Los Angeles, March 6 – Hollywood actress Christina Applegate has revealed that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay gave her a portion of their “Anchorman” salaries.
Applegate recently appeared on “The View” to promote her new memoir, “You With the Sad Eyes,” according to reports in “Variety.”
When the studio’s initial offer for her to play Veronica Corningstone was significantly lower than that of her male co-stars, the actors decided to contribute a portion of their earnings to her.
She said, "When they came with the initial offer, it was, you know, a little insulting. And I said, 'I can't. I know my worth, and I can't do that.' They wanted me so badly, and they said, 'Well, we're going to chip in.' Thank God they did because it was one of the best experiences of my entire life."
She continued, "It was such a valuable lesson. I had never done improv before. Learning from that group of guys was like a masterclass that people pay for. Steve Carell, for example, taught it. Adam McKay developed an entirely new way of doing it with his group. To be able to experience that was absolutely magical, and it has been invaluable to me and my career."
According to “Variety,” “Anchorman” centers on Ferrell’s San Diego news anchor Ron Burgundy as he clashes with his new female co-anchor (Applegate's Veronica Corningstone). The supporting cast includes Carell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Fred Willard.
The movie is one of the most quoted comedies of the early 2000s and spawned the 2013 sequel “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” which also starred Applegate.
The actress and Ferrell reunited in 2024 on the former’s podcast to mark the 20th anniversary of the classic comedy.
Will Ferrell remembered the first test screening for “Anchorman” and how it did not go according to plan due to an original ending that riffed on Patty Hearst’s kidnapping by having Applegate’s Veronica be “abducted by a vigilante group.”