Will Ferrell and Harper Steele’s road trip documentary praised by trans community

Will Ferrell and Harper Steele's Netflix documentary Will & Harper has received widespread acclaim

Will Ferrell and Harper Steele’s Netflix documentary Will & Harper has received overwhelming support from the trans community. The documentary follows the longtime friends as they embark on a 16-day cross-country road trip, marking Steele’s first such trip since coming out as a trans woman in 2021. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s premiere in Los Angeles, Steele explained that the project was inspired by the restrictive legislation targeting trans people across the U.S. “I don’t know if this movie is going to change hearts and minds, but you have to try to do something with your life,” she said.

Ferrell and Steele have been friends for over 30 years, having started at Saturday Night Live in the same week. The idea for the documentary came about when Ferrell realized that Steele hadn’t done any road trips since transitioning and offered to join her on a cross-country journey. Director Josh Greenbaum explained, “Harper loves to do these cross-country road trips, but since she had transitioned, she wasn’t sure if she felt safe.”

The documentary, which has been screened at Sundance, Telluride, and TIFF, has garnered significant praise. Ferrell shared his amazement at the reception, especially from the trans community: “We’re a little overwhelmed. In our hearts, we’re self-loathing comedians, so to have this thing actually work on so many levels has been incredible.”