Ferrell had to convince family he was alive

Will Ferrell has disclosed that he once had to call family members to let them know he hadn't died.

The Hollywood comic was incorrectly named as a fatality in a hang gliding accident, which prompted panic from the actor and his representatives.

He is quoted as saying: "It was this crazy rumour that I had died and it was not fun to go through. It was rough.

"My publicist told me about it and I had to call my family and make sure they didn't hear it first - and believe it."

Ferrell, whose next film Step Brothers is released in the UK on August 29, added that other false rumours claimed he was obsessive about cleanliness and carried his own pen to sign autographs.