A lot of comedians that are insanely funny tend to stand out like a sore thumb among the more dramatic actors in Hollywood, but Bill Hader seems to blend in just fine. The type of comedy he dishes out is insanely funny and yet he seems like a very straight-laced guy when he’s not being so humorous. In all fairness he never saw himself as being a comedian when he first started out, it just wasn’t in his plans. But life does some strange things along the way and before we know it we’re doing things we never intended and, if we’re lucky, find our passion and our direction along a path we never thought would be for us. The fact that it can take a person down the road to success is something that speaks volumes about what was meant to be, and in Bill’s case it’s led him to a career that is possibly greater than anything he intended.
Here are a few things you might not have known about Bill.
10. He’s one of Judd Apatow’s favorite stock actors.
You might have noticed how certain directors seem to have a running stable of actors that they like to work with. Those individuals tend to pick up the same names again and again for their movies and Bill has been in at least 5 of Judd’s projects during the course of his career.
9. Bill was one of the producers on the 13th season of South Park.
Obviously he’s managed to diversify his career a bit since being a producer on South Park is no small thing given how big the show got after a while. Anyone attaching their name to it has run the risk of being ostracized or praised, usually the latter in some cases.
8. He is allergic to peanuts.
This allergy seems to have really increased in prominence over the last couple of decades and it’s affected a great number of people throughout the world. Ironically enough though Bill was selected to play the voice of Mr. Peanut for the Planters Peanuts commercial.
7. Initially he wanted to be a director when he moved to LA.
Bill had much loftier designs for his life when he made his way out to LA instead of attending college. He wanted to be the man behind the camera making things happen, much like a lot of actors seem to want at some point in their careers.
6. He met his wife while performing a comedy show.
Apparently she was sitting in the front row and they were introduced by a mutual friend when his career was just getting started. That’d make for a lot of interesting stories down the line as to how they met and how they were first attracted to one another.
5. Bill used to have panic attacks before going on stage during his SNL days.
He was nervous during the auditions too but seemed to calm down when Tina Fey laughed due to his act. His wife would actually be on hand to help him breath and just calm himself before going on stage.
4. He’s a big fan of true crime shows.
Some folks enjoy these for various reasons, one of which happens to be that they like to try and solve the crime themselves before the big reveal. It’s one of those things you really need to enjoy however in order to make it worth your time.
3. In the beginning he couldn’t get into the schools he wanted since his grades were so poor.
This is a sad fact of life that when you don’t get the grades you need a lot of schools won’t even look twice at you. I won’t get into affirmative action since that’s a long and drawn out conversation but Bill did eventually get into a school that helped him out and allowed him to realize his potential.
2. He was fired from a theater for spoiling the end to Titanic to a few noisy patrons.
Now be honest, how many of us really enjoy noisy people at the theater? How many of us want to just turn around and tell them to shut up? Bill came up with a way to get back at them that didn’t involve getting physical but did kind of ruin the whole thing for those that were sitting nearby. He was fired from his position a usher for this unfortunately but it does kind of bring a smile to one’s face.
1. Bill spent a lot of time as a production assistant.
He was doing whatever it took to make his way up to director, working 18 hours a day at some points. One thing you can say for Bill is that he’s entirely dedicated to what he’s doing and won’t let himself settle.
It’s kind of hilarious that he became a comedian, but that’s kind of the point isn’t it?
Follow Us
