Meet Will Ferrell's Three Sons Magnus, Mattius, & Axel

Comedian Will Ferrell and his wife, Viveca Paulin, are the parents of three sons: Magnus, Mattias, and Axel. An art auctioneer, Paulin also has multiple acting credits to her name. Before she and Will married in 2000, they got to know each other in an acting class. 

Using his well-honed sense of humor, Ferrell has joked about the pandemonium of parenting, particularly in a household of three boisterous, loud kids. "It's like running a small correctional facility," Ferrell deadpanned on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." He noted that rather than aspiring to lofty ideals, he sometimes resorted to barking out orders to make sure they completed essential tasks like brushing their teeth. Ferrell has also noted the joy he experiences by listening to his kids' unique perspectives and their humor. For instance, when one of his kids misplaced a $100 wetsuit, he blamed his parents for giving it to him in the first place. "I thought 'You're going to grow up to be a lawyer,'" Ferrell commented, per The Irish News. "You're wrong but I can really appreciate the argument."

To give their boys a normal, grounded childhood, Ferrell and Paulin kept them out of the spotlight when they were young. In addition, the couple also liked to keep things low-key at celebrations like birthday parties. Instead of a lavish affair, they opted for a backyard party and cake. As a result, not much is known about Ferrell's three sons, but a few details about their lives have been revealed over the years.

Will Ferrell and Viveca Paulin's oldest child, Magnus, was born on March 7, 2004. The actor later spoke out about criticisms surrounding their choice of a name that means "the great one." "My wife was born in Sweden and we loved the idea of a Scandinavian name," Ferrell informed People. Growing up, Magnus learned Swedish from his mom and is bilingual. 

At age five, Ferrell's oldest son began taking piano lessons and developed a passion for music. He was writing his own songs by age 12. Besides serving as a creative outlet, Magnus has also relied on music to help him comprehend his own emotions. "I'm always able to express myself through music, and I love doing it," he explained to The Vinyl Record.

Magnus is dedicated to pursuing a musical career, and in 2022, he enrolled as a student at the University of Southern California.  Besides sporadically releasing original singles on his YouTube channel, Magnus is also getting experience performing live. In December 2022, Magnus and his band performed their first live show at a concert in support of the charity Cancer for College. While Magnus sang his song "Back in Place," Ferrell joined his son onstage. In a fun twist on Ferrell's signature "Saturday Night Live" sketch, Ferrell played cowbell with the band. In October 2023, Magnus took to the stage again, performing his song "Drinks on Me." The show was another charity event, this time benefitting Smile Train. 

On December 30, 2006, Will Ferrell and Viveca Paulin became parents for a second time when Mattias Paulin Ferrell was born. Like his older brother Magnus, Mattias also has a Swedish name. Mattias translates to "gift of God," although Ferrell once jestingly claimed it meant "one who eats fire," according to People.

Mattias and his dad have two interests in common: sports and comedy. In 2015, when Mattias was eight, he started playing soccer, with both of his parents helping to coach his team. It could be that Will Ferrell's longtime interest in this sport had something to do with Mattias' extracurricular activity. When Will was in high school, he even considered becoming a pro soccer player and relegating comedy to a secondary career. 

In 2017, Ferrell revealed that without asking his parents' permission, Mattias watched Will's movie "Step Brothers." Commenting on his son's impression of him after watching the film, Ferrell told Dan Patrick, "He's looking at me like 'I thought I knew you, but I didn't even crack the surface.'" A year later, Mattias discovered Ferrell's "Saturday Night Live" performances on YouTube. After seeing his dad's iconic cowbell sketch, Mattias was mystified that Ferrell could pull it off without feeling uncomfortable or self-conscious. After reflecting on his kid's questions, Ferrell later explained to Parade, "You realize the act of being a comedian is getting over any kind of shame."

Will Ferrell and Viveca Paulin's third son, Axel Paulin Farrell, was born on January 23, 2010. Similar to his brothers, Axel has a name that reflects his Scandinavian heritage and means "Father of Peace," per The Bump.

When he was a preschooler, Axel had a small role in Ferrell's movie "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues." He and his brothers Mattias and Magnus were onscreen in the film's Sea World scene. Besides going to work with his dad, Axel, his mom, and his siblings watched Ferrell get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2023, Axel joined his family and the "Barbie" cast at the film's premiere.

Along with his brothers, Axel's also participated in other family traditions, like choosing Ferrell's annual Halloween costume. One year, in an attempt to test their dad's limits in the pursuit of humor, the boys selected a poop emoji costume. However, given his comedic experience, Ferrell's likely to remain unperturbed regardless of what they pick. "I almost took it as a challenge to put myself in situations that everyone else would find mortifying," he told People. In addition, Axel is also following his family's enthusiasm for sports. Like his brother Mattias, Axel plays soccer. In 2023, Ferrell was spotted watching his youngest show off his skills at a game.