William "Bill" Hader (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, producer and writer. He is best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for his supporting roles in comedy films such as Superbad and Adventureland.
Early work[]
Bill Hader was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he attended Patrick Henry Elementary School, Edison Junior High and Cascia Hall Preparatory School,[1][2] before attending The Art Institute of Phoenix and Scottsdale Community College.[3] Hader's comedic aspirations eventually led him to Los Angeles where he joined the Second City, a comedy troupe that has been a training ground for many SNL cast members since the 1970s. He performed at iO West in Los Angeles. During his time at Second City and iO West, Hader worked as a production assistant on the DVD Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy and Collateral Damage, as well as an assistant on VH1's The Surreal Life. Hader married Maggie Carey in 2006 and they have a daughter named Hannah Kathryn born October 6 2009.
Saturday Night Live[]
Bill Hader was "discovered" by Megan Mullally of Will & Grace while working with the Los Angeles-based comedy troupe, "Animals from the Future." Mullally brought him to the attention of SNL producer Lorne Michaels. 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 giving his views about life and death during the emergency landing of Jet Blue Flight 292. Hader is known for his impressions of famous people, such as Vincent Price in the Variety Vault sketches and Al Pacino.
Hader is in his 6th season on SNL.
Recurring SNL characters[]
- Stefon, Weekend Update's flamboyantly-gay New York City Correspondent, whose recommendations consist solely of bizarre nightclubs involving nightmarish characters.
- Vinny Vedecci, the Italian talk-show host who chain-smokes, insults his crew (Fred Armisen and Will Forte), has a son (Bobby Moynihan), and speaks little English, even though his guests (played by the guest hosts as themselves) are English speakers.
- Greg the Alien: the co-host of a sports talk show who may or may not be an alien.
- Nitro in the SNL Digital Short Laser Cats
- One of the four guys (the others being Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis and the host) who reveal crazy aspects about themselves while singing a song on the jukebox in the Song Memories sketches.
- One half of the "Gay Couple from New Jersey" (and once from Connecticut) on Weekend Update, with Fred Armisen.
- DJ Frontal Assault on Deep House Dish
- Danny, a guy who has the mutant "Kuato" (played by Andy Samberg) living in his stomach
- Mr. Triggs, the father of an ugly, socially inept girl named Stacia (played by Kristen Wiig)
- Jerr:, a sleazy businessman who works with Carl (Will Forte), both are often drunk and insulting to their co-workers.
- One of the "Scared Straight" kids, one of the three young trouble-makers (along with Andy Samberg and Bobby Moynihan) lectured by convict Lorenzo McIntosh (played by Kenan Thompson) and McIntosh's fellow inmates.
- Dwayne Vogelcheck: the brother in Kissing Family (his parents are played by Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen) where another sibling, usually played by the celebrity host, brings a friend or girlfriend home to their over affectionate family.
- Brady Trunk: co-host of "Hollywood Dish", with Kristen Wiig.
Impersonations (on and off Saturday Night Live)[]
Bill Hader has said he did impersonations of teachers and friends when he was growing up, but did not do impersonations of famous people until his Saturday Night Live audition.[4] His Al Pacino impersonation came after watching the actor's Emmy acceptance speech for Angels in America. Hader's Vincent Price impersonation came from his love of Price's Edgar Allan Poe films, such as The Fall of the House of Usher. His Peter O'Toole impersonation came partly from O'Toole in My Favorite Year and Jack Lemmon's drunken Prince Hapnick from The Great Race.
Hader as Ralph Nader on SNL
Another one of Hader's more popular impersonations from Saturday Night Live is his impersonation of disgraced former governor Elliot Spitzer. Hader has also recently impersonated Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino from MTV's Jersey Shore, Pearl Jam's frontman Eddie Vedder and Dave Matthews.
Hader is known for his uncanny impression of Dateline NBC 's Keith Morrison, parodying his reporting style of being overly interested in horrific tales of tragedy and/or murder and asking inane questions. Recently, Hader discovered that Morrison works in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where both Dateline and Saturday Night Live are filmed. Half in jest, on the March 30, 2009 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, he stated that he lived in fear of getting into the same elevator as Morrison in 30 Rock.
Hader's favorite quote is "Oh Boy" which he uses in a few episodes of Saturday Night Live.
Film roles[]
He first appeared alongside Owen Wilson and Matt Dillon in You, Me and Dupree. Since then he's had a wide range of roles such as Katherine Heigl's editor at E! in Knocked Up, the acid-taking mechanic Dave in Hot Rod (alongside SNL castmate Andy Samberg), a recumbent biker in The Brothers Solomon (which featured SNL castmate Will Forte in one of the film's co-leading roles) and, most famously, as Officer Slater in the Judd Apatow produced Superbad. 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.
Hader appeared in two other Apatow projects: Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Pineapple Express (with Seth Rogen). He appeared alongside Ben Stiller, Brandon T. Jackson, Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr., Matthew McConaughey, Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel, Tom Cruise, and Nick Nolte in Tropic Thunder.
He teamed back up with Superbad director Greg Mottola for the film Adventureland. He also appears in Mottola's upcoming feature Paul
In addition to these films, Hader has 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 wife Maggie Carey.
Hader makes a small but memorable appearance in the 2009 film Year One with Jack Black and Michael Cera.
Hader lent his voice to the critically acclaimed[5] 2009 Sony Pictures Animation film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, playing the lead role of Flint Lockwood. He voiced a gazelle in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
Hader appeared in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian as Major General George Armstrong Custer.
Hader has written a slasher film to be produced by Judd Apatow,[6] which he will star in if the film is produced.[7]
In April 2009, Hader was a part of Vanity Fair's list of "Comedy's New Legends".[8]
Other work[]
Hader was a creative consultant on the 12th season of South Park. He is now a producer on the 13th season, which premiered March 11, 2009.[9] Hader is among the series producers to win the 2009 Emmy Award for Best Animated Series.
Hader voiced an array of different characters on the second season of the Adult Swim show Xavier: Renegade Angel.
Hader and SNL castmate Seth Meyers penned a Spider-Man one-shot, "The Short Halloween", the title of which is a reference to the Batman story arc The Long Halloween. It was drawn by Kevin Maguire and came out May 29, 2009 to positive reviews.
Jackson Publick announced on his blog that Hader will be the new voice for Professor Impossible on the fourth season of The Venture Brothers. The part was originated by Stephen Colbert.
In the game Grand Theft Auto IV he played Wilson Taylor Sr (On in-game radio show: Pacemaker)
Hader appeared on Tim and Eric Awesome Show impersonating the recurring character James Quall on the episode "Jazz."
In July 2008, Hader starred in, and co-wrote with Simon Rich, the web series The Line on Crackle.[10]
Hader lent his voice to the audiobook of Sarah Vowell's The Wordy Shipmates.
Hader voiced the Pod in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode IAMAPOD as well as Hitler in the episode "Der Inflatable Hitler".
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Cube Jacked City | The Sarge | J.J. Kocholek Production |
| 1999 | Cube Jacked City 2 | The Sarge | J.J. Kocholek Production |
| 2004 | Sounds Good to Me: Remastering the Sting | Barnaby G. Price | Short film Also writer |
| 2005 | Jenny Clone | Father | Short film |
| Hallway | Receptionist | Short film | |
| 2006 | You, Me and Dupree | Mark | |
| Doogal | Soldier Sam | Voice Role | |
| The Pity Card | Dick | Short film | |
| 2007 | Knocked Up | Brent | |
| Hot Rod | Dave | ||
| Superbad | Officer Slater | ||
| The Brothers Solomon | Recumbent Biker | ||
| 2008 | Forgetting Sarah Marshall | Brian Bretter | |
| Pineapple Express | Private Greg B. Miller | ||
| Tropic Thunder | Rob Slolom | ||
| Grand Theft Auto IV | Wilson Taylor Sr. | Voice Role Video Game | |
| 2009 | Adventureland | Bobby | |
| Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | George Armstrong Custer | ||
| Year One | The Shaman | ||
| Paper Heart | Himself | DVD Extra Interview | |
| Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | Gazelle | Voice Role | |
| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | Flint Lockwood | Voice Role First starring role | |
| 2010 | Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil | Hansel | Voice Role completed |
| Megamind | Mr. Prickles | Voice Role completed | |
| Freaknik: The Musical | Tad | Voice Role Television | |
| Scott Pilgrim vs. the World | The Voice | ||
| Paul | Haggard | post production |
References[]
- ↑ Michael Smith, "Super Glad: Native Tulsan Bill Hader moves from ‘SNL’ success to big-budget film roles," Tulsa World, August 17, 2007.
- ↑ Michael Smith, "Talking about Tulsa days: Bill Hader finally found a vocation in comedy", Tulsa World, April 3, 2009.
- ↑ Gene Triplett, "Funny things about Bill Hader: Growing up in Tulsa as ‘movie nerd' gave comic actor material," The Oklahoman, August 17, 2007.
- ↑ "Bill Hader does interview with BHO!" Accessed October 14, 2007.
- ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1196077-cloudy_with_a_chance_of_meatballs/
- ↑ Bill Hader talks Judd Apatow slasher film
- ↑ SLASHER NIGHT LIVE: Bill Hader talks Apatow Slasher!
- ↑ "Laughing Matter: Comedy’s New Legends" Vanity Fair, April, 2009.
- ↑ "The Hot Seat: Bill Hader" Time Out New York, Accessed May 14th, 2009.
- ↑ "Bill Hader Video! “The Line” Episode 1". Bill Hader Online. 2008-07-22. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
External links[]
- Bill Hader Online - fanpage
- Template:Title without disambig at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview with New York Times
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