The Ballad of SNL’s Bill Hader

On 10/1/05, Saturday Night Live launched its newest season. The first sketch following the opening monologue centered on Jet Blue Flight #292, and their difficult landing after the gear failed. A new cast member named Bill Hader made his debut on that sketch as a psychiatrist. His joke was the biggest laugh of the skit.

That was immediately followed by “Anderson Cooper 360”, which poked fun at celebrities pitching in to help rebuild New Orleans. Hader unleashed a spot-on impression of Al Pacino (“If you’ll excuse me…there’s a shitzu stuck in a Spanish oak.”) Immediately, people watching the show went “Who’s that guy?” Hader seemed like the freshest face to blow through SNL’s stages in years.
During Weekend Update, Hader appeared with another first timer, Andy Samberg. They had an “impression off” which was the joke because, while Hader did terrific copies of Peter Falk and James Mason, Samberg simply named a celebrity and said “Wazzup!!” Hader may have shown signs of being too obscure for SNL’s audience, but Samberg came off like a frat boy late to the Sandler-era of the show.
Hader struggled to build off his launch. The following week, his primary appearance was in the commercial for Taco Town. He played Vincent Price a few weeks later. The sketch didn’t do well, but the character has returned since. He was making more of an impression than Samberg. But on Dec. 17th…everything changed.
The SNL Digital Short “Lazy Sunday” hit like an atomic bomb, and by Monday morning the catchy ode to watching THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA was the talk of the web, workplace and washroom. It immediately became one of the most watched segments in the show’s history and creator/star Andy Samberg was heralded as nothing less than the savior of Saturday Night Live.
Samberg cemented his reputation in March with another Digital Short, “The Real Natalie Portman”. These shorts have brought sweeping changes to the show. There’s usually at least one per episode now and they’re sought out even more than the reliable Weekend Update segment. Digital Shorts have even brought newfound recognition to old regulars Chris Parnell and Fred Armisen.
Meanwhile, things have turned pretty bleak for Bill Hader. His appearances have failed to connect with fans, and he seems to be struggling to fit in, often playing the straight man in fairly bland sketches (like the Natalie Portman/Jamba Juice skit). His closest success was when he ripped off Dan Aykroyd's huckster character to play a unicorn salesman.
Things hit bottom when he teamed with Samberg on the digital short “Laser Cats”. Funny in theory, but terrible in execution, Hader was trying to be a comedy partner for Samberg. (They shared on-screen credit for everything.) The fit was awkward, and the sketch even worse. I like that Bill’s getting screen time, but if it’s in crap like “Laser Cats”, he’ll soon be out of a job.
I want to know where the hell is Pacino? Why hasn’t he come back? And this leads to my advice for Hader. How about doing what Phil Hartman did. Fill in the gaps. Use your voice talents and play up your deadpan eccentricity. Stop trying to find your recurring character (except Pacino) and steal everything that isn’t nailed down. Darrell Hammond has been trying to fill this slot for years, and while he’s a good mimic, he’s rarely funny. Don’t get run over by the Samberg express. You’ve got the talent. Use it.