Will Ferrell wipes away tears as he talks about transgender friend while promoting new Netflix documentary

Will Ferrell welled up with emotion speaking about his best friend Harper Steele’s transition during an event in London Sunday. 

The 57-year-old actor and Steele, who is Saturday Night Live’s former head writer, participated in a Q&A during a preview for their forthcoming Netflix documentary Will & Harper at BFI Southbank.

In the Josh Greenbaum-directed documentary, Ferrell and Steele, who came out as transgender at 61, embark on a road trip where they discuss Steele’s transition.

The Irvine, California-born star held back his tears during a discussion with Greenbaum about how he spoke about the issue with Steele, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Said the Elf star: ‘I don’t wanna make a mistake – I don’t want to ask in the wrong way.’

The Elf actor and Steele, who is Saturday Night Live’s former head writer, participated in a Q&A during a preview for their forthcoming Netflix documentary Will & Harper at BFI Southbank 

Ferrell continued: ‘We just wanted to capture a conversation between two friends, and just bring it down to that level that hopefully the audience can listen to me stumble my way through asking my dear friend these questions.’

Ferrell said that Harper allows him ‘to make those mistakes and encourages [him] to ask away.’

Greenbaum said of documenting the friendship: ‘I have such a love for him, for both of these people, it was a gift that I got to express it in a film.

‘But I just hope [Ferrell] continues to get all the love that he deserves. Because he’s put so much good out in the world. And we often sometimes take for granted comedians who give us joy and love throughout our whole lives and make our day-to-day a lot easier, so I hope he feels that.’

As Ferrell was seen wiping his eyes, Steele joked, ‘What is this bulls***?’

Steele opened up about an emotional moment she had in London years back.

‘I was in London shooting a film with Will right before the pandemic, about the Eurovision Song Contest,’ Steele said. ‘And I was right on the cusp of this experience, but this was a difficult period for me in London.

‘And walking around London, going to get my Greggs sausage as myself, finally, it was just so much joy. Thank you.’

In the Josh Greenbaum-directed documentary, Ferrell and Steele, who came out as transgender at 61, embark on a road trip where they discuss Steele’s transition 

Ferrell said that Harper allows him ‘to make those mistakes and encourages [him] to ask away’

Ferrell, Greenbaum and Steele pictured at the event on Sunday 

Ferrell said that amid the two-week-plus road trip, ‘Every day there was a highlight,’ as he and Steele sought ‘to make each other laugh all the time’

The documentary also features cameos from SNL personalities Tina Fey, Seth Meyers and Kristen Wiig.

Ferrell said that amid the two-week-plus road trip, ‘Every day there was a highlight,’ as he and Steele sought ‘to make each other laugh all the time.’

He added, ‘And the highlights ranged from Harper showing us photos of herself on a unicycle, the way she used to get around Iowa City, only to be in front of her childhood house and this young person to come up on a unicycle … insane … and even though they didn’t recognize me.

‘Then Harper gets on and rides this unicycle in heels. Between that and our chance encounter at the Grand Canyon with a retired therapist who is trying to make amends for a situation she didn’t feel like she knew how to handle and Harper giving her comfort.’

Ferrell added, ‘Me getting to surprise Harper at a pool with my speedo … so many highlights.’

Ferrell earlier this month said he looks back on his impersonation of the late Janet Reno on Saturday Night Live with regret.

Ferrell told The New York Times podcast September 7 about his past impersonation on the NBC comedy show, saying, ‘That’s something I wouldn’t choose to do now.’

Ferrell, appearing alongside Steele on the podcast, said that the impression of the late U.S. attorney general ‘hits a false note now.’

Ferrell says he looks back on his impersonation of the late Janet Reno on Saturday Night Live with regret 

The Irvine, California-born star said that the impression of the late U.S. attorney general ‘hits a false note now’

Reno, who served under former President Bill Clinton, died at the age of 78 in November of 2016 from Parkinson’s disease complications.

In his impersonation of Reno, Ferrell would dress in drag in a regular bit titled Janet Reno’s Dance Party, performing in skits opposite former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; and actor Kevin Spacey, who himself was in drag to portray one-time U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.

Reno, the first woman to serve in the position, appeared herself on the segment in the wake of her January 2001 exit from the Justice Department.

Steele said that in hindsight, the bit was ‘absolutely not funny’ and that the comedic value of the bit was cheap. 

‘This kind of bums me out – I understand the laugh is a drag laugh,’ Steele said. ‘It’s, “Hey, look at this guy in a dress, and that’s funny” – it’s absolutely not funny.

‘It’s absolutely a way that we should be able to live in the world. However, with performers and actors, I do like a sense of play.’

On the podcast, the Anchorman actor said that there had been ‘a fair amount’ of segments ‘where you’d lament the choice’ to perform in them.

The Elf star added, ‘I mean, in a way, the cast – you’re kind of given this assignment – so I’m going to blame the writers,’ to which Steele noted in jest, ‘Yeah, he’s not culpable at all.’

In his impersonation of Reno, Ferrell would dress in drag in a regular bit titled Janet Reno’s Dance Party

Ferrell performed opposite actor Kevin Spacey, who himself was in drag to portray one-time U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala 

Ferrell appeared opposite former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in a sketch 

Reno and former President Bill Clinton pictured at a news conference in July of 1993 

Ferrell said in a 1998 interview with The Washington Post magazine that he had aimed at bringing a ‘broad and physical’ presence to his portrayal of Reno, and was amused at the notion of a ‘large woman manhandling people.’

Ferrell added, ‘I originally wanted to do this thing where she was almost like a bodyguard for President Clinton and they’d be in Cabinet meetings and she wouldn’t say anything, and then if Clinton didn’t like the person she’d be like, “Bill, do you want me to get rid of him?”‘

Ferrell, who developed the bit with former SNL writer Scott Wainio, told the publication, ‘We just kind of created this, like, tough woman who lives in this make-believe world.’

According to the newspaper, Reno said of the sketches in 1998, ‘I thought it was just kind of a spoof of this 6-foot-1 big old girl. I can’t figure out why anybody’s that interested in me.’

Ferrell told the newspaper that year of the impression: ‘I just sound the way she looks … I hate to break it down into something as simple as the fact that she’s tall, but it’s almost as simple as that.’

Will & Harper begins streaming on Netflix September 27.