Ferrell Goes 'Wild'

Will Ferrell joins Bear Grylls on 'Man vs. Wild'—and lives to tell about it

On his Discovery Channel show Man vs. Wild, Bear Grylls usually only has to take care of himself, but on a recent jaunt, he had to survive for two: Actor/comedian Will Ferrell joined the survival expert for a two-day epic in remote Sweden, where the pair suffered through frigid nights, rappelled down 100-foot frozen waterfalls, improvised snowshoes, and even drank their own urine.

Obviously they survived—if Grylls had taken out one of Hollywood's biggest comedic stars in between hotel stays, you certainly would've heard about it by now. But Grylls even had praise for Ferrell's survival instincts:

"Will did an amazing job in subzero, very unforgiving conditions," Grylls said. "He trusted me when it mattered, and we survived. ... He should be very proud of how he performed."

Ferrell, for his part, sounded equally stoked, telling Variety the experience was "a thrill of a lifetime, even though I did get urine-drunk, which is sad."

Since nothing happens in Hollywood without cross-market synergy, this particular episode of Man vs. Wild will air on June 5—just in time for the release of Ferrell's big summer movie, Land of the Lost. Based on early previews, Ferrell probably could've used some of his new skills before filming—but there's always the inevitable sequel, right?

Something tells me if Ferrell spent time with Survivorman's Les Stroud, he might've had a rougher go of it. But he's still probably get urine-drunk.

—Ted Alvarez

Will Ferrell Goes Wild for 'Man' (Variety)