Will Ferrell shares heartfelt advice for supporting trans loved ones

Elf star Will Ferrell has staked his claim for 2024’s celebrity ally of the year award, after he shared some advice on how cisgender people can support their transgender loved ones.

The five-time Emmy-Award-winning actor has teamed up with his best friend of 30 years, Harper Steele, for a Netflix documentary about the latter’s transition.

Will & Harper will show the Zoolander and Anchorman star and his friend, who came out as a trans woman in 2022, embark on a road trip across the US – including to some of the country’s most notoriously anti-trans Republican states.

Having first met when they were both on Saturday Night Live – Ferrell as a comedian, Steele as a writer – the pair used the cross-country trip to enter a new phase in their relationship. In the film, they visit trans community members in different states, meet Steele’s loved ones, and head to some of the most significant sites in her life.

Along the way Ferrell asks Steele some important questions about her transition and their friendship.

Speaking to Advocate, Ferrell said he learnt a lot about the trans experience during the trip, with one of the most important being about how cis allies can support trans friends and family members.

“My advice would be to not be afraid to ask questions, no matter how stupid you think they may be,” he said.

“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.”

As two people who have made careers out of making people laugh, the pair suggest using sensitive humour during the trickier conversations.

“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,” Steele said. “I don’t think there’s not a serious side to this, but it’s my nature to be comic.”

Will & Harper is set to drop next month, but even during filming, the pair encountered some hostility, particularly in one restaurant in America’s Deep South.

With online anti-trans rhetoric reaching unparalleled heights, as powerful tech bosses and famous authors continue to spout their opinions, Steele admitted to feeling a little anxious about public reaction to the documentary.

“Yes, I want it to be positive and I want it to be a positive influence on my life, to be selfish, but I know I’m going to get destroyed online,” she said.

“Any out-front trans person is relentlessly killed online by the weirdest sub-set of people who obsess over things like this. They are a small group, I believe, but they are the loudest group.”

However, she remains defiant. “I’m scared of… the aftermath of it coming up,” she said, “but I’m very proud.”

Will & Harper is due to drop on Netflix on 27 September.

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