Will Ferrell regrets dressing up as a woman on SNL: ‘I wouldn’t do it now’

Comedian Will Ferrell has expressed regret about dressing up as a woman as part of a joke on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the 90s.

The Elf and Anchorman star got his start in Hollywood as part of the cast on the US comedy sketch show in 1994, where he met his now best friend, the comedy writer, Harper Steele.

During their time together on the show, Ferrell starred in a sketch series entitled the “Janet Reno Fantasies”, in which he played the first female US attorney general.

Ferrell donned drag for the role – one he now sees as fairly problematic.

Speaking on The New York Times’ The Interview podcast earlier this week, Ferrell said he did have a little regret over dressing up as a woman to crack a joke. “That’s something I wouldn’t choose to do now,” he admitted, adding that “a fair amount” of the older skits on SNL are ones “where you’d lament the choice”.

He went on to joke that he “blames the writers”, which included Steele, because they were the ones handing him the projects.

Ferrell and Steele are currently promoting their Netflix documentary film Will & Harper, which follows the duo on a road trip across the US, in the wake of the writer’s revelation that she is a trans woman.

Steele came out to Ferrell during the pandemic. In the months after, the pair decided to go on a trip to ask each other difficult questions, and visit some of her favourite places to discover if she’s still welcome in them.

Following the release of the trailer last week, Ferrell was praised on social media for his respect and support for his transgender friend.

During their conversation on The Interview podcast, Steele admitted having mixed feelings over the Janet Reno sketches.

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

“Do queer people like The Birdcage or do they not? Robin Williams, at least as far as we know, was not a gay man, 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 wok 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.”

Will & Harper is in selected cinemas now and on Netflix from 27 September. 

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.