When Will Ferrell joined the cast of late-night comedy institution Saturday Night Live in 1995, he was not universally welcomed. In the words of comedy writer Harper Steele, a fellow newbie back then and one of the few SNL staff to stand up for him, “they all thought Will Ferrell was a dud”. The pair became close friends and collaborators.
The friendship endured as Steele became SNL head writer and Ferrell found global fame with his brand of larger-than-life character comedy that gave us Elf , Ron Burgundy and Zoolander ’s fashion designer nemesis Mugatu. The duo co-wrote 2020 Netflix hit Eurovision Song Contest – The Story Of Fire Saga , which starred Ferrell alongside Rachel McAdams and a remarkable turn from Dan Stevens. Get the latest news and insight into how the Big Issue magazine is made by signing up for the Inside Big Issue newsletter Then, three years ago, Steele sent Ferrell an email.
“Hey Will. Something I need you to know. I’m old now, and as ridiculous and as unnecessary as it may seem to report, I’ll be transitioning to live as a woman,” it began.
“Instead of being an asshole, I’ll be a bitch,” it concluded. Ferrell responded with the open-heartedness he brings to so much of his comedy. But would Steele’s transition change their relationship? To put this to the test, reframe their friendship and learn about themselves and each other, the pair decided to set off on a road trip across America.
The result is a warm, tender and enlightening .
