Between the concert on Feb. 14 and the special episode on Feb. 16, pretty much everyone who’s ever been on SNL or hosted it in its history showed up to celebrate. Guests included the likes of Robert De Niro, Kim Kardashian, Will Ferrell, Scarlett Johansson, Keke Palmer, Lady Gaga, Jimmy Fallon, Billy Crystal, Pedro Pascal, David Letterman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Drew Barrymore, Meryl Streep, Seth Meyers, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bad Bunny, Chris Rock, Jon Hamm, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, Paul McCartney, and Tom Hanks. Like, I’m not sure more famous people have ever been in the same room, ever.
And while there were A-listers in abundance, viewers couldn’t help but notice the absence of a couple of the show’s most beloved alumni, including Bill Hader, who was an SNL cast member from 2005 to 2013.
As even casual SNL viewers will know, Bill is behind some of the show’s most iconic sketches, and so, fans were incredibly disappointed to see that he was one of the only former cast members not to make a comeback for the 50th anniversary.
At the time, the intrigue surrounding Bill’s absence was so widespread that his representative spoke out, telling Variety he was unable to make it due to a “longstanding scheduling conflict.” And now, Bill has addressed the matter himself, revealing that his lack of involvement was down to something a little more personal.
Appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday, Bill explained to his fellow SNL alum that he was invited to take part in a short with Andy Samberg, but turned it down due to his struggles with anxiety — which was ironic, because the sketch was all about how “everyone that ever worked at SNL had anxiety.”
“Andy called me and was like, ‘Hey, so we’re doing this short about how, you know, everybody had anxiety.’ And when he told me that, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to do that,’” he recalled. “And he was like, ‘Why?’ and I was like, ‘Because I’m anxious!’”
As you may know, Bill has talked openly in the past about his struggles with anxiety during his 8-year run on the show. “The live aspect of SNL — I’m just not built for it,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022. “Before shows, I would go into a bathroom that was way down this hall, go into a stall and have a full-blown panic attack, crying, the whole thing. And then I go and get in a giant banana costume.”
Well, Bill, you were certainly missed! But this is a great reminder to always prioritize your well-being. You can find Bill’s full interview with Seth Meyers here.