The anchor of SNL’s late 1990s renaissance, Will Ferrell was a master of weaponized man-child intensity. He could find the hilarious, screaming id in any character, whether it was a perpetually enthusiastic Spartan cheerleader, a frustrated Blue Öyster Cult cowbellist, or a strategically inept George W. Bush. Ferrell’s commitment was absolute and often terrifyingly funny. Upon leaving, he simply took that same fearless energy and applied it to the big screen, becoming the king of comedy with iconic films like Anchorman, Step Brothers, and Elf. He didn’t just have a successful post-SNL career; he defined what one could look like for a generation.