Everything you need to know about Will Ferrell’s bestie (and trans icon) Harper Steele

Hilarious, heartwarming new Netflix documentary Will & Harper will arrive on Netflix soon. In it, comedian and actor Will Ferrell takes a road trip across the US with his best friend, writer Harper Steele.

Will and Harper have known each other for years after originally meeting on the set of Saturday Night Live. Harper came out as a trans woman and transitioned during the pandemic.

Will & Harper shows the two friends as they “hit the open road together to process this new stage of their friendship and reintroduce Harper to the country that she loves – this time, as herself,” the synopsis reads.

“Over 16 days, the two drive from New York to LA, visiting stops that are meaningful to them, to their friendship, and to America. Through laughter, tears, and many cans of Pringles, they push past their comfort zones as they re-examine their relationships to these spaces, and to each other, in this new light.”

The film – a true story – has had rave reviews, with one claiming the emotional documentary will “save lives.” It documentary got two standing ovations at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

But who, exactly, is Harper Steele? What do we know about her, and her life. Let’s find out.

Where did Harper Steele grow up?

Harper Steele is an Iowa native, born and bred. She grew up in Iowa City and attended Iowa City High School in the 1970s, then the University of Iowa. As part of their road trip, Will and Harper visited Iowa City High for the first time since her graduation in 1979 and posed for photos with students who are members of the school’s GSA club (Gender Sexuality Alliance).

The advisor of the GSA Club, Jennifer Barr, reflected on her meeting with the pair, and watching Will and Harper sit down to ask the GSA club members about their individual stories.  

“Harper started asking kids about their pronouns and what it’s like to be in the community at City High,” she told a local news site. “Will sat quietly supporting his friend, while she proceeded to ask if there were any problems feeling safe at City High,” Barr added. “The part that amazed me the most is that despite struggling as a student here, she came back and gave hope to these kids.”

When did Harper Steele meet Will Ferrell?

Steele started working at Saturday Night Live the same week as Will Ferrell, in 1995. She worked there for thirteen years from 1995 to 2008, four of them as head writer.

Steele helped create some of Ferrell’s most memorable characters, including Robert Goulet. Will Ferrell told CBS how Steele looked out for him when he first started at SNL, explaining: “People were kind of saying, ‘Oh yeah, I met that guy, he seems nice. He doesn’t seem that funny. I don’t know what he’s gonna do on the show,’ and it was Harper who kind of reported back to some of the writers like, ‘Oh no, no, don’t sleep on him. He’s pretty funny, that guy’s funny.’ So, (she) was kind of like a guardian angel in a way, someone who was looking out for me when I didn’t realise it was happening.”

What did Harper Steele do after she left SNL?

Harper Steele left SNL for Funny or Die in 2008 just after they announced their partnership with HBO. Funny or Die started life as a comedy video website, founded by Will Ferrell and others in 2007.

She was the creative director for Funny or Die and executive producer of HBO’s Funny or Die Presents and produced the first dozen half-hour Funny or Die shows that were shown on HBO, writing for nine of them.

She also co-wrote the hit comedy movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga with Will Ferrell.

How old was Harper Steele when she transitioned?

Harper got in touch with Will in 2022 and explained to him that she was planning to transition at the age of 61.

As detailed in the documentary, she sent a letter to her friends saying “Look, I’m not a very political person, but just by nature of being trans, I’m now a political person in a way. I just ask you as my friends to stand up for me. Do your best to, if I’m misgendered, just speak up on my behalf, that’s all I ask.”

The two decided to undertake and document a cross-country road trip as they processed this change and what it meant for their friendship – and the idea for Will & Harper was born.

Where can I stream Will & Harper?

Will & Harper will be streaming worldwide on Netflix from September 27.