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ET, TVWeek

Family of Ronald Reagan Outraged by Will Ferrell Project

Apr 28, 2016  •  Post A Comment

After news broke that “Saturday Night Live” alum Will Ferrell will produce and star in a comedy about Ronald Reagan, as we reported earlier today, members of Reagan’s family went public with outrage over the project.

“The script, titled ‘Reagan,’ reportedly centers on a White House intern who is tasked with convincing the POTUS that he is an actor playing the president in a movie when the latter falls into dementia during his second term,” ET reports. “Ferrell is attached to star as the titular president.”

Michael Reagan and Patti Davis, the son and daughter of President Reagan, lashed out at the project, expressing concern over the use of Alzheimer’s disease as comedy fodder, the report notes.

Michael Reagan sent out a tweet saying: “What an [outrage]. Alzheimer’s is not a joke. It kills. You should be ashamed, all of you.”

Davis posted an open letter to Ferrell on her website, writing: “Perhaps you have managed to retain some ignorance about Alzheimer’s and other versions of dementia. Perhaps if you knew more, you would not find the subject humorous.”

The letter also says: “Alzheimer’s doesn’t care if you are President of the United States or a dockworker. It steals what is most precious to a human being — memories, connections, the familiar landmarks of a lifetime that we all come to rely on to hold our place secure in this world and keep us linked to those we have come to know and love.”

5 Comments

  1. Ferrell should know better – Alzheimer’s is not comedy, he’ll likely find out someday.

  2. Seriously, I hope he never has to experience watching someone he loves stop being themselves and then not even remember who he is.

    This would be like announcing he was going to play FDR and make fun of him being in a wheelchair.

  3. You guys ever watch comedy? It often takes a bit of humor to shine a light on serious issues. Being a Will Ferrel film I have no doubt it will be rude and crass as well as heartwarming and enlightening. Why must everyone bash things they know nothing about? And trust me, I have had more than my share of both Alzheimers and dementia in my family.

  4. What a stupid idea! Why risk the financial loss, the ruination of your career and the alienation of every family dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementia? Does Will Ferrell find all disabilities, illnesses and afflictions funny? If he moves ahead with this disgusting project I hope it can’t find distribution.

  5. You have got to be kidding!
    Dory in Finding Nemo was sweetly funny and loveable but altzheimers is Tragic. PERIOD!
    If Ferrel wants to do comedy about memory loss he should volunteer to be Dory’s boyfriend in a sequel.

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