The Controversial Role Will Ferrell Abruptly Quit: “It’s Time to Stop This Forever”

Back in 2016, Will Ferrell found himself in a massive amount of trouble over a movie role that almost happened. He had signed on to star in a comedy called Reagan, which was based on a script by Mike Rosolio that people in the industry actually liked.

It had even been featured on the famous Black List of the best unproduced screenplays and had a live reading with Josh Brolin. However, as soon as the public heard the plot, things turned ugly very fast.

The story was set at the start of Ronald Reagan’s second term in the White House. It followed an intern who had a very strange job because the president was struggling with Alzheimer’s. The intern had to trick Reagan into believing he was just an actor playing the president in a movie. It was meant to be a comedy, but the idea of making fun of a brain disease did not sit well with anyone.

The Reagan family was the first to speak out against the project. His son, Michael, went to social media to say the people behind the film should be ashamed for even thinking about making it. His daughter, Patti Davis, was even more upset and wrote a long letter directly to Ferrell. She was heartbroken and asked the actor, Perhaps you would like to explain to them how this disease is suitable material for a comedy.

It was not just the family that was angry. The Alzheimer’s Association also put out a very serious statement about the news. They were shocked that a film would try to satirize someone dealing with dementia. They compared it to other serious illnesses and asked, Would filmmakers consider using a fatal form of cancer or another deadly disease for comedy? It’s time to stop this forever.

According to various news reports from that week, the backlash worked almost instantly. On April 27, it was announced that Ferrell would produce and star in the film. By April 29, his team announced he was quitting. They tried to explain that it was just one of many scripts he was looking at. They also said that while it is by no means an ‘Alzheimer’s comedy’ as has been suggested, Mr Ferrell is not pursuing this project.

Since that drama ended, Ferrell has stayed busy with much less controversial hits. He recently starred in the massive Barbie movie as the CEO of Mattel.

Do you think some topics should always be off-limits for comedy movies? Share your thoughts in the comments.