Will Ferrell Says Dressing in Drag on 'SNL' Is Something He 'Wouldn't Choose to Do' Now

Mar. 15, 2025

Will Ferrell in Santa Monica, California in February 2024.Photo:Amanda Edwards/Getty

Amanda Edwards/Getty

Will Ferrell’s days of dressing in drag for comedy are behind him.Appearing onThe New York Times’podcastThe Interview,Ferrell and formerSaturday Night Livehead writer Harper Steele covered a range of topics, from their long-lasting friendship to their new Netflix documentaryWill & Harper,which premieres Friday, Sept. 27.But when it came to the concept of drag comedy, the comic, 57, said he wouldn’t go down that road anymore.“That’s something I wouldn’t choose to do now,” Ferrell said on the podcast when asked about his portrayal of then-U.S. Attorney Janet Reno during his run onSNL.In Seasons 22 and 23 ofSNL, Ferrell dressed in drag to portray Reno inseveral sketches. In the skits, he would don a wig, lipstick, fake breasts and a dress. While the skits elicited some laughs in the show’s audience back in 1996-1997, Steele — who served as one of the show’s writers during that period — says society’s sensibilities have evolved since then.Will Ferrell and Harper Steele in ‘Will & Harper.'.Courtesy of Netflix“I understand the laugh is a drag laugh. It’s, ‘Hey, look at this guy in a dress, and that’s funny.’ It’s absolutelynotfunny,” Steele, a trans woman, said. “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. This is an interesting question to me. Do queer people likeThe Birdcageor do they not?” she wondered. “Robin Williams, at least as far as we know, was not a gay man, and yet he spent about half of his comedy career doing a swishy gay guy on camera. Do people think that’s funny, or is it just hurtful? I’ve heard from gay men that it was funny, and I’ve heard from gay men that it was hurtful. I am purple-haired woke, but I wonder if sometimes we take away the joy of playing when we take away some of the range that performers, especially comedy performers, can do.”Steele’scoming outas trans in 2022 jumpstarted the cross-country road trip she and Ferrell embarked on inWill & Harper,during which the two explored their friendship and Americans’ views regarding the trans community. It was an enlightening experience for Ferrell, who toldVarietyin January that “this was all new territory for me.“Will Ferrell and Harper Steele in ‘Will & Harper.'.Courtesy of Netflix“I said to Harper: ‘What if we went on a road trip, I went with you, and we film it? I’ll be kind of like your offensive lineman,” Ferrell recalled onThe Interviewpodcast. “It’ll be a chance for me to ask all the questions that I have, and we can examine what’s changed, what’s not, but I totally get it if you don’t want to.’ I think Harper finally landed on the square that, ‘Oh, we could help people possibly.’ ”It’s Steele’s hope that the documentary plays a role in helping society become accepting of the trans community.“There’s a process of normalizing queer people for America, and this movie does that. It makes the trans experience more understandable,” she explained. “It’s in a comedy language that they know from Will and me. It’s a good project. It’s representation in a good way. However, to be honest, I’m not that interested in normalizing for people who have hated me for centuries. I want the movie to make other people be gentler and softer and caring, and maybe if you’re a father who lovedAnchormanand you’ve got a trans kid now, maybe you’re going to open yourself up.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Will & Harperpremieres Friday, Sept. 27 on Netflix.

Will Ferrell’s days of dressing in drag for comedy are behind him.

Appearing onThe New York Times’podcastThe Interview,Ferrell and formerSaturday Night Livehead writer Harper Steele covered a range of topics, from their long-lasting friendship to their new Netflix documentaryWill & Harper,which premieres Friday, Sept. 27.

But when it came to the concept of drag comedy, the comic, 57, said he wouldn’t go down that road anymore.

“That’s something I wouldn’t choose to do now,” Ferrell said on the podcast when asked about his portrayal of then-U.S. Attorney Janet Reno during his run onSNL.

In Seasons 22 and 23 ofSNL, Ferrell dressed in drag to portray Reno inseveral sketches. In the skits, he would don a wig, lipstick, fake breasts and a dress. While the skits elicited some laughs in the show’s audience back in 1996-1997, Steele — who served as one of the show’s writers during that period — says society’s sensibilities have evolved since then.

Will Ferrell and Harper Steele in ‘Will & Harper.'.Courtesy of Netflix

Courtesy of Netflix

“I understand the laugh is a drag laugh. It’s, ‘Hey, look at this guy in a dress, and that’s funny.’ It’s absolutelynotfunny,” Steele, a trans woman, said. “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. This is an interesting question to me. Do queer people likeThe Birdcageor do they not?” she wondered. “Robin Williams, at least as far as we know, was not a gay man, and yet he spent about half of his comedy career doing a swishy gay guy on camera. Do people think that’s funny, or is it just hurtful? I’ve heard from gay men that it was funny, and I’ve heard from gay men that it was hurtful. I am purple-haired woke, but I wonder if sometimes we take away the joy of playing when we take away some of the range that performers, especially comedy performers, can do.”

Steele’scoming outas trans in 2022 jumpstarted the cross-country road trip she and Ferrell embarked on inWill & Harper,during which the two explored their friendship and Americans’ views regarding the trans community. It was an enlightening experience for Ferrell, who toldVarietyin January that “this was all new territory for me.”

“I said to Harper: ‘What if we went on a road trip, I went with you, and we film it? I’ll be kind of like your offensive lineman,” Ferrell recalled onThe Interviewpodcast. “It’ll be a chance for me to ask all the questions that I have, and we can examine what’s changed, what’s not, but I totally get it if you don’t want to.’ I think Harper finally landed on the square that, ‘Oh, we could help people possibly.’ ”

It’s Steele’s hope that the documentary plays a role in helping society become accepting of the trans community.

“There’s a process of normalizing queer people for America, and this movie does that. It makes the trans experience more understandable,” she explained. “It’s in a comedy language that they know from Will and me. It’s a good project. It’s representation in a good way. However, to be honest, I’m not that interested in normalizing for people who have hated me for centuries. I want the movie to make other people be gentler and softer and caring, and maybe if you’re a father who lovedAnchormanand you’ve got a trans kid now, maybe you’re going to open yourself up.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Will & Harperpremieres Friday, Sept. 27 on Netflix.

source: people.com