A classic birthday candle prank from Jimmy Fallon just provoked a classic Will Ferrell-style meltdown
During the July 16 episode of The Tonight Show, Ferrell — who just happened to be celebrating his 59th birthday — stopped by to chat with Fallon about his new comedy series, The Hawk.
In honor of Ferrell’s appearance coinciding with his actual birthday, Fallon came prepared: Before his former Saturday Night Live star knew what was happening, the longtime Tonight Show host presented him with a birthday cake, candles blazing on top.
When Fallon asked him to make a wish and blow them out, Ferrell psyched himself up and obliged.
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Jimmy Fallon pranked Will Ferrell for his 59th birthday
After repeated attempts to extinguish every last candle failed (“Jimmy, stop! Let me focus!”), Ferrell became distraught. Especially after he found out he was on the wrong end of Fallon’s trick candle prank.
The world’s newest 59-year-old did not take the news well.
“So this is how it ends for me,” Ferrell announced, addressing the audience between sobs. “I let my guard down for one fateful moment simply to make a birthday wish — for world peace! — and this nefarious trickster known as Jimster, the scheming swindler known as Jimbler, humiliates me on the airwaves of the National Broadcasting Company? Home of Frasier?”
“Will, come on, dude,” Fallon pleaded from behind the desk.
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Will Ferrell delivers a hilarious (and sad) monologue on The Tonight Show
Summoning his strength, Ferrell delivered a rousing monologue.
“He feigns kindness, simply to embarrass me,” Ferrell continued, unabated. “And as it is often said, when you embarrass, you make an ass out of ’em’ and ‘barr.’ How have I allowed myself to be duped like a common swine? This day was to be a celebration of all that is me and my new show The Hawk. Don’t I deserve that??”
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Fallon’s live audience responded with supportive applause.
“But no, instead I look weak in front of all of America!” he shouted. “I have been made a fool of. And so this is it. The final, shameful end of the disgraced John William Ferrell, and what an ironic end it is: A court jester, struck down, not by a king, no, but by a fellow clown. So now I have no choice but to throw my belongings into a bonfire, and relocate to a mud hut in central Mongolia, never to be seen again.”
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“And let me say to all my fans,” Ferrell declared. “Whether you’re a womans or whether you’re a mans, from the mommies and the daddies to the golfers and the caddies, tell a wifey, tell a hubbie, tell a yellow Teletubbie-“
At that point, Fallon cut Ferrell off, probably realizing that the star could go the entire episode performing that particular one-man show.
Finally, after coaxing Ferrell back with an honest-to-goodness real birthday candle, things got back to normal. It was the feel-good moment of the season – but, of course, it all ended in laugh-out-loud funny fashion.
“Did you wish for world peace again?” Fallon asked.
“No,” Ferrell said flatly. “I wished you would roll a clip from The Hawk.”
And with that, Ferrell finally got his birthday wish.
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