Bill Hader's Saturday Night Live career generated some of the most memorable sketches in the show's 50-year history. For Hader, the one that sticks out the most is also one that earned high praise from Lorne Michaels.
Hader earned the right to be in any discussion about Saturday Night Live's best performers. He hasn't been shy about sharing how challenging it was to get in front of a live audience every week with millions more people watching at home. But when Hader could put that anxiety to the side, he knew he was on top of his game.
Look no further than Hader's favorite Saturday Night Live sketch: "Vincent Price's Halloween Special." The 2008 sketch was the culmination of Hader's Vincent Price impression, elevated by host Jon Hamm and the start of Hader's collaboration with John Mulaney.
"Jon Hamm was hosting, and John Mulaney—it was his first season on the show—said, 'Why don’t we bring back Vincent Price?' It was the first thing I ever wrote with John Mulaney," Hader told The Ringer.
The dress rehearsal version featured Hamm as Dean Martin. However, Lorne Michaels didn't think it worked and told Hader to ask Hamm to do a James Mason impression instead. The Mad Men star was game and pivoted just minutes before the show went live. The result was an incredible James Mason that would leave the unaware thinking it was something Hamm always had up his sleeve.
"I’m just trying to keep calm the whole time," Hader recalled. "And I felt like that was the first sketch where I took my time. I didn’t rush anything. I projected. A lot of times I would get real quiet because I would get nervous. And I didn’t cover my face with my hands, and I was able to do it."
The sketch absolutely killed during the live show. Hamm's performance leading up to "Vincent Price's Halloween Special" built a level of momentum that really couldn't be stopped. So by the time Hader stepped on stage, he already had a hot crowd eager to laugh.
Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen, two of Hader's most famous on-screen partners, also helped bring the sketch to life. For fans of that generation, the 2008 sketch encapsulates everything that made the show unique and funny.
The most memorable part for Hader was the response from Lorne Michaels. The Saturday Night Live boss is known for giving some harsh, if not cryptic, notes to his stars.
"I remember at the after-party, Lorne Michaels went, 'That’s the best you’ve ever been on the show.'
It really meant a lot," Hader admitted. "That was the first sketch where I went, 'OK, I’ve attained that. When I fall off the horse and go back to being a nervous wreck, I know I’m capable of that.'"
The nervousness and anxiety never really stopped for Hader. But neither did the top-tier sketches that made him one of Saturday Night Live's greatest cast members.