Bill Hader

William Thomas Hader Jr. is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer born on June 7, 1978, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is widely recognized for his eight-year tenure as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, as well as for co-creating and starring in the dark comedy series Barry. Over the course of his career, he has earned multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for his work across television and film.

Raised in Tulsa, Hader developed an early passion for cinema and comedy, frequently making short movies with friends. After attending the Art Institute of Phoenix and Scottsdale Community College, he moved to Los Angeles in 1999 to pursue filmmaking. He initially worked long hours as a production assistant on feature films, documentaries, and television programs before transitioning into work as a night assistant editor.

In 2003, Hader began taking comedy classes at Second City and formed a sketch group called Animals From The Future. Actress Megan Mullally saw one of their performances and recommended him to Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. After joining the show in 2005, Hader gained widespread popularity for his celebrity impressions and original characters, including the Weekend Update segment correspondent Stefon. His work on the program earned him a 2008 Peabody Award and a 2012 Primetime Emmy nomination, making him the first male cast member nominated for supporting comedy actor since 1986. He departed the series in 2013.

In film, Hader achieved broader public awareness through supporting roles in major comedies such as Superbad, Hot Rod, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Tropic Thunder, and Adventureland. He later took on central roles in feature films including The Skeleton Twins, Trainwreck, and It Chapter Two. Hader also established an extensive voice-acting career, starring as Flint Lockwood in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and its sequel, portraying Fear in Inside Out, and contributing voice work to animated films such as Monsters University, Finding Dory, Toy Story 4, and Lightyear.

From 2018 to 2023, Hader co-created, produced, wrote, directed, and starred in HBO's Barry, playing title character Barry Berkman. His contributions earned eight Emmy nominations for the show, including two consecutive wins for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He also co-created, produced, and starred in the mockumentary series Documentary Now! from 2015 to 2022. Additionally, he served as a writer and producer on South Park, sharing a 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, hosted Turner Classic Movies' Essentials, Jr. showcase, earned an Emmy nomination for a 2022 guest role on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Chapman University in 2024.