Actor Will Ferrell released a new documentary, Will & Harper, at the Sundance Film Festival, detailing his longtime friendship with comedian Harper Steele, who came out as transgender in 2022.
“I know I’ve met trans people before,” Ferrell said about his new film. “I didn’t have anyone personally in my life.”
The film documents the 30-year relationship between the two comedians, who’ve known each other since working together on Saturday Night Live, where Ferrell performed from 1995-2002 and Steele was a writer from 1995-2008.
Ferrell explained that Steele emailed close friends three summers ago to announce the gender change.
“She went on to explain she was going to transition and we were all of course excited to hear the news and surprised to hear the news. All of us were extremely supportive and expressed love…but that sort of opened the questions like, how can we help you? What do you need us to do?” Ferrell told Variety.
In another interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Ferrell revealed how the documentary came to fruition.
“Eventually we landed on the same square that if we could actually get someone to film it, maybe it would be something that people would watch, and give them a different perspective, or just show off that two people can have a conversation about this,” he said.
Social media users had mixed reactions to Ferrell’s new film.
“It’s a feel-good story about a man who is friends with a man that thinks he’s a woman but is really a man,” a social media user said.
Another person reacted with excitement, “Can’t wait to see it!”
“New struggle session just dropped,” one person said.
“A buddy movie with two men, pushing mental illness. Pass,” another person said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
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Another social media user cheered on Ferrell’s effort.
“Good for him. Some comedians named Dave Chappelle continue to endanger & spread hate to the transgender community while others named Will Ferrell don’t. How refreshing,” they said.