Deborah Chan
The 2005 romantic comedy Wedding Crashers stars Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as divorce mediators who crash weddings to meet and seduce women. Will Ferrell plays the uncredited role of Chazz Reinhold, a wedding and funeral crasher who mentored Vaughn's character Jeremy. Ferrell's cameo was criticised by some as lazy and awful, but the film was a commercial success, grossing $288.5 million worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the character | Chazz Reinhold |
| Occupation | Wedding and funeral crasher |
| Relation to other characters | Mentor to Jeremy Grey |
| Cameo | Yes |
| Uncredited | Yes |
| Surprise appearance | Yes |
| Role in the film | Hilarious, Insane, Memorable |
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![Wedding Crashers [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/911rVy-YuRL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
What You'll Learn
Will Ferrell's cameo as Chazz Reinhold
In the film, Chazz Reinhold is a wedding and funeral crasher who mentored Jeremy, played by Vince Vaughn. Chazz is frequently mentioned in the first half of the movie as the ultimate wedding crasher, but he remains unseen until the end. When John, played by Owen Wilson, seeks him out, he finds Chazz living at his mother's house, wearing a kimono and nunchucks. Chazz is still revolutionizing the crash game, having moved on to picking up women at funerals.
Ferrell's appearance in Wedding Crashers was highly anticipated, as he was a high-profile member of Vaughn and Wilson's comedy crew. Dobkin recalled that they were ""still trying to nail Will down" the night before filming began, and Ferrell's scene was shot in one day. Despite the last-minute confirmation, Ferrell's performance was well-received, with Dobkin describing it as insane and hilariously ridiculous.
While some critics, like Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times, called Ferrell's cameo lazy and awful, others praised it as memorable and hilarious. Scott Meslow of GQ acknowledged that the film had an "extremely strong pair of leads" despite its faults, which included the use of outdated tropes and underdeveloped female characters.
Overall, Will Ferrell's cameo as Chazz Reinhold in Wedding Crashers was a surprise for viewers and a challenging yet successful addition to the film.
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Critical reception of Ferrell's performance
Will Ferrell's performance in Wedding Crashers was generally well-received, with critics and audiences alike praising his cameo as insane and hilariously ridiculous. His appearance in the film was a last-minute addition that almost didn't happen, but it ended up being one of the greatest comedy movie cameos ever, providing a rocket boost into the final act of the film.
Test audiences went wild for Ferrell's surprise appearance, laughing hysterically even before knowing it was him. Director David Dobkin recalled that there was an audible reaction of laughter and excitement from the audience before Ferrell's character, Chazz Reinhold, was even seen on screen. Dobkin himself described Ferrell's performance as insane and hilariously ridiculous, and he considered it a rocket boost for the film.
However, not all reviews of Ferrell's performance were positive. Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times criticised his "hyper-active bonehead routine" and called the interlude "awful". Scott Meslow of GQ, who reassessed the film in 2018, called Ferrell's cameo "lazy".
Ferrell's involvement in the film was kept a closely guarded secret until its release. Dobkin recalled that the film's marketers initially included Ferrell in promotional trailers, but he had to beg the studio not to include him in order to maintain the element of surprise for audiences.
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Casting of Ferrell
Will Ferrell's casting as Chazz Reinhold in Wedding Crashers was almost a non-starter. The film's director, David Dobkin, wanted Ferrell for the role, but Ferrell was a challenging get, and Dobkin was still trying to secure his participation the night before filming began. Ferrell's role was not in the original script and was added during pre-filming script workshops. Dobkin and co-lead Owen Wilson conceived the idea for the scene in which Ferrell appears during these workshops. In the scene, Wilson's character John Beckwith, who has been struggling with depression, seeks advice from Chazz, a wedding crash mentor.
Ferrell was a high-profile member of Vaughn and Wilson's comedy crew, having starred opposite Wilson in Zoolander and Vaughn in Old School. Dobkin believed that Ferrell's appearance in the film would be a "huge draw", but he also wanted to keep Ferrell's involvement under wraps until the film's release. Dobkin had to beg the studio not to include Ferrell in the marketing of the film, and critics remained silent about his appearance, which led to an awesome surprise for viewers.
When Ferrell finally arrived on set, Dobkin was able to bring the character of Chazz into focus. Dobkin recalled that Ferrell was "very laidback" during the first take, and so he encouraged the actor to be "a little crazier". Ferrell obliged, and Dobkin kept asking for "more" until the fifth take, which is the one that appears in the film. Dobkin also noted that the audience started laughing when Ferrell first appeared on screen, even before they could see him, and he was never able to explain this reaction.
Ferrell's cameo as Chazz Reinhold was a memorable one, with Dobkin describing it as "insane" and a "rocket boost" into the film's final act. Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times called the interlude "awful", but Scott Meslow of GQ praised the film's "extremely strong pair of leads".
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The film's success
The 2005 American romantic comedy film Wedding Crashers was a critical and commercial success. The film, directed by David Dobkin, starred Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Christopher Walken, with Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, and Jane Seymour in supporting roles. It grossed $288.5 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2005 in the United States. It was also the first R-rated comedy to make $200 million at the domestic box office.
Despite the film's success, some critics have noted that certain aspects of the film have aged poorly, including a date-rape joke in the opening minutes and the use of racist and homophobic tropes. Scott Meslow of GQ called the predatory gay man trope "inexcusably unfunny" and felt that the film trivialized rape.
Wedding Crashers also gained attention for its cameo appearances, including an uncredited appearance by Will Ferrell as Chazz Reinhold, a wedding and funeral crasher who mentors Jeremy. Ferrell's involvement was a last-minute surprise, and his scene was not part of the original script. Director David Dobkin recalled that Ferrell's scene provided a "rocket boost" into the final act of the film.
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Ferrell's co-stars
Will Ferrell's co-stars in the 2005 film *Wedding Crashers* include Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Christopher Walken, and Jane Seymour. Ferrell's role in the film was a cameo, and he played the character Chazz Reinhold, a wedding and funeral crasher who mentored Vaughn's character, Jeremy.
Owen Wilson plays John Beckwith, one of the divorce mediators who crashes weddings under false identities to meet and seduce women. Vince Vaughn plays the other divorce mediator, Jeremy Grey. Rachel McAdams plays Claire Cleary, William and Kathleen Cleary's daughter, and John's love interest. Isla Fisher plays Gloria Cleary, William and Kathleen's daughter, and Jeremy's love interest. Christopher Walken plays U.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Cleary, and Jane Seymour plays his wife, Kathleen Cleary.
Wilson and Vaughn's characters crash a wedding, vacation with the bride's family, and fall in love with sisters, Claire and Gloria. Their cover is then blown, and John seeks advice from Ferrell's character, Chazz. Chazz is a wedding crash mentor who lives with his mother, wears a kimono and nunchucks, and has meatloaf for dinner. Despite his unconventional lifestyle, Chazz is still successful in picking up women, having moved on to crashing funerals.
Director David Dobkin praised Ferrell's performance, stating that when he "comes walking down those steps as Chazz, you cannot see him, and there [was] an audible reaction of people starting to laugh and have this reaction to the character before you even see that it's Will." Dobkin also noted that Ferrell's cameo added an element of surprise for viewers, as his involvement was kept under wraps until the film's release.
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Frequently asked questions
Will Ferrell plays the role of Chazz Reinhold in Wedding Crashers.
Will Ferrell only appears in Wedding Crashers for less than five minutes.
Will Ferrell's cameo in Wedding Crashers is uncredited because his involvement was only confirmed the night before the shoot.
