Notable funnyman Bill Hader has had an incredible career in movies and television as an actor, director, and writer, though even big fans of his might not know he was also a member of theSouth Parkwriting staff. Most people probably knowBill Hader best for his years onSNL, an eight-season run that resulted in some of the show’s most iconic characters, including Stefon and Anthony Peter Coleman. Hader’s post-SNLcareer has been arguably more impressive, with his showsBarryandDocumentary Now!earning rave reviews.
Even during his time onSNL, Hader was expanding his horizons, dabbling in movies and TV shows outside the purview of NBC. During his time on the show, he was also consulting on the hit animated seriesSouth Park.South Parkneeds littleintroduction. The Comedy Central show premiered in 1997 and has remained one of the most important cultural touchstones and satirical looks at America ever since. An insular and small staff, as evidenced by6 Days to Air,it’s a feather in Hader’s cap that he was allowed into the writing room.
South Park Co-Creator Matt Stone Asked Bill Hader To Write For Season 17
Stone And Hader Met In LA While Hader Was Filming Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Bill Hader first metSouth Parkco-creator Matt Stone while he was in LA filmingForgetting Sarah Marshall(viaVulture). The pair struck up a friendship and a year later, Hader was in Vancouver filming another movie. When he let Stone know, Stone invited him to a writer’s retreat that was happening concurrently in the Canadian city,
“I was telling Matt, ‘I’m in Vancouver’ and he says, ‘We’re gonna be in Seattle for a South Park retreat, where we just hang out for a week in a cool hotel and in the morning, we talk out South Park episodes and then take lunch and might go on a little field trip or something — go to a museum, walk around, see the city — and then, we meet again later in the afternoon and then we have dinner.’ I was like, ‘Wow, that sounds great.’ He says, ‘Yeah, do you wanna come?'”
So Hader began working as a consultant on the show in a limited capacity. Then came 2013, and Hader leftSNLfor good. When Stone and co-creator Trey Parker heard that Hader would be moving to LA,they invited him to work full-time onSouth Parkseason 17. Hader said about the opportunity,
“I think one of their writers went to another show or something, so it was just Matt and Trey and Vernon [South Park’s longtime producer, Vernon Chatman]. It’d be the four of us. I went, ‘Oh my gosh, that’d be a blast.'”
Hader was extremely pleased with his new job after the hectic hours at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City,
“It’s really great. You get there at 9 AM, and we’re usually done by noon. I don’t actually physically write any episodes. You sit in a writers’ room with Trey and Matt, hashing out an idea, and then Trey goes and writes.”
Bill Hader’s Notable South Park Episodes
Hader Is Credited As A Consulting Writer On Many Episodes
Hader may have not physically written any episodes ofSouth Park, buthe’s credited as a consultant writer on several before season 17. Season 13, episode 5, “Fishsticks”, is one of his notable accomplishments. Often cited asone ofSouth Park’s best episodes, “Fishsticks” sees Cartman and Jimmy creating a joke so funny that it makes those who hear it vomit out of joy. Everyone loves it save for Kanye West, who becomes increasingly frustrated by it.
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Writing onSouth Parkis a true collaboration, andit can be assumed that even if Hader isn’t credited on an episode in a season he worked on, he was likely important to its creation.Hader’s love for hyper-absurd humor can be best seen in episodes like season 15, episode 5, “Crack Baby Athletic Association”, where Hader pushed for Cartman to actually dress as a plantation owner to drive home the darkly funny analogy between the NCAA and slavery.
Hader Also Voice-Acted On South Park
Hader Has Voiced A Handful Of Minor Characters
Hader has voiced several characters over the years onSouth Park, from season 15 to season 19. Sometimes he uses the “South Park” voice for characters like the Farmer, but other times he slips into the Bill Hader-SNLvoice that he used for newsroom and game show host characters onSNL. He also did a great impression of Alec Baldwin in season 17, episode 1, “Let Go, Let Gov”. Whether he’s writing, voice-acting, or just sitting in the room laughing, Bill Hader brings something indelible to hisSouth Parkepisodes.
South Park
Cast
South Park follows the irreverent misadventures of four grade-schoolers—Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny—that take place in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado. The animated series explores various social and political issues through its characters’ humorous and often absurd escapades.
