“That’s Something I Wouldn’t Choose To Do Now”: Will Ferrell And Harper Steele Had A Candid Discussion About Their “Saturday Night Live” Regrets
Will Ferrell was the center of online conversations last week after the trailer for his new Netflix documentary, Will & Harper, was met with viral praise.
The documentary centers on the relationship between Will and his best friend, Harper Steele, as they head out on a cross-country roadtrip. Harper and Will met in the ‘90s when they worked together on Saturday Night Live, and in 2022, Harper came out as a transgender woman.
For context, Harper was a writer on SNL from 1995 to 2008, while Will was a cast member from 1995 to 2002.
The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January. At the time, Will told Variety that he had “zero knowledge” about the trans community before Harper came out to him over email.
“I had met trans people, but I didn’t have anyone personally in my life,” he said. “So this was all new territory for me, which is why I think this film is so exciting for us to kind of put out there in the world.”
“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 to discuss this journey,” he continued, echoed by Harper, who said the documentary “tells the story of a cis friend of a trans person who has to transition himself.”
If you’ve not seen it yet, the trailer is both joyful and incredibly moving. It was met with a warm reception last week, with many praising Will for his willingness to be open and learn about Harper’s experience.
“I love this because he’s showing it’s OK to admit ignorance if it comes with being willing to learn,” one person wrote on X in response to the trailer. “Did not have Will Ferrell: Unexpected Trans Advocate on my bingo card, but isn’t it nice to be pleasantly surprised for once too?”
“This is what it looks like to learn and grow and approach new things with kindness and genuine care. Everyone should take a page out of his book,” someone else agreed.
“This is so heart warming. We need more big allies like this that are willing to learn and use their platforms to educate,” echoed another.
Now, Will has talked more about how his attitude has evolved throughout his career, particularly when it comes to comedy.
Appearing together on the New York Times’ The Interview podcast on Sept. 7, Will and Harper were asked whether there was anything they wrote or appeared in during their time on SNL that they wouldn’t stand by today.
Answering first, Harper said there’s a “good third” of her comedy work that she wouldn’t handle in the same way today, admitting she “might have overstepped bounds.”
“I wrote Monica Lewinsky stuff I wasn’t proud of. I wrote some good Britney Spears stuff and some stuff that I’m not as proud of. I wrote some Clinton things I wasn’t proud of,” Harper confessed. “I’m just moving on. I have to.”
Will also said he’s “sure” he probably regrets “a fair amount” of his comedy choices. Namely, his impersonation of former United States Attorney General Janet Reno, which the interviewer said “hits a false note now.”
If you’re unfamiliar, Will would dress up as a woman and impersonate Reno as part of a regular SNL skit called “Janet Reno’s Dance Party.”
Looking back, Will said: “That’s something I wouldn’t choose to do now.”
Notably, Harper agreed that the old impersonation “kind of bums [her] out” because it relies on the notion that “a guy in a dress” is “funny.”
“I understand the laugh is a drag laugh,” Harper said. “It’s absolutely not funny. It’s absolutely a way that we should be able to live in the world.”
Despite her feelings, Harper did consider that she appreciates “a sense of play” in performances.
“Do queer people like The Birdcage, or do they not?” she said, referring to the 1996 film about two gay men who disguise themselves as a heterosexual couple. “Robin Williams, at least as far as we know, was not a gay man, and yet he spent about half of his comedy career doing a swishy gay guy on camera. Do people think that’s funny, or is it just hurtful?”
She continued: “I’ve heard from gay men that it was funny, and I’ve heard from gay men that it was hurtful. I am purple-haired woke, but I wonder if sometimes we take away the joy of playing when we take away some of the range that performers, especially comedy performers, can do.”
You can find Will and Harper’s full interview here. Will & Harper will be available to stream on Netflix on Sept. 27.
Will Ferrell and his close friend, former head writer at SNL, Harper Steele embark on a cross-country road trip together after Harper comes out as a trans woman in the documentary film, WILL & HARPER. In select theaters this September and on Netflix September 27. pic.twitter.com/FULaHVuMkR
— Netflix (@netflix) September 5, 2024
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