appearance on the Kelly Clarkson show, the host said: ‘I didn’t realize that your real name isn’t even Sam.
‘That’s embarrassing that you know that,’ the Peaky Blinders actor quickly replied. ‘I was christened Nigel Neill – that’s like my parents giving me a disadvantage from the start.
‘There are no film actors called Nigel Neill, that’s never going to happen.’