Is Chad Smith, Will Ferrell Likeness A Business Opportunity?

Chad Smith is the Chili Peppers drummer

At first glance, the pictures on the right might looked like an airbrushed PR shot of Will Ferrell next to a regular snapshot of Will Ferrell. However, they are actually two different people. On the left is Will Ferrell, on the right is Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
Chad Smith and Will Ferrell aren’t even related, but you have to admit the likeness is pretty amazing. People are constantly asking Chad Smith for Will Ferrell’s autograph. He’s pretty good-natured about it, but considering how hard he’s worked on his own career and fame, it’s got to sting a little.

Chad Smith won’t tarnish Will Ferrell’s image

Of course, Chad Smith has considered the fact that he could take advantage of this misunderstanding. He could probably get some easy cash loans by posing as Will Ferrell. He could just tell some producers that he’s going to make a movie, and they’d probably hand over billions.

Chad Smith could pose as Will Ferrell to get parts in movies, or maybe just make some extra cash by being Will Ferrell’s body double. Of course, Chad Smith already had all the money he needs without using the Chad Smith/Will Ferrell lookalike phenomenon to his advantage. Chad Smith has considered the fact that he could potentially go out, pose as Will Ferrell and cause trouble, but he says he doesn’t plan to do so.

Investing in his own image

Apparently, people think Chad Smith is Will Ferrell so often that he sometimes wears T-shirts that say “I’m not Will Ferrell.” I wonder if that actually helps. I mean, doesn’t that sound like something Will Ferrell would do?

Perhaps if Chad Smith ever gets sick of people asking him for Will Ferrell’s autograph he can just start charging money for it. At least he could make some cash off of this minor annoyance. However, soon Chad Smith might not be able to get away with that ploy. He is releasing a solo album, which will come out Sept. 15, and if it’s very successful, people might start asking Will Ferrell for Chad Smith’s autograph. OK, so we all know that isn’t going to happen, but people might start to recognize him as himself instead of as the famous comedian.

Chili Peppers history

Chad Smith joined Anthony, Flea and John Frusciante after original band member Hillel Slovak died of heroin overdose in 1988. Slovak was a guitarist, but after his death drummer Jack Irons left the band, and Chad Smith has been with the Chili Peppers ever since.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been releasing albums since 1984, though they didn’t get an album onto the Billboard 200 until their third try, “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan,” in 1987. However, it wasn’t until after Chad Smith joined the Chili Peppers that the band really started making money.

Chili Peppers fame

The Red Hot Chili Peppers 1989 album “Mother’s Milk,” which was the first album released after Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante, sold more copies than all three of their first albums combined. “Mother’s Milk” was the band’s first album to achieve gold status.

The Red Hot Chili Pepper really achieved celebrity with 1991’s “Blood Sugar Sex Magic,” which sold 13 million copies, hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and catapulted the Chili Peppers to international fame. The album featured hit singles “Under the Bridge” and “Give it Away.”