WILL FERRELL AND LONG-TIME FRIEND HARPER STEELE TAKE MADE A ROAD TRIP MOVIE AFTER HER TRANSITION

It was nearly 30 years ago that Will Ferrell and Harper Steele met at SNL. Ferrell was a new cast member and Steele was a writer on the show. They worked together well and became fast friends, Steele wrote some of Ferrell’s most famous sketches, and they went on to become life-long friends.

A few years ago, Steele sent an email to Ferrell, and other friends and family members, with the subject, “Here’s a Weird One.” The email Steele explained that she identified as a transgender woman, was planning to transition, and will now be going by Harper. Will was immediately supportive, but didn’t know the best way to support her.

Harper has always loved to travel, and that love lead to a documentary idea that the two of them should travel from NYC to LA and have real conversations on the way. The film just debuted at Sundance Film Festival and will most likely be picked up for distribution. While there isn’t an official trailer yet, to my knowledge, the interviews they did together at the festival are heartwarming and hopeful.

This conversation is so important, and having a major star in it will help it reach more people. Will said in a Variety interview that he had “zero knowledge” of the trans community before Harper’s transition. “It’s a chance for all of us in the cis community to be able to ask questions and also just to listen and be there as a friend.”

Feature image: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP