Actor Will Ferrell, known for his roles in Elf and Anchorman, has stepped up as an ally for the transgender community.
Ferrell recently teamed up with his longtime friend Harper Steele for a Netflix documentary titled Will & Harper. The film follows their road trip across the U.S., exploring Harper's journey as a trans woman.
Ferrell, who met Steele when they both worked on Saturday Night Live—he as a comedian, she as a writer—shared key insights he gained from their travels.
In an interview with the Advocate, he emphasized the importance of asking questions and listening without assumptions.
"My advice would be to not be afraid to ask questions, no matter how stupid you think they may be...The other recommendation is to just listen. Sit back and listen to their story, their journey, and try not to assume anything. It will all feel strange but it’s exciting to learn about your friend in a completely different way."
Steele, who came out as a trans woman in 2022, added that humor can be a helpful tool. "Laugh with them about their experiences," she said. "While there are serious aspects, it’s also okay to find the humor in life...I don’t think there’s not a serious side to this, but it’s my nature to be comic.”
Despite the challenges Steele faced, including hostility in some areas, she has remained proud of the documentary. She acknowledged the potential for negative reactions but expressed confidence in the film's positive impact.
People were revved up about the new documentary.
Ferrell's advice to learn and listen resonated with a lot of people.
People expressed how fond they were of Ferrell in general, as he is the more well-known half of the documentary duo.
Steele was right to be worried about negative reactions. Many of the comments about this film descended quickly into blatant transphobia, which will not be repeated here.
Others who aren't transphobic gave most of the comments a huge eye roll.
A lot of the transphobic comments fixated on Ferrell's use of the term "cis community," which the transphobes insists is not actually a thing.
Other commenters were quick to educate them.
People had had it up to here with the transphobia in the comments.
Ferrell was criticized by more progressive commenters about his part in the documentary.
Most folks agreed Ferrell has set a good bar for curiosity and understanding in an increasingly divided world.
People really got the whole point of the documentary.
Will & Harper will drop on Netflix on September 27th.
@lpeterp/Bluesky
@FPWellman/X
@bobsbeatgmail.com5/Threads