Saturday Night Live in 1995 and quickly became one of its breakout performers. Proving there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for a laugh, the sketch series helped him carve out a path as one ofthe defining comedic voices in Hollywood over the past 30 years.But it’s possible Ferrell wouldn’t be the star he is today without the help of Harper Steele, his long-time friend and comedy partner.Steele joined the SNL team in 1995 as a writer, and eventually serving as co-head writer for four seasons before leaving the show in 2008.
She and Ferrell became close over the years, and together they created some of the actor’s most iconic characters and sketches.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.And their work didn’t stop there.
Steel’s been the brains behind some of Ferrell’s most brilliantly bonkers work post-SNL, from the campy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga to the deadly serious Lifetime movie A Deadly Adoption.Despite their close creative partnership, Ferrell was surprised to one day receive an email from Steele sharing that she was trans.