Who does Will Ferrell have a drum off with?

Q: Did Will Ferrell really play the drums against Chad Smith?

Ferrell doesnt actually play drums, but it was a fun stunt that managed to raise nearly half a million dollars for charity, and the two have staged further charity battles” since then.

Q: Is Chad Smith a good drummer?

Chad Smith is everybodys favourite Will Ferrell lookalike. Aside from looking like the long-lost twin of Hollywoods favourite funnyman and San Diegos favourite news anchor, he is one of the best drummers out there.

After years of the two being confused for one another, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ own Chad Smith and actor Will Ferrell finally set the record straight with a drum battle of epic proportions on last night’s The Tonight Show. The real-life doppelgängers — who coincidentally also have a similar taste in style — faced off in a “traditional drum-off” with “traditional rules”. Each Will Smith got four different solos to prove their worth. And the winner is…

Table of Contents Show

Did Will Ferrell really play the drums against Chad Smith?
Who is the drummer that looks like Will Ferrell?
Are Will Ferrell and Chad Smith friends?
Is Chad Smith a good drummer?

Spoiler: Will Ferrell — though in a very meta twist, Chad Smith played all Will Ferrell’s parts for Will Ferrell. Not only that, but for Ferrell’s final “solo”, he was accompanied by Smith’s Red Hot Chili Peppers bandmates for Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, a callback to Ferrell’s classic SNL sketch.

Prior to the drum off, Ferrell and Smith sat down with Jimmy Fallon to discuss their rivalry. Replay the performance and interview below.

Ferrell laid the groundwork for a drum battle against Smith during a Reddit AMA last February. “It has been acknowledged many times that myself and Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, share a resemblance to each other,” Ferrell wrote. “A lot of people think that it’s me playing for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But that would be an insult to Chad Smith. The truth of the matter is there is no Will Ferrell. Only Chad Smith.”

(Read: It’s official: drummers are smarter than you)

In response, Smith issued a public challenge to Ferrell: “Stop impersonating me. In fact, I need you… drum battle. Me and you. I’ve seen your skills; you don’t got ’em. Let’s go. Golden cowbell. Winner. Boom!” Ferrell accepted on the condition they raise $300,000 for the charities Cancer for College and Little Kids Rock, which was quickly accomplished following an online fundraiser.

The intertwining saga of celebrity look-alikes Chad Smith (the drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Will Ferrell (the universally-beloved comedian and actor) has been amusing to follow. People have remarking on the uncanny resemblance between the two men look alike forever (look at any two photos of them, it’s pretty hard to argue), and in 2014, they put that comparison to good use, publicly promoting a doppelgänger “drum battle” through various public media. The “battle” was eventually staged on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Ferrell doesn’t actually play drums, but it was a fun stunt that managed to raise nearly half a million dollars for charity, and the two have staged further charity “battles” since then.

Chad Smith and Will Ferrell Square Off On Tonight Show

But you know how sometimes a joke will be funny at first, but then it gets overdone and repeated so much that it becomes more annoying than amusing? If his recent Musicians Institute show is any indication, maybe Chad is kinda over the whole Will Ferrell thing, and would rather get the focus back on the music. During the intimate gig, as Smith began to count in a song, someone from the crowd shouted “Will Ferrell!” Chad reacted instantly, screaming his best Step Brothers-style Ferrell “SHUT UP!” before storming offstage. As a member of his band piped up, “That’s not quite as bad as shouting ‘Free Bird’, but you’re pretty close.”

Watch RHCP’s Chad Smith Drum On A Bucket With Les Claypool’s Duo De Twang

He did not return immediately, and from the video, it’s not totally clear whether this was a planned gimmick or an actual emotional reaction. When he finally did come back, he singled out the “Will Ferrell” heckler in the crowd: “Who said that? You a musician? Why did you say that?…because you love me? I’m not Will Ferrell, you idiot!…” he said, seemingly irate.

Will Ferrell And RHCP’s Chad Smith Recruit All-Star Friends For Drum Battle Rematch

But Smith quickly softened, flashing his sense of humor: “Nah I’m just fucking with you, I don’t give a shit. I think it’s great. I’m fuckin’ famous because of Will Ferrell [laughs]. Fuck that guy. Right? Yea! I was in like a ‘OK rock band’ for a while, and then this idiot said [sic] ‘I look like you!’ and then next thing I know people come up to me on the street and say ‘hey, you’re really funny!'” he laughed, half-jokingly. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

It’s sort of unclear whether he was actually joking around, or whether the comparisons really are a touchy subject for Smith at this point–its probably a little bit of both. [Note: We know, you’re not Will Ferrell, Chad, and we appreciate you for you.]

Watch the entire altercation below via RHCP Live on YouTube and decide for yourself:

For more information on Chad Smith’s upcoming projects and performances, head to his Facebook page.

[h/t – NME]

Did Will Ferrell really play the drums against Chad Smith?

Ferrell doesn't actually play drums, but it was a fun stunt that managed to raise nearly half a million dollars for charity, and the two have staged further charity “battles” since then.

Who is the drummer that looks like Will Ferrell?

Much has been made of the similarities between Will Ferrell and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. When someone brought up the resemblance to the actor in a Reddit AMA earlier this week, Ferrell replied, “A lot of people think that it's me playing for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Are Will Ferrell and Chad Smith friends?

Smith and Ferrell have been friends for a number of years, with fans having long pointed out that the drummer and the actor look very much alike. The pair memorably engaged in a 'drum-off' on The Tonight Show back in 2014.

Is Chad Smith a good drummer?

Chad Smith is everybody's favourite Will Ferrell lookalike. Aside from looking like the long-lost twin of Hollywood's favourite funnyman and San Diego's favourite news anchor, he is one of the best drummers out there.