Will Ferrell: I wasn't class clown

Will Ferrell was inspired by Steve Martin's ability to go with "instinct".

The 47-year-old actor is known for making audiences cry with laughter in movies such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Step Brothers, both of which have earned him writing credits too.

He began his career as a Saturday Night Live regular from 1995 to 2002 after vowing to follow in the footsteps of funny figures such as Steve, who often appeared on The Tonight Show.

"I was the funny one, but it's not black and white, because the funny one suggests, you know, the class clown, usually a bad student, someone who's seeking attention. I was a really good student, I actually enjoyed my schoolwork. I was more sly than obnoxious, you know? If I saw an opening, I would take advantage of it," Will smiled to British GQ magazine.

"Like, [Steve was] this anti-comedian comedian, he'd walk out with an arrow through his head... I just loved that. I read in one of his books that some people go with political comedy... but why not just go with instinct?"

An example of this approach was Will sometimes pulling his trousers up too high and strolling around his school. But rather than pointing out the practical joke, he'd simply wait until someone spotted and if no one did, he'd just laugh to himself at the fact he had managed to go unnoticed.

The same outlook applies now, as for cult Christmas flick Elf he walked about in public in full costume without a care in the world. Director Jon Favreau loved keeping things improvised on set.

"We took a camera out with a small crew in New York, and just hit the streets," Jon added. "I mean, it takes a lot of guts to be out in Manhattan on a busy day in an elf suit and start performing. A lot of the reactions from people in the movie are real."