Harper Steele

Harper Steele is a comedy writer who launched her career in 1995 at the renowned show "Saturday Night Live." For over thirteen years, she served the show in various capacities, eventually ascending to the position of head writer for four years. This period of her career was marked with a notable achievement, with Steele earning a Primetime Emmy Award in 2002. Following this, her creativity found a new platform at Funny or Die, where she assumed the role of creative director.

Steele's writing prowess was not limited to television, as she contributed to the scripts of several films, including "Casa de mi padre," "The Ladies Man," and "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga." Alongside her writing career, she also served as an executive producer of HBO's "Funny or Die Presents." Her multifaceted career in comedy writing and production was depicted in the 2024 Netflix documentary "Will & Harper," which also explored Steele's gender transition and its impact on her friendship with longtime friend and collaborator Will Ferrell.

The documentary "Will & Harper" received critical acclaim, premiering at the 40th Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and earning a nomination for a People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Steele's comedic and political viewpoints, often referred to as "purple-haired woke," advocate for humor as a catalyst for positive change. Such viewpoints have earned her accolades within her industry circles, with Jimmy Fallon describing Steele as "one of the funniest people I think I've ever met in my lifetime."