EXCLUSIVE: Harper Steele, who co-stars with Will Ferrell in the Emmy-nominated documentary Will & Harper, will receive an official proclamation from the city of West Hollywood honoring “her advocacy and continued efforts to uplift the transgender community.”
The Netflix film directed by Josh Greenbaum follows Steele and Ferrell as they embark on a road trip across America to renew their friendship after Steele reveals her gender transition. They initially met on Saturday Night Live, where Steele became head writer and Ferrell broke out as a tremendous comedic performer. The documentary earned five Emmy nominations – tied for the most of any nonfiction project this year – including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, as well as its cinematography, Josh Greenbaum’s directing, and picture editing.
Steele and Ferrell’s pal Kristin Wiig also earned an Emmy nomination for penning and singing the film’s signature tune, “Will and Harper Go West.” Wiig shares co-writing credit on that song with Greenbaum and Sean Douglas, who also earned nominations.
West Hollywood will present the honor to Steele at an event Tuesday night, where the city will also recognize the importance of the documentary itself, which puts a human face on the politicized issue of trans identity.
“[A]t a time when anti-trans legislation is sweeping through state legislatures across the country, representation and support for the transgender and gender-nonconforming communities has never been more important,” the city writes in its proclamation for the documentary. “[F]ilms like Will & Harper play a vital role in advancing cultural awareness, challenging stigma, and celebrating the power of allyship in the face of discrimination and misunderstanding.”
Steele grew up in Iowa City and graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in English. She joined the writing staff of SNL in 1995 – the very same week Ferrell became a member of the cast. It wasn’t until many years after leaving SNL that she felt ready to transition. In 2022 she told friends about her decision, including Ferrell. It was he who suggested they go on a road trip so they could have time to talk, reminisce and revisit the kind of out-of-the-way places, dive bars, and roadside Americana that Steele had loved to experience before her transition. The trip abounds in laughs and poignant moments, sometimes shared over cans of Pringles (a Steele favorite) and cans of Natty Light (aka Anheuser-Busch Natural Light, also a Steele favorite).
By streaming on the worldwide Netflix platform, the film can affect attitudes in places perhaps ill-disposed to see the humanity of trans people. West Hollywood, which is a sanctuary city for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, values the impact of Will & Harper.
“[I]n 2022, Steele publicly came out as a transgender woman, demonstrating immense courage and authenticity that has inspired many and brought increased visibility to transgender and gender-nonconforming,” the city writes in its proclamation for Harper.
Will & Harper made the Oscar shortlist announced in December of last year but came up short when the nominations were announced (as Deadline reported, Ferrell appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert back in February, humorously lambasting the Motion Picture Academy’s doc branch after the snub. “What a bunch of losers. I hope there’s some of them here tonight: If you’re a member of the doc branch, suck it,” he told Colbert).
The raft of Emmy nominations helps make up for the Oscar near-nomination.
“I was disappointed with the Oscar snub, but yeah, who knows the inner workings of the doc branch of the Oscars. I don’t. But I’m happy to see that people still think highly of the film,” Steele told us after the Emmy nominations were announced. “I’ve been proud of this film since it got created, and I’m happy that this will bring it maybe even a bigger audience.”
Steele, coincidentally, is seen in another documentary series nominated for Emmys this year, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, executive produced by Oscar winner Morgan Neville. She shares her knowledge of what it’s like to craft the show in an episode of the series devoted to writers. Ferrell’s most beloved sketch gets its own forensic examination in SNL50, in an episode appropriately titled “More Cowbell.”
Emmy winners in the documentary categories will be announced at the Creative Arts ceremony the weekend of September 6 and 7. Whatever the outcome of voting, Will & Harper has made its mark.
“This is why I want the film to be out there and promoted in any possible way. I think there’s a misunderstanding around trans people in general, but that’s probably due to fearmongering more than people’s understanding or people’s knowledge of trans people,” Steele noted. “And the fearmongering is deep and has been long lasting even before the Trump administration. I don’t know what this film can actually do, but in some small way, I hope it adds to the conversation that allows people to understand that there is nothing to fear with trans people. Nothing at all.”
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