Will Forte’s comedy is a mix of absurdity, heart, and just the right amount of chaos, but where did that come from? If you dig into his backstory, it’s clear his parents, Patricia (Patti) and Orville Willis Forte III (aka Reb), played a huge role in shaping the man who would go on to make us laugh on SNL, The Last Man on Earth, and beyond. Their influence wasn’t just about encouragement; it was about creating a home where creativity, pranks, and even the occasional misstep were part of the family DNA. Let’s dive into the lives of the people who raised one of comedy’s most delightfully weird minds.
The Forte Family: A Supportive (and Patient) Bunch
Will Forte’s mom, Patti, is an artist and former schoolteacher, and his dad, Reb, worked as a financial broker. They divorced when Will was young, but both remained deeply involved in his life. Patti, in particular, gets a lot of credit for nurturing Will’s offbeat sense of humor. She’s been described as open, silly, and endlessly kind—traits that clearly rubbed off on her son. In fact, she was such a good sport that she even let Will drag her into his shenanigans, like the time he convinced her to appear in an SNL sketch. (More on that later)
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Reb, meanwhile, seems to have been the perfect straight man to Will’s antics. Case in point: One Christmas, Will asked his father what he didn’t want as a gift. Reb said, “Anything but a bathrobe.” So what did Will do? He bought twelve bathrobes, wrapped them in differently sized boxes, and let his dad unwrap them one by one, each reveal more ridiculous than the last. That’s the kind of prankster energy that only thrives in a household where laughter is the default setting.
But it wasn’t all goofs and gifts. Will has spoken about how his parents created a “very loving environment” where he felt free to explore his interests, whether that was comedy, football, or just being a loud, weird kid. He idolized comedians like Steve Martin and David Letterman, and his parents didn’t just tolerate his obsession, they let him record fake radio shows and pull pranks (even when those pranks went way too far).
The Prank That Went Too Far (And the Lesson That Stuck)
Speaking of pranks gone wrong, let’s talk about the time 14-year-old Will Forte decided to fake his own death. Yes, you read that right. One day, he saw his mother driving home and thought, Oh, this’ll be funny. So he wrote a note that said, “I’m so sorry, Mom,” left it at the front door, and then sprawled out on the bathroom floor like a crime scene victim. The second Patti walked in and saw it, she screamed—a sound Will still calls “the worst thing” he’s ever heard. He immediately jumped up and yelled, “Mom, I’m kidding!” but the damage was done. That scream haunted him, and the prank taught him a brutal lesson: Comedy shouldn’t hurt people.
Looking back, Forte has called himself a “little s— freakin’ 14-year-old” for thinking that stunt was funny. But he also credits it with shaping his comedic philosophy. “It did teach me, like, ‘Oh, not everything is funny. There are things that hurt people,’” he said. That moment stuck with him so much that even now, he avoids comedy that punches down or makes fun of people just for laughs.
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Patti, to her credit, didn’t disown him after that. In fact, she’s remained one of his biggest supporters. When Will filmed Good Boys in 2018, he didn’t want to leave her alone on her birthday, so he brought her to the set, where the cast threw her a celebration. That’s the kind of bond they have: one where even after a fake suicide note, they’re still tight enough to share birthdays on movie sets.
Reb, too, has stayed close with Will. In 2020, he even appeared as Will’s “expert” on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?—proving that the Forte family’s dynamic is equal parts supportive and hilariously chaotic.
The Takeaway: A Family That Laughs Together
Will Forte’s parents didn’t just raise a comedian; they raised a guy who understands that humor works best when it comes from a place of love. Whether it was Patti’s willingness to play along with his bits or Reb’s patience when faced with a mountain of bathrobes, they gave him the freedom to be weird, make mistakes, and, most importantly, learn from them. And hey, if your kid’s worst prank is faking his own death (and then feeling terrible about it), you’re probably doing something right.
So here’s to Patti and Reb: the real MVPs behind one of comedy’s most unpredictably brilliant minds. May we all be lucky enough to have parents who let us be our weirdest selves, even when that means pretending to be dead on the bathroom floor.
