Will Ferrell doesn’t understand transphobia: “Why would you care if somebody’s happy? Why is that threatening to you?”
“I think we fear what we don’t know"
by Elizabeth Aubrey · NMEWill Ferrell has said he doesn’t understand transphobia, asking, “Why would you care if somebody’s happy? Why is that threatening to you?”
Ferrell was speaking to The Independent as part of his press tour for the Netflix documentary Will & Harper which focuses on the friendship between Ferrell and Harper Steele. The two met on Saturday Night Live during the ‘90s and Steele came out as transgender 30 years into their friendship.
The documentary, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year, follows the two friends on a road trip across America following Steele’s transition.
When asked to speak about his opinion on why transphobia exists, Ferrell replied: “I think we fear what we don’t know.
“There is hatred out there. It’s very real and it’s very unsafe for trans people in certain situations…But I don’t know why trans people are meant to be threatening to me as a cis male. I don’t know why Harper is threatening to me.”
He continued: “It’s so strange to me, because Harper is finally…her…She’s finally who she was always meant to be. Whether or not you can ultimately wrap your head around that, why would you care if somebody’s happy? Why is that threatening to you? If the trans community is a threat to you, I think it stems from not being confident or safe with yourself.”
Ferrell had previously spoken to Variety at Sundance close to the documentary’s premiere, and explained that Steele came out as transgender in an email she sent to a handful of friends.
“All of us were extremely supportive and expressed love…But that sort of opened the questions like, how can we help you? What do you need us to do?” he told the outlet.
Ferrell said he had “zero knowledge” about the trans community before Steele came out to him. He explained: “I had met trans people, but I didn’t have anyone personally in my life. So this was all new territory for me, which is why I think this film is so exciting for us to kind of put out there in the world. It’s a chance all of us in the cis community to be able to ask questions and also just to listen and be there as a friend to discuss this journey.”
Meanwhile, Ferrell will play a DJ set alongside Swedish House Mafia in Chicago next month in aid of Cancer For College.
Will & Harper is streaming on Netflix now.