Will Ferrell Shares His Stance on This “Unfunny” Thing He Won’t Do on Screen

Ahead of the new Netflix documentary Will & Harper, Will Ferrell has revealed that he will no longer perform in drag for comedic purposes.

Renowned for his highly quotable comedy films and his memorable tenure on Saturday Night Live, Ferrell is taking a fresh look at his comedic choices.

The upcoming documentary Will & Harper, debuting on Netflix this month, stars Ferrell alongside his long-time friend Harper Steele, who served as Head Writer at SNL. The film chronicles their road trip across America as they reconnect after Steele came out as transgender in 2021.

Ferrell expressed to The Interview podcast that he has regrets about certain skits from his past, specifically mentioning the ‘Janet Reno’s Fantasies’ segments from Season 23 of Saturday Night Live.

“That’s something I wouldn’t choose to do now,” Ferrell said.

Steele chimed in, saying, “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. 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.”

The ‘Janet Reno’ sketches featured Ferrell donning drag to portray the real-life Attorney General, engaging in humorous antics such as cuddling with stuffed animals and kissing a fake Bill Clinton.

Ferrell acknowledged that there were “a fair amount” of sketches from his SNL career that he now reflects upon with regret. He humorously noted, “I mean, in a way, the cast – you’re kind of given this assignment. So I’m going to blame the writers.”

Will & Harper will premiere on Netflix on September 27, 2024.

In the meantime, explore the best TV shows streaming this month and discover the top movies of 2024 so far. Learn about Will Ferrell’s real name too!