As stars gathered on the red carpet for the premiere of the much-anticipated “Will & Harper” documentary (coming to Netflix on September 27), there was one unexpected guest who turned heads: Dylan Mulvaney’s dad.
Mulvaney, who has become a pop culture icon for her transparent and joyful look into her journey as a transgender woman, brought her dad, James, as a plus-one to the screening, both as guests of The Trevor Project.
Dylan shared a TikTok vlog of the pair attending the premiere this weekend.
“We’re going with the Trevor Project, which is an amazing organization,” Dylan said.
“Oh good,” James chimed in, enthusiastically. “They’re good people.”
The film chronicles Will Ferrell’s evolving relationship with his longtime friend, Harper Steele, who after 30 years of friendship, has come out as a trans woman.
Together, they embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new era of their lives, at a time when transgender rights are top of mind for many Americans.
It’s only fitting that Mulvaney brought someone who has been so supportive of her transition, too.
“I feel really lucky to have a family that supports me, like my dad,” she said, before immediately pivoting to a “fit check” in the video.
Once they arrived at the event, James quickly became a scene-stealer, offering homemade cookies to staff and members of the press. According to Dylan, James makes 500 of his “world-famous” cookies every week and hands them out to strangers regularly.
One of those strangers also happened to be Steele, who also enveloped Dylan for a photo.
While this short video is only a small look into the Mulvaneys’ experience, it provides a blueprint for supportive parenthood, especially among the LGBTQ+ community.
According to a 2024 national survey from The Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in “very accepting communities” attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who reported living in “very unaccepting communities.”
Having accepting — and to that end, joyful — examples of familial and non-familial relationships shows LGTBQ+ people that a loving community is within reach.
And it’s an extension of the core message of “Will & Harper,” too.
“What Harper did — coming out and transitioning at 61, reaching out to her friends, agreeing to go on this cross-country road trip with Will, with me, and the cameras — was all incredibly brave,” the film’s director, Josh Greenbaum, said in a statement.
“What Will did is incredibly brave as well. He was willing to ask the sensitive questions. He was willing to potentially lose fans who don’t agree with his support of his best friend living her authentic life. He did all that because he knew Harper needed him, and that beyond Harper, Will knows that other people in the trans community who feel othered can use an ally,” Greenbaum continued.
As for the Mulvaneys’ review of the film?
“Unbelievable,” James said.
“Ten out of ten,” Dylan added. “The Mulvaneys loved it.”
Header images courtesy of Dylan Mulvaney and Netflix
