(Credits: Far Out / YouTube)
Sat 16 August 2025 1:30, UK
Fate works in mysterious ways, with the film business often having a different plan for us than we might have expected, leading to opportunities we might never have dreamed of.
In the world of show business, we often have no idea how our career will pan out, instead we embrace the ambiguity of the industry and try to go with the flow. No job is set in stone, and while you might not see it coming, there could be an opportunity just around the corner that could change your life. You have to somewhat resign yourself to the fact that it is an industry of uncertainty, and just hope that the odds will be in your favour.
This was perhaps an important lesson for Bill Hader early on in his career, with the actor being presented with one opportunity that completely took him by surprise due to the fact that he had no choice in the matter.
Hader occupies a unique niche in the film industry, with a reputation that was largely based on his comedic skills and presence on Saturday Night Live. However, his entire image subsequently shifted, exploding in popularity after creating, directing and starring in the hit HBO series Barry, as well as revealing himself to be a massive cinephile on one of the earliest Criterion Closet tours. There is more to Hader than might first meet the eye, something that one person spotted very early on after convincing him to star in one of his most successful projects.
Superbad is one of those once-in-a-generation hits that so rarely comes about, with the story of three awkward teenagers as they try to acquire alcohol for a party becoming a rite of passage viewing experience for everyone alive in the 2000’s. It launched the careers of stars like Michael Cera, Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, and became a landmark moment for everyone else involved, no matter how small the role.
This was certainly the case for Hader, playing a stupid police officer after being forced into the role by Judd Apatow. When discussing this, Hader said, “I met with Judd Apatow and he said, ‘So Seth and Evan said they met you and they enjoyed meeting you. They wrote this movie called Superbad, and there’s a part for a cop that you’re going to play.’ I remember he didn’t ask if I would play it. He said, ‘You’re gonna play this.’”
While his lack of agency in this career move might have surprised him, it only highlights the specificity of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s vision in knowing exactly who would work for each part, and if Hader was the right man for the job, it seems as though he’d have a tough time escaping this fate. While some people might have been shocked by a cast consisting almost entirely of newcomers and emerging stars, the creative team behind the project had confidence in the unique cocktail of personalities that would bring their script to life, despite being a-typical Hollywood stars in every sense of the word.
Hader and Rogan are still iconic as the incompetent police duo, waffling their way through pretty hefty civic duties and rightly making a mockery of all American police officers along the way. As some of the only adults in the film, it shows that not everyone can grow up and leave the stupidity of their adolescent selves in the past (even if they should).
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