If you watch old clips of Bill Hader on Saturday Night Live, it’s easy to assume he was some kind of comedy prodigy who walked into 30 Rock and just owned the room. He looks so comfortable. But the reality of the bill hader snl audition is actually way more chaotic—and honestly, kind of lucky.
Back in 2004, Bill Hader wasn't even a professional comedian. He was a production assistant and an assistant editor. He spent his days in a windowless room editing footage for Iron Chef America. At one point, he was literally watching footage of Bobby Flay accidentally electrocuting himself, thinking that was the peak of his career.
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He was doing level five classes at Second City in Los Angeles, but he didn't even have an agent. He was just a guy who liked doing voices. Then, Megan Mullally changed everything.
The Megan Mullally Connection
It sounds like one of those fake Hollywood "discovery" stories, but it’s 100% true. Megan Mullally (best known as Karen from Will & Grace) went to a Second City showcase to watch her brother-in-law, Matt Offerman. Bill Hader was in that same showcase.
He did a sketch as James Mason in a donut shop with an expired coupon. Mullally and her husband, Nick Offerman, were in the audience, and they were floored. After the show, they all went to Canter’s Deli. Mullally walked up to Hader and asked if it would be weird if she called Lorne Michaels about him.
Imagine being an assistant editor on a cooking show and having a massive TV star ask to call the king of late-night comedy for you. Hader said yes, obviously.
Shortly after, he got a call in his edit bay. It was Mullally. She told him to expect a call from the SNL talent scouts. Not long after, he was on a plane to New York.
The Weirdest Meeting Ever
Before the actual bill hader snl audition on the main stage, Hader had to meet with Lorne Michaels. If you’ve heard anything about Lorne, you know he can be... cryptic.
Hader was terrified. He had spoken to SNL alum Molly Shannon before the meeting, and her advice was basically: "Don't try to be funny. Just be a normal person."
The meeting was brief. Lorne told Hader a story about being on a boat once with a guy who was funny "in the way that Bill Murray is funny." That was it. No feedback, no "you're great," just a story about a guy on a boat.
Lorne then invited Hader to watch the show that weekend. If you look closely at a Season 30 episode hosted by Topher Grace, you can actually see Hader standing in the back of the audience during a Q&A sketch. He’s wearing a visitor badge and looking completely overwhelmed. He wasn't even in the cast yet; he was just a guest of the show, basically "interning" for his own audition.
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The Elevator Encounter With Andy Samberg
The day of the actual audition arrived in July 2005. This is where the bill hader snl audition gets legendary because of who he met in the elevator.
Hader showed up with basically nothing—no props, just his voice. He got into the elevator at 30 Rock and saw a guy who looked like he was moving into the building. The guy had a giant backpack overflowing with props and costumes.
That guy was Andy Samberg.
Hader looked at Samberg and thought, "Oh no, I should have brought props."
Samberg looked at Hader and thought, "Oh no, that guy is so good he doesn't need props."
They both walked into that audition thinking the other one was the "real" talent.
What Hader Actually Performed
When you stand on that stage at Studio 8H, it’s notoriously quiet. The writers and producers—including Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels—usually just stare at you.
Hader started with a character that would eventually become a staple: Vinny Vedecci, the chain-smoking Italian talk show host. He based the voice on a guy he’d overheard in a line once.
When he started the Vinny voice, he heard a cackle from the dark. It was Tina Fey. That was the moment he finally relaxed.
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He also did:
- Al Pacino: A classic that would become one of his most used impressions.
- James Mason: The "donut shop" bit that originally caught Megan Mullally's eye.
- Vincent Price: This became a recurring sketch later on, but it started right there on the audition stage.
He originally wanted to do older, more obscure impressions like Gregory Peck or James Mason, but the producers told him he needed to do people who were "actually alive." That’s why he leaned into the Pacino and Luke Wilson stuff.
Life After the Audition
Hader and Samberg both got the job. They joined Season 31 as featured players.
On his very first episode (hosted by Steve Carell), Hader debuted his Al Pacino impression in a sketch about a plane crash. He got a round of applause mid-sketch. That almost never happens for a "new guy."
Even though he felt like an imposter for the first few years, that bill hader snl audition set the stage for one of the most successful runs in the show's history. He went from being "the guy who does voices" to the "utility player" who could save any sketch.
Why It Matters Today
Hader’s path is proof that the SNL scouting system is a mix of high-level scouting and pure, dumb luck. If Matt Offerman hadn't been in that showcase, or if Megan Mullally hadn't felt like going to an improv show that night, we might never have seen Stefon, Herb Welch, or eventually Barry.
If you’re looking to learn from his experience, here are the takeaways:
- Relationships are everything: Hader didn't have an agent, but he had a peer (Matt Offerman) and a mentor (Mullally).
- Find your "hook": Hader’s ability to do "obscure" impressions mixed with mainstream ones (like Pacino) made him stand out.
- The "Props" Myth: You don't need a suitcase full of wigs if your characters are strong enough. Samberg needed them because his style was different; Hader didn't because he was a mimic.
If you want to see the energy of that era, go back and watch the Season 31 premiere. You can see the raw nerves in Hader's eyes during the "Jet Blue" sketch, but the talent is already there. It wasn't just a lucky break—it was a guy who spent years obsessing over old movies finally getting a microphone and a stage.