Will Ferrell Hits A High Note In His Whitney Houston-Inspired Commencement Address

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Will Ferrell Hits A High Note In His Whitney Houston-Inspired Commencement Address

Is there a doctor in the house? Scanning the celebrities on stage at The Graham Norton Show, you would be surprise to see the camera stop on Will Ferrell.

The comedic actor has an honorary doctorate from the University of Southern of California.

So it was his job to make the inspirational speech to the 2017 graduating class.

"I hadn't been put in that position before because usually I just make fun of things," Ferrell admitted. "I just told them to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and reach for the stars -- which I read on the back of a cereal box."

ET

The 49-year-old actor graduated from the university in 1990 with a Bachelor's degree in Sports Information, and returned this year to accept the prestigious award.

"Class of 2017, I just want you to know you will never be alone on whatever path you may choose. If you do have a moment where you feel a little down just think of the support you have from this great Trojan family and imagine me, literally picture my face, singing this song gently into your ear," Ferrell said to the crowd of thousands on campus and thousands more watching the live"‹ "‹stream.

But then his speech took an unexpected turn towards the end.

The father of three did offer a serious piece of advice in his speech, however.

"To those of you graduates sitting out there who have a pretty good idea of what you'd like to do with your life, congratulations," "‹Ferrell said. "For many of you who maybe don't have it all figured out, it's okay. That's the same chair that I sat in. Enjoy the process of your search without succumbing to the pressure of the result."

Then he wanted to inspire the graduation class by singing a Whitney Houston song to them.

"I started thinking, "˜Do I sing a couple of lines or do I torture the students and their parents by singing the entire song?' and I chose the latter," he said.

See his full interview on the show:

"If I should stay, I would only be in your way. So I'll go, but I know, I'll think of you every step of the way. And I will always love you, will always love you, will always love you, Class of 2017," he crooned before nailing Houston's famous high note. "And I will always love you!"

The Anchorman star was rewarded for his efforts with an honorary doctorate in humane letters. "They say it's honorary, I think it's for real," he joked. Watch his full performance below.

"Thank you"‹. Fight on!" he yelled before stepping down from the podium.

What did you think of his commencement address? Share with us in the comments.

Source: ET Online / ET Online