The Scary Incident That Nearly Killed Will Ferrell On Set

Will Ferrell is a national treasure and should be protected at all costs. Unfortunately, nearly a decade ago, the actor fell victim to an on-set mishap that could've easily taken his life. Fortunately, however, he lived to tell the tale (knock on wood!). The news of this incident comes off the heels of the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, whose life was tragically taken after actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun on the set of "Rust."

Since Hutchins' untimely death, conversations about film set safety have been on an uptick, with "Rust" cast members weighing in. In an ABC interview with George Stephanopoulos, Baldwin revealed that "Someone put a live bullet in a gun. A bullet that wasn't even supposed to be on the property" (via ABC7). He also noted that he "didn't pull the trigger" and that "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them."

Devon Werkheiser — who is widely known for his role as Ned Bigby on "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" and will also star in "Rust" — said Hutchins' death "doesn't make sense" and "if you weren't on this movie, you can't possibly understand what this feels like" (via People). Veteran screenwriter and producer Adam McKay pondered to The Hollywood Reporter, "How could that possibly have happened?" and said "that set sounded sloppy and dangerous." Now, McKay is offering an eerily similar anecdote featuring Will Ferrell on the set of "Anchorman 2," and how a potential tragedy was eventually averted.

Producer and screenwriter Adam McKay — who worked on films such as "The Other Guys" and "Ant-Man" (per IMDb) — spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about working with Will Ferrell and recalled a scary on-set incident that almost took the actor's life.

In light of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death, McKay was asked about how he approaches safety protocols on set. Referencing 2013's "Anchorman 2," he discussed how an on-screen suicide for Ferrell's character almost turned fatal after a mechanism malfunctioned. "We're always really careful," McKay said, adding that, "We had like a near accident ... involving Will, and it was really scary." He revealed, "It was a scene where [Ferrell's character] Ron Burgundy was going to hang himself," calling the scene "a silly joke." "For a half a second, the rig didn't operate properly and there was actual tension on the rope, but then it gave way and Will was okay."

"Thank God no one was hurt. We were sick about it for two days," McKay continued, noting the staff called a meeting shortly after. He also revealed a terrifying scene in the original "Anchorman" involving a bear, where "the bear did a hint of a bluff charge for a second." Since then, McKay said, "I will never put a live animal in a shot with an actor ever again," adding that now, "every time I do it, it's a composite shot because it's not worth it."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.