‘What do you care if someone is happy? Why is that threatening to you?’

Will Ferrell has said he doesn’t understand transphobia and asked: ‘Why should you care if someone is happy? Why is that threatening to you?”

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Ferrell spoke to The independent as part of his press tour for the Netflix documentary Wil & Harper which focuses on the friendship between Ferrell and Harper Steele. The two met Saturday evening live during the ’90s and Steele came out as transgender after 30 years of friendship.

The documentary, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year, follows the two friends on a road trip across America after Steele’s transition.

When asked for his thoughts on why transphobia exists, Ferrell responded, “I think we’re afraid of what we don’t know.

‘There is hatred. It is very real and it is very unsafe for transgender people in certain situations. But I don’t know why trans people are meant to be threatening to me as a cis man. I don’t know why Harper is threatening me.’

He continued: “It’s so strange to me because Harper finally…her…She is finally who she was always meant to be. Ultimately, whether or not you can wrap your head around that, who cares if someone is happy? Why is that threatening to you? If the trans community is a threat to you, I think it comes from the fact that you are not confident or safe with yourself.”

Ferrell had spoken earlier Variety at Sundance just before the documentary’s premiere, explaining Steele’s coming out as transgender in an email she sent to a handful of friends.

“We were all extremely supportive and expressed our love… But that opened up questions like, how can we help you? What do you want us to do?’ he said to the outlet.

Ferrell said he had “no knowledge” about the trans community before Steele came to him. He explained: “I had met transgender people, but I didn’t have anyone in my life personally. So this was all new territory for me, and that’s why I think it’s so exciting for us to bring this film to the world. It’s an opportunity for all of us in the cis community to ask questions, but also to just listen and be there as a friend to discuss this journey.”