Although Amy Schumer is front and center in the foul-mouthed rom-com Trainwreck – and deservedly so – her costar Bill Hader deserves some attention, too. A gifted comedian, writer and actor, Hader has quietly become a major showbiz presence in recent years – and his future looks even brighter. Here are five reasons why we love him.
He's Racked Up Nearly 80 Film and TV Credits... in Only a Decade.
Just 10 years ago, Bill Hader was a 26-year-old nobody. An Oklahoma boy who came out to Hollywood to be a filmmaker, he wound up working as a production assistant. He started taking improv classes at Second City L.A. in 2003, and eventually he made friends with comedy stars Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally – who got him an audition for Saturday Night Live. That was 2005. Everyone on SNL (and elsewhere) knew talent when they saw it, and Hader hasn't stopped working since.
Watch the skit that helped get him the SNL gig:
He's the Secret King of Voiceovers.
You probably knew that Hader voiced the character of Flint in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and its 2013 sequel. Or did you? Hader has a distinctive voice, yet he's a master at modulating it to fit the character. He’s loaned out his vocal cords to a wide range of animated TV shows, including Bob's Burgers, The Venture Bros., Aqua Teen Hunger Force and many more. You'll even hear him in live-action movies like 2013's Her, 2010's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and even 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness.
Check him out as Flint:
He's a Surprise South Park Writer-Producer.
In 2009, Hader was asked to join the staff of the long-running, politically incorrect animated series. As creative consultant and producer, Hader has helped brainstorm many of the show's funniest gags. In fact, he won his first Emmy not for Saturday Night Live (though he was twice nominated), but for his work behind the scenes on South Park.
He's Got Serious Dramatic Acting Chops, Too.
Is there anything Bill Hader can't do? Many comic actors long for dramatic parts, but few can pull them off as well as he can. As proof, we offer the 2014 feature The Skeleton Twins, in which Hader and his former SNL colleague Kristen Wiig play damaged siblings. Hader treats his character, a suicidal gay man, with honesty and empathy. It's a beautiful performance.
Watch him transform, literally, in this clip:
He Gave Us Stefon.
Hader created loads of memorable characters during his Saturday Night Live tenure. But Stefon, the dazed partier who knows all about the hippest – and weirdest – hot spots in New York, is one for the ages. Celebrated for his Weekend Update appearances, Hader often couldn't make it through Stefon's bizarrely detailed descriptions without cracking up – and neither could we.
