VIDEO: David Hasselhoff Featured in New Funny or Die Short Film I'M WILL FERRELL
By: Caryn Robbins Sep. 04, 2014
Executive Producer Rich Affannato (Broadway's Peter and the Starcatcher, Silence! The Musical) presents the new Funny or Die short film "I'm Will Ferrell", conceived by and starring Alet Taylor (LA Ovation Award for Best Actress, TV's First Family) with special guest starring appearances by international sensation David Hasselhoff (Baywatch, Knight Rider) and Emmy-nominated comedic actor Fred Willard (Waiting for Guffman, Anchorman). The film is directed by John Baumgartner (Hard Pill, Sunday in the Park with Crazy), and is written by Alet Taylor.
Check it out below!
"In her quest to create the perfect pitch for Funny Or Die, Alet may or may not have scored a meeting with Will Ferrell. Having finally obtained the all-important, career-defining pitch meeting with Will himself, Alet discovers her road to Internet stardom involves human sacrifice. Even David Hasselhoff and Fred Willard, despite their powers of comedy, might not be able to save the day. Or the pitch. Will there be a sequel? Rest assured, Alet will attempt to eliminate the playing field in her RELENTLESS PURSUIT to stay in the spotlight."
"I'm Will Ferrell" is produced by Affannato Productions, Fraugirl Media, Sandy Payne, Andy Taylor, Sam Kite, Patrick Robert Kelly, Bobby Traversa, and Allyson Rice. Stuart Ross serves as consulting producer.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Alet Taylor (Starring, Conceived by, Written by) was most recently seen as Hillary Clinton in Clinton, The Musical at The Signature Theater in NYC. She won the 2013 LA Weekly Award for her portrayal of the "Buck" in Justin Love, earning an Ovation Nomination for Best Actress. The Producers (National Tour, Vegas). LA: ICT'S God of Carnage (Annette), Cabrillo's Guys and Dolls (Adelaide). TV: THE FIRST FAMILY (Linda). www.AletTaylor.com
David Hasselhoff (Guest Star) is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as "The Most Watched TV Star in the World" thanks to starring roles in both "Knight Rider" and "Baywatch."
Born in Baltimore, MD, David's first professional job came on the CBS soap opera, "The Young and the Restless," playing Dr. Snapper Foster. Six years and 850 shows later he was lured to PRIMETIME TV by NBC President, Brandon Tartikoff, to star in the now legendary "Knight Rider" as Michael Knight leading him to a People's Choice Award for Most Popular Actor. 24 years later, the show is still playing throughout the world. In 1989, he headed the cast of "Baywatch," and after being cancelled by NBC, it was acquired by Hasselhoff and the producing PARTNERS for first run syndication at which time he became one of the executive producers and TV history was made. "Baywatch" ran for 11 years and is still viewed in 140 countries by over one billion viewers every week...making Hasselhoff the most watched TV star on the planet. Along the way Hasselhoff appeared in feature films such as Adam Sandler's Click, the SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS movie, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Layover, Legacy, HOP and recently starred in the Lifetime TV movie, The Christmas Consultant where he played an endearing, loving, "over the top" sentimentalist named Owen; a total departure from his iconic characters on Baywatch and Knight Rider. His remarkable musical career took off in the late 1980s when he recorded the album, "Looking For Freedom" for BMG Germany at the end of the Cold War. The song became an anthem for East and West Germany and remained at the top of their charts for 8 weeks. The album went triple platinum in Europe and Hasselhoff was named "Most Popular and Best Selling Artist of the Year." He has since garnered over 40 gold and platinum records worldwide. In 1989, he sang "Looking For Freedom" from atop the Berlin Wall to over one million people during the New Year's Eve German Reunification Celebration. In 2011, he was asked to perform the song again atop the wall to ring in the New Year. In 2000, Hasselhoff made his long-awaited Broadway debut in the hit musical, "Jekyll & Hyde" which was also filmed by Broadway Television Network to air on HBO Signature, and is available on DVD from Image Entertainment. He went on to make his West End debut in London as Billy Flynn in the long-running musical, "Chicago", and starred in the Las Vegas production of Mel Brooks' hit musical, "The Producers". His portrayal of the flamboyant Roger DeBris and the 'singing Hitler' proved to be an audience knockout and received rave reviews from Mel Brooks himself. David was also honored with the International Star of the Year Award for Outstanding Contribution to Global Entertainment by the Bollywood Awards, the 'Oscars' of India. In addition, he was awarded the Comeback Star of the Year Award on the VH1 Big in '06 Awards
Fred Willard (Guest Star) American comedian and actor Fred Willard was born on September 18, 1939 in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He was sent to the Kentucky Military Institute by mutual consent with his stepfather; there he became a member of the varsity baseball team. He then went on to graduate with an English degree from the Virginia Military Institute. He continued playing baseball during this time, and even after while he served the U.S. Army, as he aspired to play the sport professionally. However, after his military service, he went to New York City and trained as an actor. Willard is an alumnus of The Second City, a comedy group in Chicago. With this training, he went on to found the improv group Ace Trucking Company, as well as head a sketch comedy workshop, The MoHo Group. His first stab at fame, however, came through his role as the impossibly dense sidekick Jerry Hubbard on Fernwood 2 Night and its subsequent versions. Wider fame, however, came through his roles in several of Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, including Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, This is Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman. Willard also played several memorable roles on television.
(Fred Willard cont'd) He was part of the short-lived sitcom Maybe It's Me, which aired in 2001; there he played soccer-obsessed father Fred Willard. He also starred as the dim-witted sports anchor Marsh McGinley in another short-lived comedy, Back to You. His recurring role in the later episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond earned him Emmy nominations from 2003 to 2005. He also regularly contributed to sketches on THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO andSaturday Night Live, and provided his voice to shows such as FAMILY GUY and King of the Hill. Willard also appeared in several more mainstream films. He had roles in films such as Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, American Wedding, Date Movie, Anchorman: The Legacy of Ron Burgundy and the live-action sequences in WALL-E. In 2010, he was cast as Phil's father on the ABC comedy Modern Family. Ty Burnell, who plays Phil, was also on the cast of Back to You.
John Baumgartner (Directed by) is a Los Angeles-based film & television director whose shorts and feature have played in over fifty film festivals worldwide. His award-winning debut feature, HARD PILL, which Variety called a taut and well observed, provocative drama, was acquired by the Weinstein Company for home video distribution and by the MTV/Logo Network for domestic television. Baumgartner's richly stylized short film, WAR STORY, has won numerous jury awards worldwide and was called "A triumph on all fronts" by L.A. Weekly. In 2013, the filmmaker co-wrote & directed two comedies as a co-production with Funny Or Die: THE BOOB, THE BADGE, & THE UGLY and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH CRAZY. Baumgartner directed the comedy pilot PIZZA TIME, executive produced by three-time Emmy-winner Todd Holland.
Rich Affannato (Executive Producer) is a Tony Award®-nominated producer whose most recent producing credits include Peter and the Starcatcher on Broadway (9 Tony nominations, including Best Play, winning 5) and on tour, ANN on Broadway (written by and starring Holland Taylor) at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre, and the critically acclaimed New York production of SILENCE! The Musical (named one of TIME Magazine's Top 10 plays and musicals in 2011, Winner-Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical). He also produced the show's Original Cast Album (available on Sh-K-Boom/ Ghostlight Records), which debuted at # 12 on the Billboard Top Broadway Chart. He is currently the Executive Artistic Director at Nederlander Worldwide Productions, developing brand new touring productions worldwide, including Broadway Rox (which he co-directed and produced). Rich's directing credits also include Barbara Feldon's one-woman show Encounters; Opera Breve's New York mounting of Hansel and Gretel; and many concert productions throughout the United States. His company, Affannato Productions, continues to develop and produce new works for the stage and screen. Rich currently resides in New York City. www.AffannatoProductions.com
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