Frat Pack
The "Frat Pack" is a 1990s-2000s era nickname given to a group of male Hollywood comedy actors who have appeared together in many of the highest grossing comedy movies since the late 1990s, including Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, and Steve Carell. The term was used by USA Today in a June 2004 story,[1] and was soon picked up by other media outlets as well.[2][3] Before USA Today dubbed this group the "Frat Pack", Entertainment Weekly had referred to them as the "Slacker Pack,"[4] having earlier coined the term "Frat Pack" to describe Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Edward Norton, and Ryan Phillippe.[5] By 2005, EW had dropped the "Slacker Pack" term and followed suit, referring to the newer crop of actors as the "Frat Pack".[6][7][8] The name is taken from the Rat Pack combined with a reference to the group's popular fraternity-related film, Old School. In December 2007, Italian cinema magazine Nocturno published the first 70 pages dossier completely dedicated to the Frat Pack phenomenon.
Membership
Initially, the core members included Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and brothers Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson as members of the group.[9][10] Later, Steve Carell was also included in the Pack.[11] Carell claimed membership when hosting Saturday Night Live. Though he did not use the term "Frat Pack," he did say he was "one of those guys now" and specifically referenced Stiller, Vaughn, Ferrell, Owen Wilson, and Black.
A year before citing Carell as a member, USA Today tagged him, in addition to Judd Apatow, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Mindy Kaling, Nancy Walls and Leslie Mann as the Frat Pack's "Junior Varsity."[12] Kaling and Walls haven't been as associated with the group elsewhere, but Details Magazine has cited Apatow (in addition to directors McKay and Phillips) as "The Frat Packagers",[13] while Paul Rudd was cited as a Frat Pack member in the New York Post, among other publications.[14][15] In an interview with The Advocate, when questioned if Knocked Up will officially welcome him into the Frat Pack, Rudd speculated that he is a "pledge" that hasn't "been initiated yet into the brotherhood." [16]
The members of the Frat Pack often work with certain directors multiple times. Wes Anderson is a college friend of the Wilsons and directed them in both Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums (which also starred Stiller) while Todd Phillips directed both Old School and Starsky & Hutch. Adam McKay directed Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Judd Apatow is the writer/producer of several Frat Pack comedies including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. He made his directorial debut with The 40-Year-Old Virgin starring Steve Carell, and followed up with Knocked Up starring Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd, with a cameo by Carell. Apatow was also a cocreator of The Ben Stiller Show. Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin worked again with Vince Vaughn for the Christmas comedy Fred Claus (2007). Subsequently, John C. Reilly who co-starred with Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) and Step Brothers has also worked several times with Jack Black (Tenacious D (TV series), Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, Walk Hard). Reilly also sang at the 2007 Academy Awards with Ferrell and Black.
Filmography
Although all Frat Pack members have never appeared in a single movie together, they have come closest in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, which featured all but Owen Wilson (chiefly in minor roles and cameos).
| Movie | Jack Black | Ben Stiller | Luke Wilson | Owen Wilson | Vince Vaughn | Will Ferrell | Steve Carell | Close contributors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottle Rocket (1996) | Lead role | Lead role, writer | Wes Anderson (director) | |||||
| Bongwater (1997) | Supporting cast | Lead role | Andy Dick, Kyle Gass | |||||
| Permanent Midnight (1998) | Lead role | Supporting cast | Andy Dick | |||||
| Heat Vision and Jack (unaired pilot) (1999) | Lead role | Director, minor role | Lead role, voice | Christine Taylor | ||||
| Meet the Parents (2000) | Lead role | Supporting cast | ||||||
| The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) | Lead role | Lead role | Lead role, writer | Wes Anderson (director) | ||||
| Zoolander (2001) | Lead role, director, writer, producer | Lead role | Minor role | Lead role | Christine Taylor, Andy Dick | |||
| Orange County (2002) | Lead role | Minor role | Leslie Mann | |||||
| Old School (2003) | Lead role | Lead role | Lead role | Andy Dick | ||||
| Starsky & Hutch (2004) | Lead role | Lead role | Lead role | Supporting cast | Jason Bateman | |||
| Envy (2004) | Lead role | Lead role | Amy Poehler | |||||
| Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) | Lead role, producer | Lead role | Justin Long, Christine Taylor, Jason Bateman | |||||
| Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) | Minor role | Minor role | Minor role | Supporting role | Lead role, Writer, Exec. Producer | Lead role | Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow (producer) | |
| Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004) | Minor role | Supporting cast | Lead role, Writer, Exec. Producer | Lead role | Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Seth Rogen, Justin Long, Amy Poehler | |||
| Meet the Fockers (2004) | Lead role | Minor role | ||||||
| Melinda and Melinda (2004) | Lead role | Supporting cast | ||||||
| Bewitched (2005) | Lead role | Supporting cast | ||||||
| Wedding Crashers (2005) | Lead role | Lead role | Minor role | |||||
| The Wendell Baker Story (2005) | Lead role, director, writer | Supporting cast | Supporting cast | |||||
| Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006) | Lead role, writer, songs | Minor role, producer | Kyle Gass, David Koechner (deleted scene/DVD), Amy Poehler | |||||
| Night at the Museum (2006) | Lead role | Supporting cast | Paul Rudd | |||||
| Blades of Glory (2007) | Producer | Minor role | Lead role | Amy Poehler | ||||
| Tropic Thunder (2008) | Lead role | Lead role, producer, director | Dropped out (originally minor role) | |||||
| The Year One (2009) | Lead role | Exec. Producer | Judd Apatow (producer) | |||||
| Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) | Lead role | Supporting cast | ||||||
| Movie | Jack Black | Ben Stiller | Luke Wilson | Owen Wilson | Vince Vaughn | Will Ferrell | Steve Carell | Close contributors |
Other films
Comedy films that involve only one primary Frat Packer, among other close contributors, with at least one of these in a large role include:
- High Fidelity (2000)
- School of Rock (2003)
- The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
- The Break-Up (2006)
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
- You, Me and Dupree (2006)
- Idiocracy (2006)
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
- Blonde Ambition (2007)
- Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland (2008)
- Drillbit Taylor (2008)
- Semi-Pro (2008)
- Kung Fu Panda (2008)
- Get Smart (2008)
- Step Brothers (2008)
- Tenure (2009)
Awards, nominations and other distinctions
- Ben Stiller is the only member ever to win an Emmy.
- Owen Wilson is the only member to be nominated for an Academy Award.
- Steve Carell is the only member to ever win a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award or Writers Guild Award.
- All members have been presenters at the Academy Awards.
- Except for Owen Wilson, all members have hosted Saturday Night Live.
- Jack Black is the only member to be a musical guest on Saturday Night Live (as part of Tenacious D).
- Will Ferrell[17], Ben Stiller[18] and David Koechner[19] have all been cast members on Saturday Night Live.
- Will Ferrell, Jack Black, Steve Carell and Paul Rudd have all appeared on David Koechner's Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show.
See also
- Rat Pack
- Brat Pack
- Splat Pack
- Typecasting
- Heat Vision and Jack - a failed Frat Pack pilot starring Jack Black and Owen Wilson, directed by Ben Stiller.
References
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (2004-06-15). "Wilson and Vaughn: Leaders of the 'Frat Pack'". USA Today.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (2004-06-21). "Life in the 'Frat Pack': If a few charming actors make funny movies, that's comedy, not conspiracy". Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ Randall, Laura (2004-07-09). "Unlikely heroes of the box office: The Frat Pack; Hollywood's posse of comedians hang out together and star in each other's hit films". The Christian Science Monitor.
- ^ Rich, Joshua (2004-04-23). "Comedy's funniest serial sidekicks". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Daly, Steve (1998-04-24). "Introducing The Frat Pack". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Lundegaard, Erik (2005-07-14). "Frat Packers just get better: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and company take over Hollywood". msnbc.com.
- ^ Kane, Michael (2005-08-14). "The Frat Pack - How a Dozen Doofs Saved Comedy". New York Post.
- ^ Susman, Gary (2005-08-17). "Who's the Kevin Bacon of comedy?". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ "These guys would be great to hang out with". USA Today. 2004-06-17.
- ^ Johns, Ian (2006-07-06). "Laughing all the way to the bank". The Times.
- ^ "Frat Pack persona: Archetype casting". USA Today. 2006-07-13.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (2005-08-11). "Carell just wants some love". USA Today.
- ^ The Power 50: DETAILS Article on men.style.com
- ^ Stewart, Sara (2006-04-20). "Boys' Life - Frat Pack Back on Track this Summer". New York Post.
- ^ Garcia, Chris (2007-06-22). "Hollywood's funny frat pack". Austin American-Statesman.
- ^ Issue Number 980 | Big gay following: Paul Rudd | Advocate.com
- ^ "SNL Archives Cast".
- ^ "SNL Archives Cast".
- ^ "SNL Archives Cast".
External links
- Metalanguage, Comedy, and the 'Frat Pack' as Community of Practice: What does that even mean?, a graduate-level paper detailing the use of common language in five Frat Pack films.
- The Frat Pack Tribute, a website detailing recent information and news about the Frat Pack
- Boys' Own Stories from Sight and Sound magazine, tracing the history of the Frat Pack