Will Ferrell is speaking about transphobia. The beloved comedian’s latest project, Josh Greenbaum’s Will & Harper, chronicles a cross-country road trip between Ferrell and close friend and former Saturday Night Live writer Harper Steele, who transitioned in 2021. The two met in the 1990s during their careers on the sketch comedy series, with Steele coming out as transgender 30 years into their friendship. The documentary, which Netflix acquired after its premiere at Sundance earlier this year, finds the two comedians rediscovering their friendship following Steele’s transition. While speaking with The Independent about Will & Harper, Ferrell was asked why he thinks transphobia exists:
I think we fear what we don’t know.
During his conversation with the publication, Ferrell also discussed the safety issues concerning the trans community. Crimes against transgender people, and other members of the LGBTQ+ community, have been on the rise in recent years, as negative rhetoric and discriminatory policies against them have created a hostile environment and emboldened hate crimes. We must also take the issue of underreporting into consideration, as some transgender people may not report crimes due to fear of further victimization or lack of trust in law enforcement.
“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.”
Will Ferrell: Harper Steele is ‘Who She Was Always Meant to Be’
Ferrell sees people who are threatened by trans people as lacking confidence in themselves. After acknowledging that Steele is now “who she was always meant to be,” Ferrell questions:
“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.”
The documentary, which received standing ovations following its debut at January’s Sundance Film Festival and earlier this month at its Toronto International Film Festival screening, has received overwhelming praise from critics (it currently holds a near-perfect 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). Critics have applauded Will & Harper for its heartfelt exploration of friendship, acceptance, and the complexities of transitioning. A big part of the film’s critical success is attributed to the simple and honest moments shared between the two friends- and that Ferrell doesn’t pretend to know everything about trans people. Part of this, according to Ferrell’s interview with Them, arose from Harper’s “grace” to allow him to ask any questions he had:
“That was exactly what the plan was: to ask questions that I came up with myself and be as articulate or as clunky as I was going to be. I’m lucky that Harper allowed me the grace and the opportunity to stumble my way through. And as she says, ‘You can ask me any question for my friends, I give them permission. Please, let’s talk about anything you want to.'”
Will & Harper
debuts on Netflix on Friday, September 27. Post-
SNL,
Ferrell and Harper have collaborated on several projects, including
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
(which the two co-wrote, and starred Ferrell), which is also available on the platform.