Bloopers That Make Us Love The Anchorman Movies Even More

Good evening, San Diego! Fans of Will Ferrell, or just laughing in general, will often tell you that two movies cause them to break out into a fit of hysteria every time they watch them: "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and its beloved sequel "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues." About a local newsman who overcomes misogyny and self-righteousness in order to deliver the evening news to San Diego, the "Anchorman" films are loaded with laughs thanks to a cast of standout comedians.

Any movie with Ferrell is enough to enjoy a couple of hours of side-splitting humor, but the "Anchorman" movies take it to another level, filling the main cast out with Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Steve Carell. With that much comedic power in one room, it is no wonder there have been a plethora of outtakes and bloopers that have followed the release of the comedy hits. If you haven't seen any of the improvised jokes, gut-busting gags, or ridiculous moments caught on film during the making of the "Anchorman" duology, prepare your ribs. Keep reading to discover some of the most hilarious moments that never made it into the final cuts but make the movies even more lovable than they already were.

Comedic powerhouse Ferrell has come to adopt his news anchor character of Ron Burgundy to the point of bordering on split personalities. Aside from the two "Anchorman" films, the legend of the character continued with "The Ron Burgundy Podcast." Diving into a character and delivering hours upon hours of adlibbing is a near-impossible feat for many actors. However, Ferrell naturally adopted the self-righteous and overly arrogant characteristics of his "Anchorman" persona from the moment he pulled on the three-piece suit.

One of the best examples of Ferrell's aptitude for the character occurs when he is left to his own devices. Before the evening news camera roles, Burgundy often warms up his vocal cords with original tongue twisters or obnoxious screaming. In "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," before we see him greet San Diago for the first time, he challenges his mouth with phrases like "unique New York," or "the arsonist has oddly shaped feet." However, the deleted scenes showcase how one of these lines was too silly, even for Ferrell. Surprisingly, it was not when Burgundy sings a jingle about his love for scotch that caused him to break character. Instead, repeating "The Human Torch was denied a bank loan," had him, castmate Carell, and the behind-the-scenes crew doubling over in laughter.

Ferrell and the rest of the onscreen performers deserve most of the credit for making the "Anchorman" movies monumental comedic achievements. However, one person you don't see is responsible for a significant portion of the hilarity: Adam McKay. The writer-director of both "Anchorman" entries boasts a long history with star Ferrell, as they collaborated throughout much of the comedian's time on "Saturday Night Live." The pair's relationship would blossom beyond the first "Anchorman," developing classic comedies such as "Talladega Nights," "Step Brothers," and "The Other Guys" together.

Co-writing the script for both "Anchorman" movies alongside Ferrell, McKay's humor is peppered throughout the stories. However, the director had just as much influence on the improvisational humor as some of the stars. Throughout many of the bloopers and outtakes, McKay can be heard hollering lines and jokes from behind the camera. The best example of McKay's cleverness comes in an "Anchorman 2" scene between Ferrell and Rudd. Discussing breast implants, Ferrell makes the crack that they now use taco meat as the filler. Rudd retorts with some quick ideas of his own, like pudding and whipped cream. However, when McKay yells "Nickels" from off-screen, both actors get a quick chuckle at the idea of a breast being synthetically filled with a bunch of loose change.

Of course, even an anchorman of Ron Burgundy's caliber wouldn't be anywhere without a superstar news team. Thankfully, the movie did an outstanding job of filling out the crew behind the Channel 4 News. The diverse group of funnymen playing his posse, including David Koechner, Paul Rudd, and the still relatively unknown comedian Carell, accentuate Ferrell's comedic prowess. Each of the actors perfectly fits into their respective roles, adding their unique brands of humor to the already amusing script.

While fans got to know the entire Channel 4 News team well over the course of two films, many deleted scenes helped audiences learn even more about them. Much of the content deleted from the original "Anchorman" film was collected into the direct-to-video counterpart film "Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie." However, the blooper reel for the first "Anchorman" showcases a collection of unused taglines by the four seasoned stars of San Diego's favorite news. Filmed in the same tone as a short TV commercial, the Channel 4 News crew delivers a quick line that perfectly encapsulates their characters. "Nothing like a good strong lady and a tasty BLT," Burgundy fittingly says. Rudd's character hilariously ends with his self-advertising signature "Fantana!" Meanwhile, Carell's not-so-bright weatherman character Brick nails it on the head saying, "When there is weather to report, I report the weather."

While the first "Anchorman's" assortment of comedians helped make the movie a success, "Anchorman 2" brought in so many well-known actors the film struggled to fit them all in. Cleverly, the sequel doubled down on a famous scene from the first movie where the Channel 4 News team got into a tussle with a rival group of anchors. However, in "Anchorman 2," the fight got much bigger, involving news teams from all over the world. Each group features some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Marion Cotillard, Liam Neeson, Vince Vaughn, Will Smith, Jim Carrey, and Kanye West.

With so many funny people in one place, shooting the fight scene was understandably a rambunctious occasion. And the "Anchorman 2" bloopers do not disappoint in showing off the chaos. One outtake shows how difficult it was for Carrey to remember his Canadian news anchor name. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler obviously had an entertaining time as they couldn't help but laugh when they pulled up in a dune buggy. The entire event must have been too much for everyone, as comedy veteran Will Smith wound up crying, likely from laughing far too much.

Filming a movie as comical as the "Anchorman" duology without laughing sounds like an insurmountable job. No wonder someone bursting into laughter is the reason why the majority of the outtakes and bloopers on this list hit the cutting room floor. However, a few scenes went off the rails without giggling causing the director to call "cut." Most notably, one of Ron Burgundy's deepest and most philosophical conversations, which he shares with his beloved pet dog Baxter, had to be refilmed due to another fourth-wall-breaking situation.

In the first "Anchorman," we get our first honest glimpse at the man behind the news team camera when he returns home from his day at work. Ferrell's character is greeted by his loyal canine, whose barks are translated as concerns about Burgundy's loneliness, all mentioned before the dog confesses to eating an entire wheel of cheese. "I believe it was Aristotle who said: Come children. Let me tell you a tale about ships and whales," Burgundy says in an extended outtake from the scene. As funny as the edited version is, it understandably had to be removed as Burgundy finishes his dialogue by mentioning that they are inside a movie with a fourth-wall-busting line that would be better suited to a "Deadpool" film.

In an unforgettable scene from the first "Anchorman," Rudd's Brian Fantana shares his secret to success with women, revealing his off-brand cologne "Sex Panther." The scene is responsible for one of the most quotable lines from either film: "Sixty percent of the time it works 100 percent of the time." So, obviously, when it came to making a sequel to "Anchorman," the writers wanted to develop a similar scene in hopes of recreating the magic.

For "Anchorman 2," Fantana's cupboard gets much larger than holding one bottle of cologne. Rather, he has an entire shrine of condoms and lubrications that he shares with the rest of the Channel 4 News team. The scene is a hysterical moment during the finalized film, but the bloopers take it up another notch. Analyzing different condoms, the actors improvise an assortment of lines around their individual purposes. The day of filming must have been an entire laugh-fest, as the performers clearly enjoyed their time exploring Fantana's special cupboard.

By the time Christina Applegate was cast in "Anchorman," she was already a seasoned comedy professional. Growing up over 250 episodes of "Married with Children," as daughter Kelly Bundy, Applegate also starred in comedy films like "Mars Attacks!" and "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead." For a time, Applegate even starred in her own television sitcom, "Jesse." Still, despite her impressive resume, the actress could not prepare herself for the hilarious antics that would ensue when surrounded by the many comedic powerhouses in "Anchorman."

As Veronica Corningstone, Applegate plays the even-tempered professional thrown into the clown show known as Channel 4 News. Burgundy and crew grow to resent the anchorwoman stepping into a role beside them, so they hatch a plan to ruin her career. This is showcased when the news team attempts to throw her off by making faces and gestures at Corningstone while she is live on air — and she remains completely unfazed. However, as easy as Applegate's character made it look in the movie, the actress had a much harder time keeping a straight face. One blooper depicts Paul Rudd and David Koechner taunting the actress as she reads her news report, and no one could blame the actress for her inability to hold back the giggles. Even funnier is the fact Applegate seems so disappointed that her co-stars got the better of her.

"Anchorman" may be one of the most beloved comedy films of the last 20 years, but it is also responsible for putting one comedic legend on the map, Carell. He joined the cast of "Anchorman" as a relatively unknown actor, as his most iconic role, Michael Scott in "The Office," wouldn't hit television screens until a year after the movie opened. Unsurprisingly, the comedian credits McKay and Ferrell for giving him a shot. "They took a chance," Carell said in a 2013 interview with The Guardian. "From there I met Judd Apatow, one of the producers, and we wrote 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' together. That led to other things, so it was an incredibly important time in my career."

Undoubtedly, Carell made the most of the opportunity, as his weatherman character Brick Tamland quickly became a fan favorite and delivered some of the film's most quotable lines. Rudd admitted in an interview with GQ that one scene with Carell made him "laugh the hardest." The moment in question involved Carell's character eating a wrap for lunch. However, the meal consisted of a used coffee filter wrapped around a cigarette butt and loose change. Not only did the bit make everyone continuously break into laughter, but the bloopers also showed Carell's difficulty choking down the makeshift wrap.

Aside from Ferrell, the next biggest name on screen in "Anchorman" at the time was Rudd. Already an established actor from major films such as "Clueless" and "Wet Hot American Summer," Rudd's resume impressed well before landing the role of Brian Fantana. However, the actor says he was not expecting the hilarity that ensues on the set of "Anchorman." "Will might just go off in some direction and I'm not prepared for it. Or [Adam] McKay would be behind the monitor yelling out lines," said Rudd in a GQ interview. "There are so many times in 'Anchorman' and scenes that I have such clear memories of laughing."

Rudd points to one particular scene when he struggled to hold it together. It takes place after the Channel 4 News team gets into a street fight with a rival crew from another news channel. Licking their wounds in Ron Burgundy's office, Ferrell delivers the line, "I'm proud of you fellas. You all kept your head on a swivel. And that's what you got to do when you find yourself in a vicious cockfight." The improvised bit proved too much for the veteran Rudd, as he remembers breaking character and laughing. Meanwhile, the blooper reel reveals that Ferrell also couldn't help but laugh at his own impromptu joke. Thankfully, the actors managed to rerecord the line and get the joke into the final film.

Koechner is an underrated addition to the "Anchorman" news team, his rough and raucous energy perfectly suited to being the Channel 4 sports anchor. And while the character actor has a long list of credits to his name, audiences love his role in the "Anchorman" movies the most. Koechner's performance as Champ Kind rounded out the fantastic four of Channel 4, as he uttered some of the crew's most obscene comments.

Surely, Koechner enjoyed playing the role, as Champ resembles other characters he has played. However, when it came to returning to do the "Anchorman" sequel, the actor may have gotten a little too excited. In a scene where Champ Kind embraces his old friend Ron Burgundy, the hug gets awkward and a tad aggressive. The moment is even funnier in the outtakes, as Koechner takes the uncomfortable moment further, refusing to "break the huddle" past Burgundy's comfort level and then past Ferrell's. The actor struggles to keep a straight face, especially as Koechner tells him, "Don't be weird."

Over the course of two movies, there is enough "Anchorman" to leave everyone's sides hurting from laughter. It is shocking that these comedians could even get the films made, there are so many bloopers of them losing it. However, Rudd found one scene so funny that he couldn't even get through it. During an interview with The Ringer, the actor praised "Anchorman" co-star Ferrell for being a comedic innovator. He mentions the scene from the first film where Ferrell says, "Milk was a bad choice," which was nearly ruined by laughter. However, a joke from the mastermind in the sequel film really took the cake for Rudd.

During the scene in question, Burgundy is so depressed from losing everything that he remarks that he cannot even masturbate. "He [Ferrell] starts making up things," Rudd says. "He says he can't pleasure himself to the memories of Mrs. Butterworth, the bottle of syrup." Thankfully, this hilarious moment made it into the blooper reels and audiences can see how funny Rudd and crew thought Ferrell's improvised line was. The dialogue gets a little vulgar, but during that moment Ferrell had everyone in the palm of his hands. As Rudd says, "Will is just a genius."

The hilarity continued in the "Anchorman 2" scene in which the Channel 4 News team arrived at Burgundy's house to cheer him up. " Wrapped in a blanket and suffering from depression, Ferrell's character is completely over-the-top with his self-depreciation, much to the frustration of his friends. However, for the actors, it was easily one of the most entertaining days of filming for either of the movies.

During one outtake from the scene, Burgundy compares his torture to that of what the Elephant Man suffered. Ferrell's impression of "Do I amuse you?" instantly breaks Rudd, who can be seen laughing before Ferrell finishes delivering the line. The entire cast breaks out in laughter and struggles to get the scene back on track. Even some simple moaning and groaning prompts  Rudd, Carell, and Koechner to crack up. Director McKay can be heard offscreen joining in the fun, feeding Ferrell the famous "Elephant Man" movie line "I'm a human thing!" Of all the bloopers, Ferrell's animated imitation has his castmates laughing the loudest, and it is an outtake worth watching.

Ferrell has spent his entire career surrounded by some of Hollywood's funniest people. The actor famously makes everybody around him break character while he improvises and takes things to unexpected levels. It is only fair that once in a blue moon, the comedic dynamo loses control and ruins a scene by laughing. However, in "Anchorman 2," Ferrell is bested by an actor that you would least suspect to make him laugh, Harrison Ford.

Ford is a legendary performer thanks to his iconic roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones. But what he is not well-known for is being a comedian. Still, one blooper from the "Anchorman" sequel shows how a well-delivered line from a professional actor of Ford's caliber can even break the best of them. In the movie, Ford plays a superstar anchorman who does not have a soft spot for local San Diego news anchor Burgundy. During one of the film's few serious moments, when Ford's character talks about his culpability in the death of a window washer, Ferrell can't help but burst into laughter. The outtake is a rare glimpse at Ferrell giggling the same way he has made so many other actors break, which makes it one of the most lovable bloopers of either film.

One of the funniest gags from "Anchorman 2," involved Koechner's Champ Kind leaving the anchorman business behind and opening a fried chicken restaurant. The movie explains how Kind faked an accident at work and used the settlement money to open his joint. However, in an effort to save money, Koechner's character explains that he uses bats instead of poultry, and how you can barely tell the difference.

Amusingly, Koechner was on top of using his character's situation and improvised many jokes about using other possible meats. One outtake finds Ferrell cracking up after Koechner delivers the line, "I figure after it's been in a deep fryer, it's no longer human." Even more entertaining is another collection of adlibs from the actor where he insinuates using previously deceased cats as his next fowl replacement. His improvised line, "Chicken of the freeway underpass," compelled co-stars Ferrell and Rudd to break character for multiple takes.

Among the best parts of watching the "Anchorman" movies is catching the never-ending assortment of celebrity cameos. "The Legend Continues" fills the frame with onscreen appearances by the least expected performers, including Ford, Drake, and Ferrell's own children. However, two cameos proved perfectly fitting considering Ferrell and director McKay shared a long history of collaborating with them on "Saturday Night Live." Tina Fey and Amy Poehler seamlessly entered their way into the news team rumble royal in "Anchorman 2" representing an all-female news crew.

Poehler and Fey together in front of a camera equals comedy magic. There are multiple bloopers and outtakes showcasing the non-stop giggling and joking the two women brought to the "Anchorman 2" set. Side-splittingly, Fey and Poehler improvised many lines during their short appearance. And to add to the humor, the jokes the women crack aggressively get more vulgar, to the point of almost becoming inappropriate. 

A blooper that consistently pops up in movie outtakes involves an actor using the wrong name during a conversation. Whether calling a co-star by their actual name or by another character's title, the slip of the tongue quickly – and often amusingly – ruins the scene. However, when on a movie set loaded with comedy geniuses like in the "Anchorman" duology, a clumsy mistake like referring to a character by the wrong name will certainly backfire.

In "Anchorman 2," Ferrell is guilty of blurting out the wrong cast member's name when sharing a scene with Koechner. Ferrell incidentally calls Koechner "Brick," a fitting name for the boisterous character, but it happens to be the first name of Carell's character. Where most actors would take the simple mistake in stride, Koechner hilariously punishes Ferrell by continuing the scene in his own improvised fashion. Koechner's character Champ Kind retorts back by exclaiming "Brick's dead!" Quick on his feet, Koechner throws Ferrell off his game and the aftermath has the entire crew splitting their sides.

The "Anchorman" movies are so funny that even when the actors keep to the script it causes laughter to ensue. Ferrell and McKay obviously loaded their scripts with plenty of humor to help keep the films as entertaining as possible. However, it is completely unexpected in an outtake where Ferrell can't hold back his giggles during a line that he knew was coming. The blooper is a hoot to watch, as you can see Ferrell's face go from serious to losing all control.

In "Anchorman 2," Rudd's character Brian Fantana shares an upcoming expose while broadcasting the news. The "11-part series of the power and mystery of the human vagina" was enough to shake Rudd's co-star. However, as Fantana continues by mentioning his exploration of "the 50 greatest vaginas of the 20^th century," the joke proved too much for Ferrell, as the blooper shows him laughing his way to tears. Amusingly, Rudd does not let up and decides to improvise an expansion to the dialogue, mentioning that it is an "explosive piece," which almost puts Ferrell on the floor.

By the time "Anchorman 2" rolled around in 2013, Carell was a comedy superstar. As opposed to being seen as a newcomer, Carell was at the top of his game. By 2013 he had already wrapped up his time on "The Office," led comedy films such as "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Evan Almighty," proved his acting chops in movies like "Little Miss Sunshine," and become an icon to children across the country as Gru in the "Despicable Me" films. Still, the A-list actor was not squeamish about reprising his role as dim-witted Brick Tamland, which started it all for him.

Entertainingly, Carell gave his return performance as the Channel 4 weatherman the same amount of ridiculousness as his first time around. Between delivering a eulogy at his own funeral to getting married to the love of his life, Brick had a far more significant role in the sequel. However, that did not mean that he was not up to his old gags. Sure, Carell's character doesn't eat another coffee filter, but the bloopers show he had just as many struggles chowing down food. One outtake shows him unable to swallow a swig of beer and spitting it all over himself, while another shows how difficult it was to eat all that fat during his Golden Star Butter commercial.

A significant challenge that many movie productions face when filming outside of a studio, is excessive noise — particularly, airplanes and helicopters. Unable to control flight paths or schedules, airborne machines have been a nuisance for many outdoor film sets. Thankfully, when a movie like "Anchorman" is fully loaded with comedic talent, even an unforeseen obstruction can become a side-splitting joke.

Hilariously, when an offensively loud helicopter ruined a scene for "Anchorman," Ferrell was quick with a jest, mentioning that his personal transport had arrived. Quipping that he has a helicopter to travel him around San Diego is an ongoing joke for Burgundy. The first time audiences met the local anchorman at the beginning of the first film in 2004, he stepped out of a "Channel 4 News" chopper. Additionally, for those fortunate enough to have enjoyed the bonus director's commentary where McKay and Ferrell discuss many of the behind-the-scenes stories, the comedian again jokes that he has a helicopter continuously hovering close to the ground waiting on stand-by for his personal use.

The biggest shame about bloopers is how many good jokes become unusable because an actor can't keep their composure. Sometimes a funny impromptu moment is even better than what ends up in the final film. Returning to Koechner's character Champ Kind and his unorthodox fried chicken restaurant, the actor had another scene diving into potential meats to use in place of the usual farm animal. However, this time around, Koechner gets beaten by his own joke when Rudd delivers a line that completely catches the hardened comedian off guard.

In one outtake, Champ Kind discusses his new restaurant with co-news anchor Brian Fantana. Propositioning that all food tastes the same after being deep-fried, Koechner's character asks his friend to "Name a meat." In the most Rudd response possible, Fantana replies quickly with "chicken." Out of all the many potential answers, Koechner was obviously not expecting that one. Much to our pleasure, the actor instantaneously bursts into laughter and struggles to pull it together, not only because of the outrageous answer but also thanks to Rudd's sincere delivery.

One of the most awkward parts about being an actor or actress must be sharing extremely intimate scenes with a co-star. Whether they get along, hardly know each other, or are completely uncomfortable, performers are often put into handsy romantic scenes for the sake of a film. So, we imagine it was almost impossible for Christina Applegate to keep a straight face during her "Anchorman" bed scene with Ferrell.

It is particularly hard to forget the part of the scene in which Burgundy and Applegate's Veronica Corningstone make out. Aggressive biting of lips and far too much tongue transformed a standard kissing session into a side-splitting affair for audiences. Of course, Ferrell's goofball antics had Applegate cracking up, as seen in the film's blooper reel. The pair even get more aggressive than is seen in the movie, as it looks like Ferrell puts his co-star in a headlock. Making the outtake even funnier is a shot of the morning after, when Ferrell tries to hand-pour a sip of coffee into Applegate's mouth, which of course goes terribly wrong.

Not many performers can match Carell's level of hilarity; seven seasons on "The Office" proved that. However, when seeking someone to play opposite Carell's halfwit character Brick for "Anchorman 2," McKay knocked it out of the park by hiring "Saturday Night Live" alum Kristen Wiig. Wiig and Carell delivered an onscreen connection that was perfect, and better described as pure awkwardness. What makes their off-beat romance even more entertaining is the fact that much of their time onscreen together was completely improvised.

The bloopers released for "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" are packed to the brim with outtakes featuring Carell and Wiig making each other laugh. Like a duel of professionals at the top of their game, both Hollywood jokesters struggle to keep the scene together. Asking what each others' favorites are goes off the rails when Carell mentions his favorite food is pee and from there the laughs never stop. It would not be surprising if the short exchange took an entire day to shoot, as the performers spend as much time apologizing for their laughter as they do delivering lines.

Ron Burgundy's turnaround in "Anchorman 2" occurs when the new anchor realizes that he wants to deliver America the news that they want to hear, like why the USA is the greatest place on Earth. However, before that, Burgundy was in serious trouble of finding his voice while in the national spotlight. The scene between Ferrell and Dylan Baker, who plays Burgundy's boss, is vital to pushing the movie forward, although it is not a scene generally remembered for any groundbreaking jokes. Still, the exchange resulted in one of the movie's greatest bloopers.

In the scene, Baker's character gets mad at Burgundy's ideas and finally, frustratedly says, "That's not news!" To which Ferrell is supposed to respond with a line about grabbing popcorn and watching the end of the world from a front-row seat. However, the comedian struggles to get the words out, and then he adds to his meal of popcorn "a greasy half-live chicken leg." Amusingly, Ferrell breaks character before he can even get the words out. From there, the entire cast and crew devolve into hysterics.

There is another "Anchorman" star that does not get enough credit: Burgundy's loyal pet pup Baxter. Surprisingly, this furry actor was almost the reason the beloved comedy film received a more mature rating than the PG-13 version that hit theatres. Baxter appears in much of the first film, whether serving as a counseling voice for Burgundy during some of his emotional moments or being kicked off a bridge during a Jack Black cameo. The dog plays a pivotal role in the plot and in Burgundy's heart.

However, McKay revealed in the director's commentary that Baxter nearly earned "Anchorman" an R rating. The pup had a habit of revealing its genitalia, and his parts can be seen throughout the film. Apparently, the Motion Picture Association of America abides by a strict rule stating that a movie will get an instant R for more than five seconds of close-up images of male genitalia — and that includes animals! Amusingly, McKay was forced to edit out several shots of the cute, fluffy pup and his overly apparent parts.