Why Was Will Ferrell in Iowa City Last Year?

Last year, all of Eastern Iowa (and honestly most of the Midwest) was abuzz with excitement over several major celebrity sightings.

From Ethan Hawke to Ashton Kutcher and even to comedy legend Will Ferrell, people were clamoring to maybe get a glimpse of these stars.

Now, we are finally getting more details on just why one of those A-listers was in the Hawkeye State.

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Will Ferrell Was Spotted in Iowa City

In early March of 2023, some Iowans were reporting sightings of comedian and actor Will Ferrell with a camera crew. Ferrell and his longtime friend Harper were spotted in various places around Iowa City.

Onlookers caught the 'Elf' actor filming at the Iowa City bar the Deadwood.

Will & Harper

Steele met Will Ferrell back in their SNL days. Ferrell joined the cast of the hit variety show the very same year but was on the writing staff. Since 1995, their friendship has blossomed.

In 2004, she took on the prestigious role of head writer on 'Saturday Night Live' and has partnered up with Ferrell multiple times over the years on various projects.

She has collaborated with her longtime several times after their time together on SNL came to an end. This most recent project though, will be the first time that she's in front of the camera.

In 2022, Harper sent Will Ferrell an email with the subject line “Here’s a Weird One," according to the Daily Beast. She shared with her friend that she is a transgender woman and would be transitioning and changing her name to Harper.

After this news, the duo decided to go on a cross-country road trip and make a documentary about this journey called 'Will & Harper.'

"I had met trans people, but I didn't have anyone personally in my life.  So, this was all new territory for me, which is why I think this film is so exciting for us to kind of put out there in the world," Ferrell said in an interview at the Sundance Film Festival.

One of the stops was in Harper's original home right here in the Hawkeye State in Iowa City.

There is no word on who will be distributing the film just yet or when it will be released. They are currently shopping it around at Sundance where it seems to be getting a positive reaction.

No matter where this documentary ends up, I for sure am excited to watch it.

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