BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — As she is preparing to make the next step in her transition, Harper Steele was trying to think of what her new name would be.
Steele, who had worked in the entertainment business from “Saturday Night Live” to the recent “Roast of Tom Brady” on Netflix, had thought long and hard about what her name would be as a transgender woman, finally feeling that she was living as her true self.
Steele’s journey is explored both figuratively and literally, one being a journey to self-realization while the other was an actual journey across the United States with comedian Will Ferrell, whom she first met in 1995 when they were both hired at “Saturday Night Live.” The end result, as well as the conversations the two had as they began this new chapter in their relationship, are captured in the new documentary, “Will & Harper,” now streaming on Netflix.
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During one part of the trip, Steele mentioned to Ferrell how her family history had player a part in her coming up with her new name. Her mother, Joy, had gone to school with Harper Lee, author of the iconic Alabama novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” To her, Harper sounded right, so she became Harper Steele.