Fans praise Will Ferrell for documentary with trans best friend Harper Steele

Comedian Will Ferrell was stunned when his best friend sent him an email telling him he was transitioning to a woman in 2021.

Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in Will & Harper. Picture: Netflix

Comedian Will Ferrell has been praised by fans for his new Netflix documentary, following the actor on a cross-country road trip with his best friend Harper Steele.

Ferrell, 57, received an email from the former Saturday Night Live (SNL) writer in 2021 announcing they were a trans woman.

Will & Harper, directed by Josh Greenbaum, follows the pair as they head off on a 16-day road trip across the US to better understand what the “new version” of Steele means for their friendship, after Steele transitioned during the Covid pandemic.

Harper Steele in Will & Harper. Picture: Netflix

The friends were hired the same week at SNL in 1995, Ferrell as an actor, and Steele as a writer. From there, Ferrell went on to star in a number of films, and Steele became head writer at SNL, and a screenwriter in many of Ferrell’s films.

“We’d go to Lakers games, go on road trips together, surprise each other at random little bars in costume,” Ferrell told Netflix, speaking of their friendship.

The trailer, released on Friday, provides glimpses of heart-to-heart moments on the road.

Steele asks Ferrell: “Were you a little worried about how to talk to me when I came out to you?” Ferrell responds, “Yeah, probably a little nervous.”

Steele reminds Ferrell that “there are no ground rules with friends.”

She tells Ferrell that she invites all her friends to ask questions about her transition, telling him she is “not afraid to talk about it.”

Steele (right) in their SNL writing days. Picture: Netflix

There are some lighter moments. “Here’s a question,” says Ferrell. “Do you think you’re a worse driver as a female driver?”

Steele responds: “That’s the dumbest … that is so … f*** you. But I am.”

Fans were quick to praise Ferrell and the film’s concept.

“This is exactly what white rich men with privilege and a huge cis male following should be doing. I will love Will Ferrell forever,” one person wrote on X.

“Will Ferrell deciding to educate himself and others as well as supporting and loving Harper unconditionally when she came out to him really puts some other comedians to shame,” added another fan.

Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in Will & Harper. Picture: Netflix

Others said they hoped the film would meaningfully contribute to education, and discussion on transitioning.

“While Will Ferrell and Harper Steele’s road trip documentary may be an intriguing personal journey, it’s important to focus on whether it contributes meaningfully to broader discussions on trans representation and inclusivity rather than just celebrity entertainment,” one person said.

The documentary has received rave reviews since premiering at the Sundance Film Festival and has a 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Reviewing the film Variety’s Peter Debruge said: “It can sound like a cliche to say that any given movie is what the world needs now, but Will & Harper earns that distinction. Struggling to recognise her own beauty in a society that often seems determined to deny her identity altogether, Steele brings the trans experience down to earth.”