Deborah Chan
Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan were good friends and co-stars on Saturday Night Live, where they developed sketches together. They also co-starred in the 1998 comedy film A Night at the Roxbury, based on their SNL characters. The film features a wedding scene, and the duo's head-bobbing to Haddaway's hit song What Is Love. Unfortunately, their friendship ended after the film, with Kattan claiming in his memoir that Ferrell stopped taking his calls.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Film | A Night at the Roxbury |
| Year | 1998 |
| Genre | Comedy, Music, Romance |
| Runtime | 1h 22m |
| Rating | PG-13 |
| Cast | Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Molly Shannon, Mark McKinney, Colin Quinn, Jennifer Coolidge, Chazz Palminteri |
| Plot | The film follows the Butabi brothers, Steve and Doug, who are frequent nightclub-goers and the sons of a wealthy businessman. After their girlfriends break up with them, the brothers argue and Doug moves out. Steve is forced into an engagement with Emily, but the wedding is interrupted by Doug. The brothers eventually reconcile and leave, while their friend Craig marries Emily. |
| Song | "What Is Love" by Haddaway |
| Sketch | The film is based on the Saturday Night Live sketch "The Roxbury Guys" |
| Friendship | Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan's friendship ended after the film due to an incident involving the producer, Lorne Michaels, and the director, Amy Heckerling. |
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What You'll Learn
Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan's falling out
Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan were good friends and comedic partners, having worked together on Saturday Night Live (SNL) and the 1998 film A Night at the Roxbury. However, their friendship ended after the release of the film, with Kattan claiming that Ferrell stopped taking his calls. In his 2019 memoir, Baby, Don't Hurt Me: Stories and Scars from Saturday Night Live, Kattan revealed that their falling out was due to an incident involving the film's producer, Lorne Michaels, and director Amy Heckerling.
Kattan claimed that Michaels pressured him to have sex with Heckerling so she would direct the film. Heckerling was 43 at the time, and Kattan was in a relationship with his girlfriend, Jennifer Coolidge. Although Heckerling ultimately only produced the film, with John Fortenberry directing, Kattan wrote that she continued to pursue him during production.
Kattan's memoir also revealed that Ferrell was furious with him over the incident, feeling deceived and betrayed. According to Kattan, their friendship was damaged beyond repair: "I felt that we still loved each other. But some damage can't be undone." He also acknowledged that his actions and dishonesty had hurt his friend.
After the release of the film, Ferrell and Kattan did not speak again until they returned for the 23rd season of SNL. Kattan recalled that their interaction was tense and that they had a hard talk. Despite their falling out, Kattan has expressed interest in working with Ferrell again on a potential Roxbury sequel. However, Ferrell has stated that he is not interested in a sequel, and the two have not collaborated on any projects since.
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The end of their friendship
Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan's friendship ended after they worked together on the film *A Night at the Roxbury*. The film was based on a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live called "The Roxbury Guys", in which Ferrell and Kattan starred.
In his 2019 memoir, *Baby, Don't Hurt Me: Stories and Scars from Saturday Night Live*, Kattan revealed that Ferrell stopped returning his phone calls after the movie wrapped. Kattan claimed that he was pressured by producer Lorne Michaels to have sex with Amy Heckerling so she would direct the film. Heckerling ultimately only produced the film, which was directed by John Fortenberry. Kattan wrote that he realized how much his actions had hurt Ferrell, and that their friendship as a whole had been damaged as a result:
> I didn't know or hadn't let myself see until that moment that although the situation with Amy (Heckerling) hadn't directly involved Will, my actions and dishonesty made him feel deceived and betrayed. And now everything Will and I had done and shared—everything that had made us feel like a team that incredible amount of trust that had been built up—was broken.
Kattan and Ferrell's friendship never recovered, and they haven't collaborated on any projects since. In 2023, Kattan said he believed their relationship was beyond the point of fixing.
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A Night at the Roxbury
"A Night at the Roxbury" is a 1998 American comedy film starring Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan, based on a recurring sketch from the television show Saturday Night Live called "The Roxbury Guys". The film expands on the original sketches, in which the Roxbury Guys would bob their heads to the song "What Is Love" by Haddaway while being comically rejected by women at various clubs.
In the film, Ferrell and Kattan play Steve and Doug Butabi, the sons of a wealthy businessman who enjoy frequenting nightclubs in their spare time. The club exteriors used in the film are those of a real Los Angeles nightclub called The Roxbury, which was a popular celebrity haunt in the mid-1990s but closed in 1997, before the film's release. The interior scenes were shot at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
The plot of "A Night at the Roxbury" centres around the Butabi brothers' love lives. Vivica and Cambi break up with the brothers after realising they are not actually wealthy. The brothers argue, and Doug moves out of their shared bedroom and into the guest house. Meanwhile, Steve is forced into an engagement with Emily by his father. The wedding is held in the backyard of the Butabi residence but is interrupted by Doug, who reconciles with his brother. However, their friend and personal trainer Craig marries Emily, and the film ends as the Butabi brothers happen upon a new club.
Despite the film's modest box office success and negative critical reception, "A Night at the Roxbury" has gained a cult following. Unfortunately, the production of the film marked the end of the friendship between Ferrell and Kattan, who had been close friends and collaborators for many years prior. In his memoir, Kattan claimed that he was pressured by producer Lorne Michaels to have sex with Amy Heckerling so she would direct the film, although she ultimately only produced it. This incident, as well as Ferrell's alleged refusal to take Kattan's calls after the film wrapped, ended their friendship.
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The SNL spin-off movie
"A Night at the Roxbury" is a 1998 comedy film and spin-off of the popular Saturday Night Live sketch, "The Roxbury Guys". The film stars SNL regulars Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan as Steve and Doug Butabi, two brothers who enjoy frequenting nightclubs. The original sketch featured the Roxbury Guys bobbing their heads to the song "What Is Love" by Haddaway while being comically rejected by women at various clubs. This head-bobbing became a signature move for the characters and was often performed during their nightclub scenes in the film.
In the movie, the Butabi brothers are the sons of a wealthy businessman. They find themselves suddenly single when their girlfriends, Vivica and Cambi, break up with them upon realizing they are not actually rich. This leads to a fallout between the brothers, with Doug moving out of their shared bedroom and into the guest house. Meanwhile, Steve is forced into an engagement with Emily by his father. The wedding is held in the backyard of the Butabi residence but is interrupted by Doug, who cannot bear to see his brother in an unhappy marriage. The brothers reconcile and leave, only for their friend and personal trainer Craig to marry Emily instead.
The film is notable for being the last collaboration between Ferrell and Kattan, who were close friends and frequent collaborators on SNL. According to Kattan's memoir, their falling out occurred due to off-screen drama involving the film's producer, Lorne Michaels, and director/producer Amy Heckerling. Kattan claimed that Michaels pressured him to pursue a sexual relationship with Heckerling to secure her involvement in the film, which ultimately damaged his friendship with Ferrell. Despite the film's modest box office success and negative critical reception, it has gained a cult following, with many fans expressing interest in a potential sequel.
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The song 'What Is Love'
"What Is Love" is a song by Haddaway that was featured in the 1998 comedy film "A Night at the Roxbury", starring Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan. The film is based on a recurring sketch from the television show "Saturday Night Live" called "The Roxbury Guys", in which Ferrell and Kattan's characters would bob their heads to "What Is Love" while being comically rejected by women at clubs.
In the film, Steve and Doug Butabi are the sons of a wealthy businessman who enjoy spending their free time at nightclubs. However, their lives change when they are suddenly rejected by their girlfriends, Vivica and Cambi, who realise that the brothers are not actually wealthy. This leads to a series of events that include a failed wedding and the brothers eventually reconciling.
The song "What Is Love" became closely associated with the film and its stars, Ferrell and Kattan. The two had a falling out after the film, which ended their longtime friendship. In his memoir, Kattan revealed that Ferrell stopped returning his calls after the movie wrapped, and he felt that their relationship was beyond repair. Despite this, Kattan has expressed interest in a sequel to "A Night at the Roxbury", saying that he thinks it would be fun.
"What Is Love" was written by Tony Hendrik (as Dee Dee Halligan) and Junior Torello, and performed by Haddaway. It has become a well-known and popular song, especially in the context of the comedic routines and sketches of Ferrell and Kattan. The song's upbeat and catchy rhythm, coupled with the comedic performances of the duo, has made it a memorable part of pop culture.
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Frequently asked questions
The film is about two brothers, Doug and Steve Butabi, who enjoy going to nightclubs. The brothers get into various misadventures, including a wedding, and their exploits lead them to a unique club.
Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan were friends and co-stars on Saturday Night Live. They also co-starred in the film 'A Night at the Roxbury', based on their SNL characters. However, their friendship ended after the film.
In his memoir, Kattan claimed that he was pressured by producer Lorne Michaels to have a sexual relationship with Amy Heckerling so she would direct the film. Heckerling ultimately did not direct the film, and Kattan felt that his actions hurt Ferrell, leading to the end of their friendship.
