Bill Hader's parents love movies, and he remembers watching a lot of movies as a kid growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Not just the popular movies of the 80's, but classics like Gone with the Wind and A Clockwork Orange. Perhaps as a result, he brings an unparalleled inventory of pop culture references to his character choices on Saturday Night Live, with an eclectic assortment of impressions including Vincent Price, Alan Alda, and Buffalo Bill (the villain from Silence of the Lambs). Aside from being spot-on, Hader's impressions also demonstrate his excellent skill as an actor. He's given standout performances in films, including Adventureland, Men in Black 3 and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The beginning of his eighth season with Saturday Night Live has been marked by an important milestone: he is nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and is the first male cast member to receive that nomination since Eddie Murphy in 1983. Regardless of his success, Hader's approach is still based in ultimate fandom, and he continues to navigate the lowbrow to highbrow spectrum with ease: he loves the classics and independent films just as much as he loves 1980's creature films like C.H.U.D. "You can be a fan of all these things. You're into what you're into. And people can be into a lot of different things."
Banner image courtesy of Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC