Staff Favorite Moments: Writer Will Forte | Letterman

The Late Show writer talks about his almost injuring Dave, smoking in the shower, MacGruber and more.
#willforte #comedy #letterman
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Welcome to the Letterman KZbin Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. And for those of you who like Miscellaneous, you may very well find some Miscellaneous here.

[@billcrotts5456]

I actually didn't know he wrote for Dave. I've long maintained that Forte is the most underrated snl cast member ever, and Macgruber is easily one of the 3 best comedies of this century

[@EhCloserLook]

Ahhhh, yes… a man of fine taste. 😌

[@bobbyk9815]

I'm glad "Staff Favorite Moments" keeps dredging up clips we would never see otherwise.

[@SOLOHeyman]

Ridiculously underrated. The man will go to extreme lengths by humiliating himself for hilarious laughs.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

Dave or Will? ;)

[@zelmoziggy]

Where is his rating located?

[@thelettermanpodcast]

@@zelmoziggy good call.

[@jawbone78]

He has a gift for absolute commitment to absurdity and awkwardness.

[@DrVVVinK]

Never knew Will was a writer on Dave

[@Madbandit77]

Me neither. The man's like everywhere.

[@adammiller4655]

And that 70s show

[@Steve-q6l4v]

3rd rock.

[@bignz721]

The pilot episode for LAST MAN ON EARTH is one of the funniest things I ever watched & truly Letterman-like in humor. The Forte-Hader-Sudekis triad have been killing it since graduating SNL

[@Laurentipia5]

I keep rewatching the series, so funny!

[@shawnuel]

Samberg and Armisen haven’t exactly been chopped liver!

[@Czechbound]

I had now idea Will was on Letterman as a staffer. MacGruber is one of the funniest movies of the last 20 years. I hope we see more MacGruber. producers, are you listening !!

[@ChokeslamToHell]

I watched it expecting it to be mostly stupid and kind of funny, but it’s legit hilarious.

[@yellowblanka6058]

@@ChokeslamToHell"I'm gonna ShooOOOooot!" - the graveyard scene was also a high (or you could argue, low, lol) point of the movie.

[@MajicFreeman]

there is a macgruber show on peacock with like 10 episodes, it came out a couple years ago.

[@Czechbound]

@@MajicFreeman Thank you ! I will chase it down ! I owe you a Baupunkt !

[@MajicFreeman]

⁠@@Czechboundkfbr392

[@BobbySacamano]

Will is amazing. I really loved _Last Man On Earth_ and wish it went on a bit longer. Hugely underrated show, in my opinion.

[@timvanboening9432]

For sure. If you’ve never read what Will planned for the next season of the show after they met the folks in the bunker, you should look it up. It’s completely in line with the show.

[@ragnaraxelson59]

@@timvanboening9432 should I read into it or keep hoping for a reboot?

[@timvanboening9432]

@@ragnaraxelson59 I’d read it. I doubt the show will come back.

[@LastKansasExit]

One of the greatest shows of all time

[@Kroniee]

Yep, got quite a few of my friends to watch it well after it completed and they all loved it, didn't like the ending, but didn't understand that the show had been canceled hence the ending was open ended in hopes for a continuation. Hands down one of my favs.

[@putinscat1208]

'The Last Man on Earth' was one of the most hilarious shows ever.

[@kevindaubert2677]

Will is a sweetheart of a man. He sent me a signed movie poster from MacGruber. I messaged him on twitter and he asked for my address and mailed it to me for free. Absolutely love this man.

[@Shmancyfancy536]

Just gained massive respect for him for that (even if it was probably an assistant or something)

[@profile2047]

That’s super cool.

[@Apollo440]

Reinhold investments - this is the SNL skit you've gotta KZbin right now. This is the only way to see the genius which is Will Forte.

[@JoeHiltabidel]

I was so disappointed when Last Man on Earth didn’t return. I wrote a song as Will‘s character that I believed he could sing on the show and I always wanted to sing it to Will.

[@TheMattsterling]

What a delightful trot down memory lane. Will, you are a true original and I can only imagine how much fun you had making Dave laugh. Why was this video not sponsored by Miata?

[@byamrcn]

I appreciate his candor, interesting to hear. Really enjoying these, keep em coming.

[@SteveShaha]

I loved the "Dave's Video Collection" bit and wondered where they found the videos they used. Now I know that Will Forte was the go-fer that found those.

[@LouSpowells]

One of the funniest men alive.

[@JohnB-nq4js]

Will Forte is the best. The SNL skit with Sudekis and the bowl of potato chips is unreal

[@________________________3]

We need a pt 2 of this

[@Rnyargd]

Met him IRL, suuuuper nice guy!

[@benrosn8154]

Will forte is the funniest person of all time

[@unitoolzee]

How I did I not know that Will Forte worked for Dave?!?

[@shawnuel]

At some point after this, Will spent one season as a writer on That ‘70s Show as well.

[@Joe4Schrute1]

The video findings seem to be the inspiration for Red Letter Media’s Best of the Worst.

[@calixa]

Will is truly one of the best. My heart swells for that guy. He is so damn funny. The Falconer was unmissable. OHHHH DONALD!!!

[@robclarkson5356]

Fantastic, Will, thank you!

[@Robotron2084psn]

I didnt care for Macgruber the first time watched. I wasnt ready for how vulger it was. Now I watch once a year and laugh my ass off.

[@cheaptricked]

I’m sorry……I can’t see Will and not see “Greg Stink.”🤣🤣🤣

[@thelettermanpodcast]

Greg Stink was CLASSIC!!!

[@Apollo440]

best afroamerican man in the business.

[@KungEMuller]

Wow! Will Forte actually worked for David Letterman in the 90s. That's very interesting.

[@FanboyFilms]

I never knew that either!

[@KungEMuller]

@@FanboyFilms It's very interesting. Of course, he did talk about it before.

[@edenaxela8726]

Will Forte is one of the funniest human beings of all time. This human being is a gem.

[@brettwalker2723]

"Know Your Current Events" became "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"

[@wrinkleneckbass]

Will Forte is a friggin legend. And whatever you do, don't eat any of his potato chips!

[@SR388LovesYou]

I will never forgive Will Forte for having hat head.

[@Dr_Jim57]

I had ZERO idea Will Forte wrote for Letterman, two of my favorites funny guys ever. Totally makes sense though

[@butt_ghost]

The way I still remember all of these. Iconic skits

[@MichaelLasotaWheresWaldo]

This is GREAT. Thank you.

[@DeliviaMusic]

Will is easily one of the most unique and genuinely funny people to ever be on SNL. I don't know that any other cast member has done more uncomfortable sketches than him.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

I do not remember MacGruber working on the show. I gotta find that cartoon book now, too. Thanks for the video.

[@chadmaronde8719]

Business (love you man!) lmao

[@traviscutler9912]

I'd give a billion dollars to have Will finish the rest of Last Man on Earth.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

Also, 'Late Show Cigarettes,' are still in vending machines in Canada, thank goodness.

[@RonGerstein]

In NYC, the average price of a pack of cigarettes is close to $20 because there is a high New York State tax on cigarettes AND a high New York City tax on cigarettes.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

@@RonGerstein we were just joking about the availability of that brand in Canada. And there hasn’t been a cigarette vending machine in quite some time either.

[@dspears666]

@@thelettermanpodcastdude, don’t explain your joke, ever!

[@thelettermanpodcast]

@@dspears666 you’re right. What were we thinking?

[@TheChupacabra]

We love you Will Forte! We can’t stop saying “teeeeeough sledding?!” around the house after hearing Seth and Bill talk about your second change theater sketches

[@Apollo440]

Legend.

[@weebinniec]

America’s most underrated comedy actors ever. He’s funny in everything he’s ever been in. I love my lambs

[@huflungdung8252]

Loved this guy's work with the B-52'S

[@doderiolarkisso4038]

I'm still mad that they cancelled Last Man On Earth

[@Brian-uy2tj]

Enjoyed this very much. Will Forte is a very funny guy. He was also over the top funny in "the last man on Earth"

[@weirdbeard1980]

I'm a ski coach in Tahoe and for a couple years I taught this guy that had been friends with Will Forte for many years. He said he was just how he comes across in interviews. Very low key, humble, not a life of the party guy, more introverted. I asked about January Jones cuz I had just finished watching mad Men and he said she kinda strung him along and broke his heart a bit. Felt bad for him but she seems pretty cold so no surprise.

[@evanfaust8672]

I never realized how incredibly lucky I was to be able to watch the SNL cast that Will Forte was apart of, literally some of the funniest and most talented performers to ever walk the Earth. Will Forte Bill Hader Jason Sudeikis Kristen Wiig Andy Samberg Fred Armisen Kenan Thompson Daryl Hammond All of them are absolute comedic geniuses and pretty much all of them have become huge stars (Hammond’s dealt with some rough times but he might be the most talented out of all of them).

[@maxsharpe2194]

Ugh this is alot to deal with. Give me a minute I have to sword it all out.

[@tq2769]

Love him SO much. But that ain't hat hair, just good-looking hair.

[@SJReid82]

funny, I remember many of these sketches with Will, and I was a regular watcher of SNL during the years Will was on as well, but I'd never put two-and-two together that he was on the Late Show. Wild seeing these old clips again (particularly the haircutting one, which I distinctly remember) and now knowing that's Will Forte! Will's particular sense of humor is so similar to my own, he was always one of my favorite SNL cast members during the early 2000s, and seeing him on shows like Tim and Eric was always a treat.

[@Tsudkyk]

Will explaining his comedic idea at the table is like someone telling about the weird dream they had, it’s impossible to imagine what’s funny about it and difficult to relate to. But when you see these ideas come to fruition, it’s masterful absurdity.

[@profile2047]

I loved Will Forte on Tim and Eric Nite Live.

[@trevorhunt]

He's consistently hilarious

[@micahclawrence]

I love Will Forte

[@terracottapie]

The best Will Forte sketch ever is Spelling Bee, from SNL, with Tenacious D. Where he spells "BUSINESS" with about 950 letters, including 8 consecutive Qs.

[@arthurlevine1840]

Wonderful dramatic role in Nebraska.

[@boldasluv3104]

I love Will Forte. He is exactly the funny I want to be.

[@brettwalker2723]

I have 101 more reasons, probably.

[@romanlukas9137]

The beard looks sooooo cool🎉😊

[@thelettermanpodcast]

Wonderful. The cartoons Will did were very 'Merill' like. Also, apologies for the 'hat-head' as well.

[@DrVVVinK]

Hey, do you happen to know how many of the questions from the CBS mail bag were really viewer-submitted vs staff created? I do remember there being an option on the Late Show website to send in questions, but now thinking of it, a good portion of the questions had to be created by the writers, if they had an good idea for a joke.

[@thelettermanpodcast]

@@DrVVVinK our understanding is that mailbag questions are organic. The writers of course, came up with all sorts of comedy bits and pieces, which were called ‘extras,’ but from everything we have gathered, the mail bag letters were all real.

[@DrVVVinK]

@@thelettermanpodcast cool

[@PureNRG2]

Forte was right up there with Wiig.

[@mikewhite4560]

Never knew WILL was....😊

[@Brett-yq7pj]

Great comedic performer Will Forte is probably the best version of Lincoln there is

[@gregorykrug8034]

"The Last Man on Earth" is the most underrated show in television history imo.

[@SuperTFRO]

MacGruber is one of the funniest GD movies ever made. It is way underrated.

[@TalsBadKidney]

I really wanted him to just say "Hi I'm Cowboy Wayne"

[@baddidoddy]

Sure, Tina… I’ll just “teach” 🏆

[@rangers11ization]

Their better be another damn season of macgruber!!!!!🤬🤬

[@jonnymoka]

What a guy

[@cisium1184]

I call BS. That's not Will Forte, that's Randy Wharmpess.

[@lynnturman8157]

Great idea! Do more celebrities pretending they were writers on Letterman.

[@sera2775]

He has an amazing view if that is wills place where the interview took place

[@TheChupacabra]

Just going to need to go old school. The Macgruber show by Mazda Corp, North America

[@AngieSC843]

Hey Will Forte please please finish last man on earth I still watch over and over to this day I need it finished lol

[@jamesbennett5189]

Boom still got it

[@ommeknakrich1107]

We NEED the Last Man on Earth finale! its so Sad this Show ended on such an Cliffhanger!

[@plaws0]

4:31 - if you think the whole singing/dancing cigarette boxes thing is completely preposterous, you're just dating yourself - they were all over TV (and radio) before 1971. SFM is the best! (I mean ...after the Barbara Gaines Show, of course .. duh ... does that even need to be specified any more?)

[@geinikan1kan]

There are few comics that can make me lose my coffee.

[@kinsmed]

Didn't recognize you with both of your eyebrows, Will.

[@spensert4933]

...INSPECT THOSE LOGS!!!

[@darrtetzy]

Will Forte is one of my favorites - I thought "The Last Man On Earth" was brilliant.

[@frankyg821]

I just looked this up and he got let go after 9 months… I’m surprised he did this

[@suckit5092]

Macgruber!

[@DanBlabbers]

Did he bring extra pants every day?

[@Sophiell6]

Will Forte was so hot in his 20s

[@midnightrider2342]

My goodness who's the blonde at 4:10?

[@djr3386]

Does he still cut his own hair? 😉

[@charlescarter3595]

Apologize for hat hair? Hat hair? This from the guy who shaved half his head.

[@YouOpaOpa]

I remember watching very early Will Forte on SNL and my brother saying “This guy is the best and he’s going to be amazing and he won’t be as recognized as he should be” goddamnit he was right.

[@SalveRegina8]

I would’ve watched this, but… hat head.

[@DinkleDooper]

TIL will forte was a writer for Dave. No wonder his show was hilarious

[@J35h13]

W I L L

[@S1L3NTG4M3R]

:)

[@thelettermanpodcast]

sup.

[@MrOvlov02]

know know know know your cuts of meat

[@theloniouscastaneda]

Stopped watching when I saw his hair.

[@jimcameron9848]

Good writer, please explain?

[@enigma51ted]

i dont get it, none of this is entertaining or fun (?) what did i miss?

[@bleebbleepbleeb3842]

This wasn't funny.

[@wfk3rd]

Will Forte? More like Will Forgay! Never knew this guy was a tootie fruity.

[@poindextertunes]

Boooo 🗣

[@gelatinskeleton8745]

For me… Forte is one of the most underrated comedians that exists today. I will watch anything that he is in.

[@LastKansasExit]

I will go to my grave believing Will Forte is a comedy genius. Absolutely underrated.