Will Ferrell’s sons with his wife, Viveca Paulin, had the unique experience of being raised by one of Hollywood’s most iconic funnymen.
“If [my kids have] been mouthing off or something, I turn up at dinner wearing just my underpants to warn them,” Ferrell once revealed to BANG! Showbiz. “I can only imagine, but I sometimes equate [parenting boys] to what it must be like running a prison.”
Ferrell met and fell in love with Paulin prior to finding fame on Saturday Night Live. The couple tied the knot in 2000 and welcomed three sons over the next decade: Magnus, Mattias and Axel.
“We have a standing rule that [the kids] get to pick out my Halloween costume, no matter what it is,” Ferrell revealed to People in 2017. “I was a poop emoji a couple years ago.”
Will Ferrell Makes Rare Red Carpet Appearance With Wife Viveca Paulin
Keep scrolling for the actor’s family guide following their surprise appearance in Disney+ and Hulu’s A Very Jonas Christmas Movie in 2025.
Viveca Paulin
Paulin is a Swedish-American actress and auctioneer. Ferrell first hit it off with his now-wife when they attended the same acting class in 1995.
Paulin and Ferrell tied the knot on August 12, 2000, in Los Angeles, shortly before he returned as a cast member on Saturday Night Live’s 26th season that fall. She worked with her husband on his 1998 SNL spinoff movie, A Night at the Roxbury, and used her experience running auctions while voicing an auctioneer in Disney’s 2018 hit Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Away from the big screen, Ferrell and Paulin welcomed their eldest son, Magnus, on March 7, 2004, with Mattias following on December 30, 2006, and Axel arriving on January 23, 2010.
Ferrell explained to People that it was important to honor his wife’s Swedish heritage by picking Scandinavian names for all three of their sons. For example, “Magnus” in Swedish roughly translates to “great” in English.
“My wife was born in Sweden and we loved the idea of a Scandinavian name,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot of flack: ‘What kind of ego do you have to have to name your child the great one?’ That is not it at all.”
Speaking to People ahead of his 25th anniversary, the Elf star opened up about the key to his successful marriage.
“I think we were drawn to each other initially through our shared sense of humor, and that has remained the foundation of our relationship,” he said. “I think, ultimately, that’s our bond, making each other laugh.”
Describing his wife as a “tough nut to crack,” Ferrell bragged: “Every now and then I’ll get her to laugh, and she’ll be like, ‘OK, OK. You still got it.’”
Ferrell and Paulin now split their time between New York City and Orange County, California. (Ferrell was raised in Irvine, California.)
Magnus Ferrell
The couple’s oldest son was born in March 2004. During a 2006 appearance on The Megan Mullally Show, Will revealed that Magnus spoke more Swedish than English because of his mother.
Years later, when Magnus was 13, he caused a little trouble between Will and his The Other Guys costar Mark Wahlberg by hitting up Wahlberg’s oldest daughter, Ella, on Instagram.
“I thought [Magnus] was a lovely lad until I found out that he has formed some sort of communication with my oldest child,” an annoyed Wahlberg revealed on The Ellen Degeneres Show.
Will assured his costar that Magnus was “a good kid,” so Wahlberg seemingly eased up on the possibility of their two children becoming friends — or more.
“In actuality, as I’ve thought about it, I’ve come to understand that it is inevitable that she’ll be with somebody,” Wahlberg conceded. “So if it could be with someone like Will, I would be happy.”
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As he grew into his teenage years, Magnus formed a band with his friends — and Will even once joined them on stage in San Diego to spoof his “More Cowbell” sketch from SNL. After enrolling at his dad’s alma mater, the University of Southern California, Magnus convinced Will to DJ at one of his frat parties.
Magnus has more recently attempted to carve out his own niche in the entertainment industry as a musician. Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly in May 2025, Magnus said that he picked a career path where he could succeed on his own merits.
“The great thing about me wanting to do music is that I have to make good music for people to react to good music,” Magnus explained at the time. “Sure, there’s been opportunities, and I’ve gotten extra opportunities because of my parents, but I still had to show up for the occasion.”
Magnus credited his parents with helping him avoid the typical pitfalls that kids of celebrities face.
“I’m so grateful,” he told Us. “I could have turned out a very wildly different human being, but I’m so thankful. I didn’t really even know what [my dad] did until I was 11.”
Mattias Ferrell
Prior to Mattias’ arrival, Will was asked on The Late Show With David Letterman whether he and Paulin were expecting a boy or girl.
“You know, I don’t know if I do [know its sex],” Will teased. “I’ve gotta check my BlackBerry.”
The Anchorman actor then clarified: “Well, we do know, but I forget if we’re telling people. I told the Today show we weren’t telling them. But it’s a boy.”
Will revealed on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, shortly after Mattias’ birth in December 2006, that he and Paulin once again picked a unique name for their little one.
“Mattias means ‘one who eats fire,’ ” he joked. “No, I don’t know what it means. It’s a very popular name in Sweden … The name Mattias actually means ‘gift of God.’”
Later, Will playfully admitted to CBS News that his two boys weren’t necessarily fans of his comedy.
“They’ve all got a little glimmer in their eye,” he said. “A lot of times I’ll get, ‘Stop with the voices, let’s get back to the story.’ Like, ‘I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you’re taking away from the story.’”
While his older brother was interested in music, Mattias showed an early passion for sports. Will and Paulin coached his youth league soccer team when Mattias turned 8.
Axel Ferrell
Will and Paulin’s youngest son was born under very unexpected circumstances. Paulin went into labor only a few hours after Will performed on Conan O’Brien’s final episode of The Tonight Show in January 2010.
“All the Ferrells are well,” a family spokesperson told People after Axel’s birth.
All three of Will’s sons were present when he received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in March 2015.
“I’m still waiting for the mayor of show business to show up and kick me out of the formal party because I’m wearing a leisure suit. Comedians don’t get a lot of awards, so this is really nice,” Will admitted at the Walk of Fame ceremony.
He went on, “I have a mix of feelings about getting the star. I feel extremely fortunate to have accomplished this much. But there’s still some frustration with it in that it doesn’t matter how high up you are, it’s hard to get things made and you’re never not clawing.”
Axel and his brothers have been spotted with their dad at public events often over the years, including attending several of Will’s movie premieres, awards shows and professional sports games.
