Yes, Will Ferrell confirms in the latest TIME that he based his smarmy character in the new movie “Campaign” on one of the most detestable figures in recent North Carolina political history.
Ferrell, who did an impression of George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live and in a one-man show on Broadway, built Cam Brady to be far smarmier than Dubya, the opposite of the Mr. Smith Goes Campaigning innocent Huggins. Specifically, Ferrell modeled everything about Brady–especially his politician-perfect, very un-Ferrell hairstyle–on John Edwards.
“Bush was like, ‘Hey, how you doing? I want to be your best friend. And I mean it,'” Ferrell says. “Bush’s clumsiness came through all the time. This guy is more like, ‘That’s a good question. You should pat yourself on the back for asking that question.’ It’s just flowery speeches and confidence and massive lack of substance.”
