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Will Ferrell & trans bestie Harper Steele offer their tips for cis & trans folks to communicate
These comedy dynamos and best friends learned a thing or two about talking to trans people after Harper Steel came out.
Actor Will Ferrell and comedy writer Harper Steele met nearly 30 years ago while working on Saturday Night Live, but they both worried their longstanding friendship would hit a bump in the road when Steele came out as transgender during the pandemic.
The pair worried that their friendship, which is built on a foundation of love and good-natured teasing, would start to unravel, but instead, it brought them closer together and taught Ferrell a valuable lesson about how to talk to trans people.
The upcoming Netflix documentary Will & Harper chronicles the duo’s friendship as they go on a cross-country road trip shortly after Steele told Ferrell about her trans identity.
“My advice would be to not be afraid to ask questions, no matter how stupid you think they may be,” Ferrell told PRIDE’s sister publication, The Advocate, in a recent interview. “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.”
Ferrell recommends joking around with the trans people you know to “help demystify the topic.” He and Steele have been ribbing each other since they first met on the set of SNL in 1995, and that shared sense of humor allowed them to broach difficult topics.
“I think it helps that Harper and I have known each other for close to 30 years and we really got to know each other through the language of comedy,” Ferrell explained. “I also think we only really tease and joke about the ones we love the most. I believe that as long as there is a base of sensitivity and understanding, some gentle teasing helps demystify the topic.”
Steele echoed this sentiment, recommending a light-hearted approach to conversations with your trans friends. “If you’re friends with [a trans person], laugh with them about what they’re going through. I mean, I laugh about my bodily changes, my life all the time,” she said. “I don’t think there’s not a serious side to this, but also it’s my nature to be comic.”
We couldn't agree more!
Will & Harper will premier on Netflix on September 27.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
