Bill Hader

07 Jun, 1978 | Tulsa, Oklahoma

Actor

Biography

William "Bill" Hader is an American actor, writer, comedian and repertory player, on Saturday Night Live. He is also known for playing noted supporting roles in numerous comedy films. Early work Hader grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he acted and made a film while a student at Cascia Hall Preparatory School, before attending The Art Institute of Phoenix and Scottsdale Community College. 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 also 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. Prior to SNL, Hader was perhaps most known for his work as a "field agent" on MTV's Punk'd. Saturday Night Live 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 going into his 4th season on SNL and, along with Bobby Moynihan, Andy Samberg, Kenan Thompson, Casey Wilson and Abby Elliott is one of six SNL castmembers who were born after the show's premiere in 1975. Moynihan was born in 1977, Samberg, Thompson, and Hader were born in 1978, Wilson was born in 1980, and Elliot was born in 1987. 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 also 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 repertoire and allowed him to appear on mainstream programs like TRL, The Tonight Show, and even presenting at MTV's Video Music Awards. Hader appeared in two other Apatow projects: Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Pineapple Express (with Seth Rogen). He also appeared alongside Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Coogan, Tom Cruise, and Nick Nolte in Tropic Thunder. He will team back up with Superbad director Greg Mottola for the film Adventureland, which also features fellow SNLer Kristen Wiig.