Will Ferrell joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1995 and quickly became one of its breakout performers. Proving there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for a laugh, the sketch series helped him carve out a path as one of the defining comedic voices in Hollywood over the past 30 years.
But it’s possible Ferrell wouldn’t be the star he is today without the help of Harper Steele, his long-time friend and comedy partner.
Steele joined the SNL team in 1995 as a writer, and eventually serving as co-head writer for four seasons before leaving the show in 2008. She and Ferrell became close over the years, and together they created some of the actor’s most iconic characters and sketches.
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And their work didn’t stop there. Steel’s been the brains behind some of Ferrell’s most brilliantly bonkers work post-SNL, from the campy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga to the deadly serious Lifetime movie A Deadly Adoption.
Despite their close creative partnership, Ferrell was surprised to one day receive an email from Steele sharing that she was trans. She had been privately struggling for years, but was—in her late 50s at the time—ready to live as her authentic self and was planning to transition.
Eager to support his friend in this new chapter of her life, Ferrell hatched a plan: Steele has long loved taking solo cross-country road trips, but was now worried it could be unsafe for her to do, so he would accompany her on a drive from New York City to Los Angeles and help her face her fears.
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Trans comedy writer Harper Steele took a road trip with Will Ferrell—their journey has the power to save lives
After coming out as trans in her ’60s, former ‘SNL’ writer Harper Steele hits the road with her pal Will Ferrell in the quietly powerful documentary ‘Will & Harper.’
Their shared journey is the basis of the hilarious and heartfelt new documentary Will & Harper from director Josh Greenbaum (the guy behind Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar—yes, really!), which is already winning over audiences and will premiere on Netflix later this month.
Of course their trip is highly entertaining. What else would you expect when two old friends—who happen to be some of the funniest people on the planet—get together an reminisce? And plenty of familiar faces from their SNL family pop up to, from Tina Fey to Seth Meyers to Kristen Wiig, whose frequent check-in calls to the road trip make for an incredible recurring bit.
But plenty of tears are shed, too. Both Ferrell and Steels are remarkably candid, and the documentary opens the door to number of important conversations in the process—about what it means to be trans in America at this deeply divided time, about the power and limitations of allyship, and so much more.
Will & Harper premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival where it was met with a rapturous reception, and buzz has only continued to build in the months since. This is the story with the ability to change lives, and not just Ferrell and Steele’s, but hopefully its comedic star power can draw in as wide an audience as possible and open their eyes to the realities our trans siblings face every day in this country.
The documentary will begin playing in select theaters on September 13, and will begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on September 27. Check out the first official trailer for Will & Harper below:
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From a hilarious comedy to an erotic thriller, these films show that trans stories aren’t limited by genre or scope—they can look like anything.
