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Will Ferrell has played so many iconic characters throughout his 30-year career, you'll be hard-pressed to come up with your top ten favorites. There are a handful of undisputed standouts, however, like Anchorman's Ron Burgundy, Zoolander's Jacobim Mugatu, and A Night at the Roxbury's Steve Butabi. He was hilarious in The Office as Deangelo Vickers, who almost had us convinced he would be Michael Scott's long-term replacement. He's also starred in several sports comedies such as Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby — and has now expanded that lineup with his new Netflix series.
Ferrell has ventured into uncharted territory by starring in a lead role in a TV series, taking on the challenge because it gives him more time to flesh out the characters. Speaking with Tudum, he said golf seemed the best subject for his next sports comedy. He wants to depict professional players in constant misery, always striving for perfection with every shot. Ferrell said the show would also lean heavily on the interpersonal relationships and how these are impacted by the players' insatiable drive to dominate the sport. That, in a nutshell, describes the premise of Netflix's The Hawk.
Will Ferrell Plays an Underdog Golfer in 'The Hawk'
The Hawk stars Ferrell as Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins, a former top golfer who is now well past his best years in the sport. Having failed to capture every professional golfer's career goal, he re-enters the tournament as a washed-up player, vying for the US Open championship to achieve his Career Grand Slam. It's not the cakewalk he expected, however, because he's playing with younger, hungrier competitors. It also doesn't help that he always appears to be winging it on the golf course.
Released on Netflix on Jul. 16, The Hawk was an instant hit, outpacing other popular shows offered by the streamer. It's now holding the second spot on the streamer's top ten TV shows in the US for the past five days, dropping from #1 but still beating long-time chart-breakers The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, Little House on the Prairie, and I Will Find You. Ferrell delivers another comedy classic in The Hawk, his comedic timing perfect and, more importantly, unexpected. The series is also very binge-watchable, with only ten 30-minute episodes.
'The Hawk' Finds Streaming Success Despite Mixed Reception
It's too early to tell whether The Hawk is a hit or miss, and thus whether there'll be a second season, but reception is currently mixed on Rotten Tomatoes. Critic consensus sits at a low 28%, while audiences gave it a Certified Fresh score of 65%. The show also doesn't fare well on Metacritic, garnering a 52/100 weighted average score from 20 critics.
The Hawk stars Ferrell, Jimmy Tatro (Home Economics), Fortune Feimster (FUBAR), Chris Parnell (Fallout), and Molly Shannon (The White Lotus) as Stacy, Lonnie's estranged ex-wife. Ferrell and Shannon have previously collaborated on A Night at the Roxbury, Superstar, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and it shows, because their onscreen chemistry is palpable in The Hawk.
Ferrell himself, though, has admitted that Lonnie doesn't hold a candle to his other sports characters. Ranking all four of them, he said figure skater Chazz Michael Michaels (Blades of Glory) is still the one to beat, followed by ABA basketball player Jackie Moon (Semi-Pro), Lonnie Hawkins, and NASCAR Ricky Bobby (Talladega Nights). "Ice skating is hard, let's face it," he quipped.
