Bill Hader has always aspired to be a writer/director but fell into comedy because of his undeniable talent on the stage and screen. He’s a master impressionist that does a pitch-perfect Seth Rogen, Alan Alda, and even Jabba the Hutt. He’s also a fantastic actor with incredible range. From SNL’s Stephon to It: Chapter 2, Hader can do it all.
A part of the reason Hader wanted to create HBO’s hit comedy series Barry was that it allowed him to have more creative control over the material. As the show continues to unfold and develop, he’s steadily increasing responsibility. A profile of Hader from The Hollywood Reporter highlights this progression.
“On the third season of Barry, Hader directed five of the eight episodes, and on season four, which is already outlined and being written, he plans to direct every one. It’s an assumption of responsibility he’s been gunning for since he and Berg first sold HBO the pilot for Barry in 2016.”
Hader directed season two’s stand-out episode, “ronny/lily,” where Barry’s hit on Ronny goes wrong, and the episode turns into a never-ending surreal sequence of unfortunate events. Emily Kubincanek of Film School Rejects said, “[“ronny/lily]” proves that Bill Hader is remarkably talented, not just as an actor but as an artist in general. If there is such a thing as a television auteur, Bill Hader qualifies for that title easily.”
A critical and commercial success, Barry has managed to earn a total of 30 Emmy nominations in its first two seasons alone. He is not shying away any time soon from the director’s chair. Hader just completed writing a script with childhood friend and Barry writer Duffy Boudreau on a feature script he plans to direct. This would mark Hader’s feature film directorial debut.
Season three of Barry is set to premiere on April 24th on HBO.