So Will Ferrell Just Took a DNA Test, and the Result Is Peak Gen Z Humiliation
Remember that time your uncle took a 23andMe test and found out he’s actually 12% Neanderthal and 100% embarrassing at Thanksgiving? Well, hold my beer, because Will Ferrell just got absolutely bodied by his own ancestry, and the internet is having a field day. The guy who brought us “More Cowbell” and “I’m in a glass case of emotion!” has just discovered his bloodline is basically a walking, talking, mid-2000s NBC comedy pilot.
In a clip that’s already burning up Twitter faster than a 2023 Subaru with a CVT issue, Ferrell sat down with *Finding Your Roots* host Henry Louis Gates Jr., who dropped the kind of bombshell that would make even the most stoic Redditor spit out their Monster Energy. Turns out, the man who played the world’s most oblivious stepdad in *Step Brothers* is actually directly descended from... wait for it... a literal British aristocrat who was a total tool.
We’re not talking about some cool, pirate-era ancestor. We’re talking about Sir Thomas More, the 16th-century philosopher and Lord Chancellor of England under Henry VIII. That’s right, the guy who wrote *Utopia*—a book about a perfect society that obviously doesn’t exist, much like my 401(k) balance. But here’s the kicker: More wasn’t just a “for the people” dude. He was a hardcore Catholic who condemned heretics to burn at the stake. So, Will Ferrell, the patron saint of awkward, man-child humor, is related to a guy who was basically the medieval equivalent of a Twitter mod. Congratulations, Will. You’re descended from the original “well, actually” guy.
The internet, predictably, has lost its goddamn mind. “Wait, so Will Ferrell’s DNA is just a receipt for 500 years of smugness?” one user posted on a thread that’s already hit r/all. Another user, who clearly has too much time on their hands, Photoshopped Ferrell’s face onto a portrait of Sir Thomas More, and honestly? It looks exactly like a deleted scene from *Talladega Nights*. The resemblance is uncanny, mostly because they both have the same energy of a guy who just told you to “calm down” while you’re trying to explain why pineapple on pizza is a war crime.
But this isn’t just a “haha, famous guy has a dead relative who was a dickhead” story. This is a cautionary tale for anyone who thinks they’re a “self-made” person. Ferrell, the king of improv, the guy who built a career on being a lovable idiot, just got a genetic wake-up call that his ancestors were basically the original NIMBYs. You can’t escape the past, folks. Just ask the guy who bought a house in Florida and then found out it was built on a swamp. Same energy.
And let’s be real, this is the perfect ironic twist for a guy who made a career out of playing characters who are completely oblivious to their own absurdity. Remember his character in *Anchorman*? Ron Burgundy, the 1970s news anchor who thought he was the voice of reason while being a complete misogynist? That’s basically Sir Thomas More, just with less hairspray and more religious zealotry. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, it just falls into a vat of Sex Panther cologne.
The comments section is a beautiful disaster. “This is the plot of a Ben Stiller movie but with more burnt heretics,” one user wrote. Another chimed in with, “Ferrell’s ancestor was the original Karen. ‘I’d like to speak to the manager of this utopia.’” I’m not even mad, I’m impressed. The man has turned a literal burning-at-the-stake ancestor into a meme. That takes talent.
But here’s the real question: does this make *Step Brothers* funnier or more tragic? Because now, when Brennan Huff screams about having a “belly full of spaghetti,” I can’t help but think his ancestor was literally executing people for disagreeing with him. It’s like finding out your favorite sitcom dad was actually a supervillain in a previous life. Suddenly, “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV” takes on a whole new, slightly sinister meaning.
The DNA test also revealed Ferrell is 0% surprised, because obviously. The man has been playing variations of this same character for 30 years. He’s the human equivalent of a goldfish in a tuxedo. Of course he’s descended from a guy who thought he was better than everyone else. It’s called method acting, look it up.
So what’s the takeaway here? If you ever find yourself thinking you’re a unique, enlightened individual, just remember: your DNA is probably just a 23andMe kit away from revealing your great-great-great-grandpappy was a guy who yelled at clouds and told people to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” while wearing a powdered wig. We’re all just a few genetic steps away from being the villain in a period drama. Will Ferrell has just proven that anyone can be descended from a pretentious asshole, even the guy who delivered the immortal line, “I’m just gonna park my car right here for a second.”
In conclusion, Will Ferrell is related to a guy who literally killed people for having the wrong opinion. And he’s still more likable than most people on my Twitter timeline. Go figure.
Final Thoughts
After decades of watching Will Ferrell weaponize gleeful absurdity, it’s clear his true genius lies not just in the volume of his comedy, but in the vulnerable, almost childlike sincerity that grounds his most unhinged characters. He didn’t just make us laugh; he gave us permission to be ridiculous, proving that the loudest fool in the room often has the most honest heart. Ultimately, his legacy is that of a comedian who understood that the deepest connection comes not from the punchline, but from the sheer, unapologetic joy of the chase.