Will Ferrell recently took a bold stance against transphobia while promoting his new documentary, Will & Harper, alongside his close friend and trans-co-star, Harper Steele. After Steele came out as a trans woman in 2022, she reached out to Ferrell and other friends for support during her transition. To better understand the transgender community, Ferrell embarked on a road trip with Steele and filmmaker Josh Greenbaum. In a recent interview with The Independent, Ferrell discussed the alarming prevalence of transphobia in society, expressing confusion over why trans individuals are often perceived as a threat. He emphasised that this hatred is very real and can jeopardize their safety, noting that he has never felt threatened by Harper’s presence.
The actor said, “There is hatred out there. It’s very real and it’s very unsafe for trans people in certain situations. But I don’t know why trans people are meant to be threatening to me as a cis male. I don’t know why Harper is threatening to me. It’s so strange to me, because Harper is finally… her. She’s finally who she was always meant to be. Whether or not you can ultimately wrap your head around that, why would you care if somebody’s happy? Why is that threatening to you? If the trans community is a threat to you, I think it stems from not being confident or safe with yourself."
Will Ferrell and Harper Steele first crossed paths in 1995 when they both joined Saturday Night Live. Ferrell joined as a performer and Steele was hired as a writer. Steele created numerous sketches for Ferrell, he went on to become the show’s head writer. Their professional relationship turned into a strong friendship. After spending years in the entertainment industry, the duo is now set to appear together in the upcoming project, Will & Harper.
Director Josh Greenbaum explained that while they knew the film would be seen as political, the main focus is on the simple friendship between two people. He believes that the story can connect people’s opinions and create positive change. Greenbaum added, “In the climate we’re in now, if you smell an agenda, or you sniff out that someone is trying to convince you of anything, you lose half the audience. In no sense were we trying to avoid politics, but it didn’t feel central to the story we were telling."
While the filmmaker understands the kind of audience Will Ferrell attracts, traditional and straight men, he also highlighted the importance of also representing the queer community correctly in their project.
Will & Harper, featuring Will Ferrell and Harper Steele is currently streaming on Netflix.
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