The Amy Poehler scene that was cut from ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’
The impact of the Anchorman movies on society is understated. While many fans still quote some of its most famous lines, the movie’s once-culturally shifting gaudy humour finds more room on the dusty shelves of time-specific comedy. However, in its prime, Will Ferrell‘s Anchorman was a game-changing movie, thanks to its meticulously-chosen comedic ensemble.
When Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy first came out in 2004, critics and fans commended the project for its quotability and silliness. Unlike other comedies of its time, the film proudly displayed its tongue-in-cheek sensibilities. Similarly, what set the movie apart was that almost every cast member displayed a significant comedic prowess, contrasting with the humour portrayed by Will Ferrell’s titular character.
Although many of its jokes may seem dated by today’s standards, at the time, it appeared as a quintessentially American comedy in all the right ways. Steve Carell shone as Brick Tamland, the weatherman at KVWN Channel 4, while Paul Rudd stood out as Burgundy’s co-worker and self-proclaimed womaniser Brian Fantana. It’s also difficult to imagine the entire movie without the endearing contributions of Christina Applegate.
However, the movie we see today slightly differs from what was initially intended. In the first cut, Amy Poehler had a role in an entire subplot that didn’t make it to the movie’s theatrical release. Her character was a bank teller involved in a bank robbery orchestrated by Maya Rudolph’s gang. Despite her part being cut, Poehler wasn’t taken aback at the decision. She said: “I was a young gal, hadn’t even got my teeth fixed, and I played a bank teller that Maya Rudolph and her gang robbed. Even back then, I was like, ‘This movie is so long, I’m never going to make it in this’.”
Even though Poehler’s cameo didn’t make it to the final cut, her appearance and the entire subplot were instead included in their own DVD release during the original film’s year of release. This release comprised outtakes and deleted scenes under the title Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie. Luckily, the movie doesn’t suffer without her inclusion and has even become an intense favourite among its main cast.
For instance, Rudd once revealed his initial reaction to the script, which involved him reading it twice: “It’s rare to read a script that it’s just so fun to read just you that you want to reread for pleasure and certainly with comedies. I did that with Wet Hot American Summer, and then I did that again with Anchorman,” he explained. Rudd’s Fantana is a character that he describes as having “unearned confidence”, which nevertheless masks his “staggering insecurity”.
Despite also becoming one of Ferrell’s most cherished roles, he recalls the reluctance to make the film in the first place, compared with its solid status now: “The film was such a struggle to get made and the character such a fun one to play,” he said, adding: “To have Anchorman go from this movie that no one wanted to make for three years, to have it go on to achieve comedy cult status, that’s the most satisfying thing.”
