Ep 138. Bill Hader
As a high school kid growing up in Oklahoma, Bill Hader received a progress report from his French teacher that had remarkable foresight: \u201cBill is very funny in class. He\u2019ll probably be on Saturday Night Live one day. He has a 37% in class though. He will not be speaking French.\u201d\n\nBill had a natural gift for doing voices and impressions, and years later, he would indeed join SNL. For eight years,\xa0he brought memorable characters to life, including fan-favorites like his exasperated Vincent Price, the lecherous Italian Vinny Veducci, and Weekend Update correspondent Stefon. As one of the most talented cast members on the show, it\u2019s hard to believe Bill when he tells me that it was never his dream to be on Saturday Night Live.\n\nAfter his eight-year stint on SNL and\xa0roles in a\xa0number of films (The Skeleton Twins, Trainwreck, Inside Out), Bill\u2019s finally realizing his dream with Barry, his upcoming HBO show about a hitman who really wants to be an actor. Bill directs, writes, and stars in the show,\xa0and because he favors truthfulness over funny gags, it\u2019s one of the most unique shows on television: \u201cIn comedy, it\u2019s so easy to come up with gags and little bits. It\u2019s a lot harder to make a person\u2019s emotional journey make sense.\u201d\n\nBill Hader joins Off Camera to discuss storytelling in Barry, struggling with anxiety on SNL, why he waited so long to pursue his dream to become a filmmaker, and why everyone in town thought he was on drugs in high school.