Bill Hader
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William Thomas Hader Jr.''
Finding Your Roots ''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is an American documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is com ...
'', January 26, 2016, PBS.
(born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
series ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' from 2005 to 2013, for which he received four
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nominations and a
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
. He became known for his impressions and especially for his work on the '' Weekend Update'' segments, where he played Stefon, a flamboyant New York City nightclub tour guide. Hader co-created the
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dark comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
series '' Barry'' (2018–2023) with Alec Berg, in addition to playing the title role as Barry Berkman. He also served as producer, writer and director, for which his efforts garnered him eight
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
nominations for the series. He won two, consecutively, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He is a star and producer of the IFC
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
comedy series '' Documentary Now!'' (2015–present) along with Fred Armisen and Seth Meyers. He was Emmy-nominated for his guest role in ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', also known colloquially simply as ''Curb'', is an American television comedy of manners created by Larry David that premiered on HBO with an hour-long special in October 17, 1999, followed by 12 seasons broadcast from Oc ...
'' in 2022. On film, he took supporting roles in '' Hot Rod'' (2007), '' Superbad'' (2007), '' Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' (2008), '' Adventureland'' (2009) and '' The BFG'' (2016), with leading roles in '' The Skeleton Twins'' (2014), '' Trainwreck'' (2015), and as an adult Richie Tozier in ''
It Chapter Two ''It Chapter Two'' is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman. It is the sequel to '' It'' (2017) and the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel '' It'' by Stephen Ki ...
'' (2019). He has done extensive voice work working on the
Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
films '' Inside Out'' (2015), ''
Finding Dory ''Finding Dory'' is a 2016 American animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Angus MacLane, produced by Lindsey Collins, and written b ...
'' (2016), '' Toy Story 4'' (2019), and '' Lightyear'' (2022) as well as in films such as '' Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'' (2009), its 2013 sequel, ''
The Angry Birds Movie ''The Angry Birds Movie'' is a 2016 animated comedy film based on Rovio Entertainment's ''Angry Birds'' franchise, produced by Columbia Pictures and Rovio Animation, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film was directed by Clay Kay ...
'' (2016), its 2019 sequel, and '' Sausage Party'' (2016).


Early life and education

Hader was born in
Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...
, on June 7, 1978, the son of dance teacher Sherri Renee (née Patton; b. 1956) and air cargo company owner, restaurant manager, truck driver, and occasional stand-up comedian William Thomas Hader (b. 1953). He has two younger sisters, Katie and Kara. His ancestry includes Danish, English, German and Irish. He attended Patrick Henry Elementary School, Edison Junior High and Cascia Hall Preparatory School. Hader grew up with writer Duffy Boudreau, with whom he later collaborated. He says he "had a hard time focusing in class" and "was always joking around". Feeling he did not fit in, Hader filled his time watching movies and reading. He appreciated
Monty Python Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy ser ...
, British comedy, and the films of
Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
and
Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...
, much of which his father showed him. He made short films with friends and starred in a school production of '' The Glass Menagerie''. He was unable to gain admission to top film schools because of his "abysmal" grades, so he enrolled at The Art Institute of Phoenix,Gene Triplett
"Funny things about Bill Hader: Growing up in Tulsa as 'movie nerd' gave comic actor material"
''
The Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circul ...
'', August 17, 2007.
and later Scottsdale Community College. Hader's first job was as a Christmas tree salesman. He was also an usher at a Tempe cinema, where he could see films for free, but was fired for spoiling the ending of ''
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...
'' (1997) for unruly viewers. At Scottsdale Community College, he met Nicholas Jasenovec, who later directed '' Paper Heart'' (2009). In May 2024, Hader gave the commencement speech for Chapman University's graduating class and received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree


Career


1999–2004: Early career

Hader's aspirations of becoming a filmmaker eventually led him to drop out of college and move to Los Angeles in 1999. His parents supported his decision, and let him use the money they had saved for his education for his living expenses. He found work as a production assistant (PA) while scouring the back pages of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', and hoped to become an
assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...
. He spent much of his life as a young man "lonely and underemployed" and large amounts of his time watching movies. He regularly worked 18-hour days as a PA, leaving little time to pursue his creative ambitions. He was a PA on the documentary '' Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy'' (2004) and the feature films '' James Dean'' (2001), ''
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
'' (2002) and '' Collateral Damage'' (2002). He was also a post-production assistant on the VH1 reality show '' The Surreal Life'' (2003–2006). He was briefly a PA and stage manager on
Playboy TV Playboy TV (originally The Playboy Channel) is a pay television channel based in the United States. History The adult-oriented, commercial-free premium channel Bravo! launched in the summer of 1979. Bravo! aired two PG or R-rated B movies t ...
's sexual fantasy show '' Night Calls'', but soon quit as he feared it would disappoint his parents. He eventually quit being a PA altogether after a bad experience while shooting '' The Scorpion King'' (2002). Hader subsequently got a job as a night-time assistant editor at the post-production facility Triage Entertainment. He invested money in his own short film, but was too embarrassed to release it. Shortly thereafter, he and his then-longtime girlfriend broke up. Desperate for a change, he began attending comedy classes with friends at
improvisational comedy Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv or impro in British English, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted, created spontaneously by the performers. In its ...
enterprise the Second City in March 2003. He quickly realized that comedy was the creative outlet he had been looking for, and soon he, his new comedy compatriot Matt Offerman, and their two friends and fellow humor enthusiasts Eric Filipkowski and Mel Cowan formed a sketch comedy group, which they called Animals from the Future, and performed frequently for small audiences at backyard shows in Van Nuys. Matt's brother, actor Nick Offerman, told his wife, Megan Mullally, about them. After attending one of their backyard shows, Mullally told Hader she wanted to discuss him with
Lorne Michaels Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian and American television writer and film producer. He created and produced ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and produced the ''Late Night (franchise) ...
of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' (''SNL''). After Mullally's recommendation, Hader was invited to fly to New York to audition for ''SNL'' producers. He had no material prepared when he was invited to audition, and was nervous and struggled to display his strengths during the audition. This resulted in his spontaneous imitation of an Italian man he had once overheard; the impression later become Vinny Vedecci, the first of his many recurring characters on the show. As a result of the audition, Hader got an agent and manager. Just before he was invited to work on ''SNL'', he worked as an assistant editor on '' Iron Chef America''.


2005–2013: Breakthrough and ''Saturday Night Live''

Hader was hired as a featured player and made his debut on the show on October 1, 2005. His first role was as a
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...
giving his views about life and death during the emergency landing of JetBlue Airways Flight 292. He felt he had gone from "preschool to
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
." He became the "impressions guy", hoping to fill a utility-player role "like his hero Phil Hartman". Hader has said that he performed impersonations of teachers and friends when he was growing up but did not do impersonations of famous people until his ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' audition. His list of impressions includes Vincent Price in the Variety Vault sketches, Keith Morrison, Harvey Fierstein, Al Pacino, Rick Perry, John Malkovich, James Carville,
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, Eliot Spitzer,
Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner and a three-time Tony Award nominee, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pier ...
,
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
, and
Charlie Sheen Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He is known as a leading man in film and television. Sheen has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award as well as ...
. On July 19, 2012, Hader received his first nomination for a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning ...
for his work on ''SNL''. He is the first male ''SNL'' cast member to receive this nomination since
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
in 1986. Among the characters Hader played was Stefon, '' Weekend Update''s flamboyant New York correspondent, whose recommendations consisted solely of bizarre nightclubs involving nightmarish characters, and was in love with and married to Seth Meyers. Stefon was originally a one-shot character on a season-34 sketch where a screenwriter named David Zolesky (played by
Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
) invited his estranged brother Stefon over to pitch a family-friendly sports drama about a college student who bonded with his grandfather so he could try out for the college football team. He was based on two people that fellow ''SNL'' writer John Mulaney and Hader met: a wannabe club owner who always invited Mulaney to weird underground clubs, and a barista Hader had met who looked, spoke, and dressed like Stefon. Hader made his film debut in the comedic film '' You, Me and Dupree'' (2006). The following year he took numerous roles including a supporting role as Officer Slater alongside
Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...
's Officer Michaels in the Greg Mottola directed'' Superbad'' (2007). His role in ''Superbad'' helped boost his public awareness and allowed him to appear on mainstream programs like ''Total Request Live'', ''The Tonight Show'', and MTV's ''Video Music Awards''. Other roles that year included as Katherine Heigl's character's editor at E! in the Judd Apatow directed comedy '' Knocked Up'', the acid-taking mechanic Dave in '' Hot Rod'' alongside'' SNL'' castmate Andy Samberg, and a recumbent biker in''
The Brothers Solomon ''The Brothers Solomon'' is a 2007 American surrealist comedy film directed by Bob Odenkirk and written by Will Forte. It features Will Arnett and Forte as the titular brothers, who set out to find romantic partners so they can give their comato ...
'' starring
Will Arnett William Emerson Arnett (; born May 4, 1970) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his roles as Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix sitcom '' Arrested Development'' (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and the titular ch ...
and Will Forte. Hader worked as a creative consultant, producer, and voice actor on ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
'', beginning in the series' 12th season. His involvement in the series stems from his friendship with
Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and musician. He is best known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon (musical), The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his cre ...
; the two held a similar sense of humor and Hader began going on writers' retreats with the staff. He began working on the program hoping to learn story structure. Hader is among the series producers to win the 2009 Emmy Award for Best Animated Series. He also appeared on the commentary recorded for the 2009 Blu-ray edition of '' South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut'', and the
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
special '' 6 Days to Air'', a documentary filmed during production of the 2011 ''South Park'' episode " HumancentiPad". Hader rejoined the writing staff for ''South Park'' for its 17th season. Hader won a 2008 Peabody Award in Political Satire for his participation in ''Saturday Night Live''. He also appeared on the MTV prank series '' Punk'd'' and voiced an array of characters on the second season of the
Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
animated series '' Xavier: Renegade Angel''. He also made several short films, including ''Back in the Day'', ''Sounds Good to Me: Remastering the Sting'', and ''The Jeannie Tate Show'', with ''SNL'' writer Liz Cackowski and then-wife Maggie Carey. In 2008, Hader starred in, and cowrote with Simon Rich, the web series ''The Line'' on Crackle. Hader lent his voice to the
audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...
of Sarah Vowell's '' The Wordy Shipmates''. Also in 2008, Hader appeared on '' Tim and Eric Awesome Show'' impersonating the recurring character James Quall on the episode "Jazz". He appeared in two other Apatow projects: '' Forgetting Sarah Marshall '' and '' Pineapple Express''. He also starred alongside Ben Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr. and
Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...
in the action comedy '' Tropic Thunder''. Hader re-teamed with ''Superbad'' director Greg Mottola in the comedy films '' Adventureland'' (2009) and '' Paul'' (2011). He lent his voice to his first video game role in ''
Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's ''Grand Theft Auto: San And ...
'', which also featured his SNL castmates Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen. Hader and ''SNL'' castmate Seth Meyers penned a Spider-Man one-off entitled ''The Short Halloween''. It was illustrated by Kevin Maguire and came out May 29, 2009. It was given three and a half out of five stars by Benjamin Birdie of
Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
. He made a small appearance in the 2009 comedy film '' Year One'', with
Jack Black Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy ...
and
Michael Cera Michael Austin Cera ( ; ; born June 7, 1988) is a Canadian actor. Over his career he has received nominations for a British Academy Film Award, three Critics' Choice Movie Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony Award. Cera beca ...
. Hader lent his voice to the
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film '' Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'', as well as its 2013 sequel, playing the lead role of Flint Lockwood as well as his invention in the films, the FLDSMDFR. He voiced a gazelle in '' Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'' and appeared in the fantasy film '' Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'' in 2009 as Major General
George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point ...
. In April 2009, Hader was a part of '' Vanity Fair'' list of "Comedy's New Legends". Hader took on the voice role of Professor Impossible on the fourth season of '' The Venture Brothers'' (2010–2013), a part originated by
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
. He voiced the Pod in the ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' (also branded with different #Alternative titles, alternative titles for seasons 8–11), is an American adult animated television series created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late night progra ...
'' episode "IAMAPOD", as well as Hitler in the episode "Der Inflatable Fuhrer". Hader played Kevin,
Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon ( ; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He was ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars in 2007, and in 2010 was one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He has received va ...
's copilot, in the live episode of ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satire, satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live' ...
'', recorded October 14, 2010. He portrayed "The Voice" in the action-comedy film '' Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'' (2010), the disembodied voice that pops up during certain moments of the film's video game-inspired fight scenes. He also had a small cameo as the voice of the USS ''Vengeance'' computer in the science fiction film '' Star Trek Into Darkness'' (2013). From 2011 to 2014, Hader hosted ''Essentials, Jr.'' on
Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...
. Hader received the gig after he was a guest programmer with host Robert Osborne who was impressed by Hader's eclectic choices, such as
Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an American filmmaker and screenwriter. His career in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and ver ...
's 1943 '' Five Graves to Cairo'' (1943),
Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...
's 1970 '' Brewster McCloud'' (1970), and
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
's '' Rashomon'' (1950). TCM asked him if he would like to host its summer ''Essentials Jr.'' showcase that introduces younger audiences to seminal movies from the golden age of Hollywood and international cinema. He was chosen because Hader has a "certain energy and appeal to younger people. He is very passionate about the subject. He isn't just reading a teleprompter. He really cares and knows the movies." During the ''Essentials, Jr.'' program, Hader handpicked 13 films (one a week) to screen for the whole family each of those four years. The films he chose included '' Singin' in the Rain'' (1952), '' Bringing Up Baby'' (1938), '' The Band Wagon'' (1953), and ''
The Lavender Hill Mob ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' is a 1951 British comedy film from Ealing Studios, written by T. E. B. Clarke, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway and featuring Sid James and Alfie Bass. The title refers ...
'' (1951) and ''
King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
'' (1933) . Hader was the guest star in the series premiere of the comedy series '' The Mindy Project'', where he played as Mindy's ex-boyfriend Tom McDougall. His character returned later in the first season. Hader voiced Dr. Malocchio in the
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
animated comedy series '' The Awesomes''. In 2013, Hader replaced Robert Downey, Jr., as the voice of Mr. Peanut. Hader decided to leave ''SNL'' after eight seasons, informing cast and crew of his decision in February 2013. He came to the conclusion that he needed to leave when his then-wife and he were constantly having to travel to Los Angeles for work, which made it difficult for their children. His final episode was on May 18, 2013. "It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point," he told reporters. "It got to a point where I said, 'Maybe it's just time to go.'" On October 11, 2014, Hader returned as host with musical guest Hozier and on March 17, 2018, with musical guest
Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara. The band's touring line-up includes former core ...
.


2014–present: Film roles and ''Barry''

Hader starred in a dramatic role in the 2014 film '' The Skeleton Twins'', opposite Kristen Wiig, with whom he worked on ''Saturday Night Live''. The film won for 'Best Screenplay' at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
. In 2015, Hader voiced the character of Fear in the Disney/Pixar film '' Inside Out'', and was attached to voice a dinosaur in the Pixar film '' The Good Dinosaur''. However, Hader, alongside
John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his John Lithgow filmography, diverse work on stage and screen. He has rece ...
, Lucas Neff, Neil Patrick Harris, and Judy Greer, left the project after their characters were redesigned. In 2015, Hader appeared in ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
'' as Captain Seth Dozerman of the 99th Precinct. Also in 2015, Hader reunited with fellow ''SNL'' alumni Fred Armisen and Seth Meyers for the IFC mockumentary series '' Documentary Now!'', wherein he was an actor and a writer. In December 2015, Drew McWeeny of HitFix reported that the voice of
BB-8 BB-8 (or Beebee-Ate) is a Droid (Star Wars), droid character in the Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' franchise. He appeared in the three films of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, sequel trilogy, ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''Star Wars: The Las ...
in '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' was supplied by Hader and Ben Schwartz, both credited as "BB-8 vocal consultants" in the film. The voice was created by Abrams manipulating their voices through a talkbox, attached to an
iPad The iPad is a brand of tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple that run the company's mobile operating systems iOS and later iPadOS. The IPad (1st generation), first-generation iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010. ...
running a sound-effects app. Hader also voiced multiple characters in YouTube channel
Bad Lip Reading Bad Lip Reading is a YouTube channel created and run by an anonymous producer who intentionally lip-reading, lip-reads video clips poorly, for comedic effect. ''Rolling Stone'' described the channel as "the breakout hit" of the 2012 United State ...
's parodies of the ''Star Wars'' original trilogy. Hader also played a minor supporting role in The Lonely Island's 2016 film '' Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping'', produced by Judd Apatow. Hader had his first leading man role in the romantic-comedy opposite Amy Schumer in '' Trainwreck'' (2015) and continued in these romantic roles as a former college boyfriend to best friend of Greta Gerwig's title character in '' Maggie's Plan'' (2015). Hader voiced Alpha 5 in the 2017 film version of ''
Power Rangers ''Power Rangers'' is an American media franchise created by Haim Saban, Shuki Levy and Shotaro Ishinomori built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise ''Super Sentai''. It is currently ow ...
''. In 2018, Hader co-created (with Alec Berg) and began starring in the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
dark comedy series '' Barry'', for which he received eight
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
nominations as producer, writer, director, and actor. He won Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in both 2018 and 2019 and received consecutive nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for its first two seasons. In 2019, Hader starred in the supernatural horror film '' It: Chapter Two'' as Richie Tozier (sharing the role with Finn Wolfhard), alongside
Jessica Chastain Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress and producer. Known for primarily starring in projects with Feminism, feminist themes, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Jessica Chastain, various ...
, Bill Skarsgård, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, and James McAvoy. Hader received acclaim for his performance. In 2019, he voiced Leonard in ''
The Angry Birds Movie 2 ''The Angry Birds Movie 2'' is a 2019 animated comedy film based on the ''Angry Birds'' video game series. It is the second installment in the Angry Birds film series, and was directed by Thurop Van Orman from a screenplay by Peter Ackerman, ...
'', Axel the Carnie in '' Toy Story 4'', The Wanderer in 4 episodes of '' The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', and played Nick Kringle in ''Noelle''. In June 2023, Hader was invited to become a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. That same year he had a cameo role as a UPS driver in the Ari Aster directed
surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
tragicomedy Tragicomedy is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragedy, tragic and comedy, comic forms. Most often seen in drama, dramatic literature, the term can describe either a tragic play which contains enough comic elements to lighten the ov ...
'' Beau is Afraid'' (2023) starring Joaquin Phoenix. Aster said of his casting, "We're friends. I was looking for a place to put him and
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
felt like the funniest, the most effective possible place. I love his performance in the film. It's a covert performance. A lot of people don't know that's him on the phone when they first see it. But it's a great performance." In March 2024, it was announced that Hader will star in the upcoming animated remake of the Dr. Seuss children's book ''
The Cat in the Hat ''The Cat in the Hat'' is a 1957 children's book written and illustrated by American author Dr. Seuss. The story centers on a tall anthropomorphic cat who wears a red and white-striped top hat and a red bow tie. The Cat shows up at the house ...
'', in which he will voice the titular character and serve as an executive producer. The film will also star
Quinta Brunson Quinta Brunson (; born December 21, 1989) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She is best known for creating, executive producing, and co-writing the ABC comedy series '' Abbott Elementary'' (2021–present), in which she s ...
, Xochitl Gomez, and Bowen Yang. Hader and Mindy Kaling did not return to voice their roles as Fear and Disgust in ''
Inside Out 2 ''Inside Out 2'' is a 2024 American animated coming-of-age film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The sequel to '' Inside Out'' (2015), it was directed by Kelsey Mann and was produced by Mark Nielsen, from a screen ...
'' reportedly due to pay disputes. Tony Hale and Liza Lapira replaced Hader and Kaling in taking over their respective roles. On February 14, 2025, Hader would decline an invitation to the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special due to scheduling conflicts.


Influences

Hader has said that his comedy influences included
Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
,
Monty Python Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy ser ...
,
Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner and a three-time Tony Award nominee, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pier ...
,
Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...
and
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
.


Personal life


Marriage and relationships

Hader married writer and director Maggie Carey in 2006; they have three daughters. They divorced in 2018. Hader later dated actress Rachel Bilson, with whom he had co-starred in '' The To Do List'', written and directed by Carey, and actress
Anna Kendrick Anna Cooke Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress. Known for playing upbeat and endearing characters in comedies and musicals, List of awards and nominations received by Anna Kendrick, her accolades include nominations for an Aca ...
. Since late 2022, he has been in an on-and-off relationship with comedian and actress Ali Wong. In April 2025, Hader discussed how Wong comforted him and helped him replace his destroyed wardrobe after the January 2025 Southern California wildfires made his home "unlivable".


Interests

Hader is an avid reader who has said that he "didn't really go to college, which is probably why eenjoy reading the classics". He named works by Tobias Wolff,
Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influent ...
,
William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer. He is best known for William Faulkner bibliography, his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a stand-in fo ...
, Richard Ford, George Saunders, and
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki was a Japanese author who is considered to be one of the most prominent figures in modern Japanese literature. The tone and subject matter of his work range from shocking depictions of sexuality and destructive erotic obsessions to subtle portr ...
as influences. He is a fan of the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. He is also an avid
cinephile Cinephilia ( ; also cinemaphilia or filmophilia) is the term used to refer to a passionate interest in films, film theory, and film criticism. The term is a portmanteau of the words '' cinema'' and ''philia'', one of the four ancient Greek words ...
, enjoying films of the
Golden Age of Hollywood Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome, Stroud#Golden Val ...
as well as films directed by the
Coen Brothers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, together known as the Coen brothers (), are an American filmmaking duo. Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. Among their most acclaimed works are '' Blood Simple'' (198 ...
,
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
, and
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
.


Health issues

Hader has an
anxiety disorder Anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders characterized by significant and uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and fear such that a person's social, occupational, and personal functions are significantly impaired. Anxiety may cause phys ...
. During his tenure on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', he had anxiety and sleep problems. He never felt "truly comfortable" during his first four seasons. He worried that he had less comedy experience than his peers, would often not sleep on Fridays before the show, and felt lightheaded before broadcasts. He was neurotic about his performances, and he called his early appearances "rigid". During the final show of 2010, he began having a
panic attack Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and Comfort, discomfort that may include palpitations, otherwise defined as a Tachycardia, rapid, Arrhythmia, irregular Heart rate, heartbeat, Hyperhidrosis, sweating, chest pain or discomfort, s ...
, live on air, while impersonating
Julian Assange Julian Paul Assange ( ; Hawkins; born 3 July 1971) is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He came to international attention in 2010 after WikiLeaks published a series of News leak, leaks from Chels ...
. He recalled: "It felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I couldn't breathe, I started sweating. I thought, ''This is not good—abort! abort!''" Lorne Michaels tried to put him at ease after the incident by telling him, "You can work here as long as you want." Hader is prone to
migraine Migraine (, ) is a complex neurological disorder characterized by episodes of moderate-to-severe headache, most often unilateral and generally associated with nausea, and light and sound sensitivity. Other characterizing symptoms may includ ...
s. He also has a severe peanut allergy.


Acting credits and accolades


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hader, Bill 1978 births Living people 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American screenwriters American people of English descent American people of German descent American comedy writers American impressionists (entertainers) American male comedians American male film actors American male screenwriters American male television actors American male television writers American male video game actors American male voice actors American people of Danish descent American people of Irish descent American sketch comedians American stand-up comedians American television directors American television producers American television writers Cascia Hall Preparatory School alumni Comedians from Tulsa, Oklahoma Directors Guild of America Award winners Male actors from Tulsa, Oklahoma Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Peabody Award winners Pixar people Scottsdale Community College alumni Screenwriters from Oklahoma Writers from Tulsa, Oklahoma Writers Guild of America Award winners