Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Bill Hader

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Bill Hader

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Bill Hader made an impact.

Bill Hader is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director, known for his versatility and comedic timing. He gained prominence as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (2005-2013), earning Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award. Hader is celebrated for his impressions and memorable characters, particularly Stefon on Weekend Update, a flamboyant guide to New York City's nightlife. Since SNL, he has continued to excel in film and television, showcasing his talents in both comedic and dramatic roles.

1933: King Kong

Bill Hader handpicked "King Kong" as one of the films to screen during the "Essentials, Jr." program in 1933.

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1938: Bringing Up Baby

Bill Hader handpicked "Bringing Up Baby" as one of the films to screen during the "Essentials, Jr." program in 1938.

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1943: Five Graves to Cairo

Bill Hader was a guest programmer who recommended Billy Wilder's 1943 movie "Five Graves to Cairo" for "Essentials, Jr.".

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1950: Rashomon

Bill Hader was a guest programmer who recommended Akira Kurosawa's 1950 movie "Rashomon" for "Essentials, Jr.".

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1951: The Lavender Hill Mob

Bill Hader handpicked "The Lavender Hill Mob" as one of the films to screen during the "Essentials, Jr." program in 1951.

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1952: Singin' in the Rain

Bill Hader handpicked "Singin' in the Rain" as one of the films to screen during the "Essentials, Jr." program in 1952.

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1953: The Band Wagon

Bill Hader handpicked "The Band Wagon" as one of the films to screen during the "Essentials, Jr." program in 1953.

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1970: Brewster McCloud

Bill Hader was a guest programmer who recommended Robert Altman's 1970 movie "Brewster McCloud" for "Essentials, Jr.".

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1986: Eddie Murphy's Emmy Nomination

In 1986, Eddie Murphy was the previous male SNL cast member to receive a Primetime Emmy Award nomination before Bill Hader in 2012.

1997: Fired from Usher Job

In 1997, Bill Hader was fired from his usher job at a Tempe cinema for spoiling the ending of "Titanic" for unruly viewers.

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1999: Moves to Los Angeles

In 1999, Bill Hader dropped out of college and moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking, with his parents' support.

2001: Production Assistant for James Dean

In 2001, Bill Hader worked as a production assistant on the film "James Dean".

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2002: Production Assistant for Spider-Man and Collateral Damage

In 2002, Bill Hader worked as a production assistant on the films "Spider-Man" and "Collateral Damage".

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March 2003: Starts Comedy Classes

In March 2003, Bill Hader began taking comedy classes at the Second City improvisational comedy enterprise, marking a turning point in his career.

2003: Production Assistant for The Surreal Life

From 2003, Bill Hader worked as a post-production assistant on the VH1 reality show "The Surreal Life".

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2004: Production Assistant for Empire of Dreams

In 2004, Bill Hader worked as a production assistant on the documentary "Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy".

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October 1, 2005: SNL Debut

On October 1, 2005, Bill Hader made his debut as a featured player on Saturday Night Live (SNL).

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2006: Film Debut in You, Me and Dupree

In 2006, Bill Hader made his film debut in the comedic film "You, Me and Dupree".

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2006: Production Assistant for The Surreal Life

Until 2006, Bill Hader worked as a post-production assistant on the VH1 reality show "The Surreal Life".

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2007: Role in Superbad

In 2007, Bill Hader played Officer Slater in the film "Superbad", directed by Greg Mottola. This role boosted his public awareness.

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2008: Web Series The Line on Crackle

In 2008, Bill Hader starred in and co-wrote the web series "The Line" on Crackle.

2008: Peabody Award for SNL

In 2008, Bill Hader won a Peabody Award in Political Satire for his participation in Saturday Night Live.

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April 2009: Vanity Fair's Comedy's New Legends

In April 2009, Bill Hader was included in Vanity Fair's list of "Comedy's New Legends".

May 29, 2009: The Short Halloween Release

On May 29, 2009, "The Short Halloween", a Spider-Man one-off comic penned by Bill Hader and Seth Meyers, was released.

2009: Adventureland Release

In 2009, Bill Hader appeared in the comedy film "Adventureland", directed by Greg Mottola.

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2009: Emmy Award for South Park

In 2009, Bill Hader won an Emmy Award for Best Animated Series as a producer for South Park.

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October 14, 2010: 30 Rock Live Episode

On October 14, 2010, Bill Hader played Kevin, Matt Damon's copilot, in the live episode of "30 Rock".

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2011: Hosts Essentials, Jr.

From 2011, Bill Hader hosted "Essentials, Jr." on Turner Classic Movies.

2011: South Park Documentary

In 2011, Bill Hader appeared in the Comedy Central special "6 Days to Air", a documentary filmed during the production of the South Park episode "HumancentiPad".

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2011: Paul Movie

In 2011, Bill Hader re-teamed with Greg Mottola in the comedy film "Paul".

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July 19, 2012: Emmy Nomination for SNL

On July 19, 2012, Bill Hader received his first nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Saturday Night Live.

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February 2013: Decision to leave SNL

In February 2013, Bill Hader made the decision to leave Saturday Night Live after eight seasons, citing the difficulty of balancing work and family due to constant travel to Los Angeles with his then-wife and children.

May 18, 2013: Final SNL Episode

May 18, 2013, marked Bill Hader's final episode on Saturday Night Live after eight seasons. Hader stated it was a difficult decision, but necessary.

2013: Star Trek Into Darkness

In 2013, Bill Hader had a cameo as the voice of the USS Vengeance computer in the science fiction film "Star Trek Into Darkness".

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2013: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

In 2013, Bill Hader voiced Flint Lockwood and the FLDSMDFR in the Sony Pictures Animation film "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2".

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October 11, 2014: Return to SNL as Host

On October 11, 2014, Bill Hader returned to Saturday Night Live as the host, with Hozier as the musical guest.

2014: Starring in 'The Skeleton Twins'

In 2014, Bill Hader starred in the dramatic film 'The Skeleton Twins' alongside Kristen Wiig, winning 'Best Screenplay' at the Sundance Film Festival.

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2014: Hosts Essentials, Jr.

Until 2014, Bill Hader hosted "Essentials, Jr." on Turner Classic Movies.

December 2015: Voice of BB-8 in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

In December 2015, Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz were credited as "BB-8 vocal consultants" for providing the voice of BB-8 in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'.

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2015: Voice Acting in 'Inside Out' and Appearance in 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'

In 2015, Bill Hader voiced the character Fear in the Disney/Pixar film 'Inside Out'. Also in 2015, Hader appeared in 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' as Captain Seth Dozerman.

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2016: Role in 'Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping'

In 2016, Bill Hader played a minor supporting role in The Lonely Island's film 'Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping', which was produced by Judd Apatow.

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2017: Voice of Alpha 5 in 'Power Rangers'

In 2017, Bill Hader voiced Alpha 5 in the film version of 'Power Rangers'.

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March 17, 2018: SNL Hosting Gig

On March 17, 2018, Bill Hader hosted Saturday Night Live with Arcade Fire as the musical guest.

2018: Co-creating and Starring in 'Barry'

In 2018, Bill Hader co-created with Alec Berg and began starring in the HBO dark comedy series 'Barry', receiving eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations as producer, writer, director, and actor, and winning for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

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2019: Starring in 'It Chapter Two' and Voice Acting Roles

In 2019, Bill Hader starred in the horror film 'It Chapter Two' as Richie Tozier. Additionally, in 2019, he voiced Leonard in 'The Angry Birds Movie 2', Axel the Carnie in 'Toy Story 4', The Wanderer in 'The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance', and played Nick Kringle in 'Noelle'.

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June 2023: Invitation to The Academy and Cameo in 'Beau is Afraid'

In June 2023, Bill Hader was invited to become a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He also had a cameo role as a UPS driver in the film 'Beau is Afraid'.

March 2024: Starring in 'The Cat in the Hat' Remake

In March 2024, it was announced that Bill Hader will star in the upcoming animated remake of Dr. Seuss's 'The Cat in the Hat', voicing the titular character and serving as an executive producer.

February 14, 2025: Declined SNL 50th Anniversary Special Invitation

On February 14, 2025, Bill Hader declined an invitation to appear on the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special due to scheduling conflicts.