Bill Hader REVEALS Shocking Reason He Skipped 'SNL50'! Anxiety?

Bill Hader, the beloved comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member, has finally revealed the real reason behind his absence from the star-studded 'SNL50' anniversary special. Contrary to initial reports citing scheduling conflicts, Hader confessed that his long-standing battle with anxiety was the true culprit.

In a recent interview with Seth Meyers on Late Night, Hader explained that Andy Samberg, a close collaborator, approached him about participating in a short sketch centered around anxiety. Hader recalled, "Andy called me and was like, ‘Hey, so we’re doing this short about how, you know, everybody had anxiety...’ And when he told me that, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to do that.’"

Samberg, seemingly surprised, pressed Hader for an explanation. Hader responded candidly, "Because I’m anxious. I don’t want to do it!" Hader then playfully mimicked Samberg's reaction, saying, "He was like, ‘Come on, man! What do you mean? No!’" Ultimately, Bowen Yang stepped in to fill Hader's role in the "Anxiety" sketch, earning praise from Hader himself.

Hader's Long-Standing Struggle with Anxiety

As Meyers pointed out, Hader has been open about his struggles with anxiety throughout his time on SNL. In a 2018 profile, he described the intense pressure of performing live, stating, "It’s just the minute they say, ‘we’re live,’ it’s a level of anxiety I never felt before. I was trying everything in my power to remain calm."

In a 2022 interview, Hader provided even more detail, revealing, "Before shows, I would go into a bathroom that was way down this hall, go into a stall and have a full-blown panic attack, crying, the whole thing. And then I go and get in a giant banana costume."

Comparing Experiences with Co-Stars

Hader also noted that his SNL co-stars seemed to handle the pressure with greater ease. He recounted observing Meyers and Amy Poehler performing, describing them as having "ice in their veins." Hader contrasted their calm demeanor with his own anxiety, saying, "You guys went out there, and I was, like, trembling, anxious... And something went wrong, and you went, ‘Whoa, something went wrong? Well, something went wrong.’ And I was like, ‘You can just do that?’"

Hader's candidness about his anxiety sheds light on the challenges faced even by successful performers and underscores the importance of mental health awareness.