Bill Hader Reveals Reason He Once Got Fired From Movie Theater Job

To learn that actor and comedian Bill Hader has been doing Bill Hader-like things long before the collective world was introduced to his comedic stylings on Saturday Night Live in 2005 would hardly be surprising.

But it's always pretty entertaining whenever someone at Hader's level of success dials things back long before becoming a familiar face and decides to share a job-related story.

The backdrop for this classic is Hader working at a movie theater selling tickets, and a sorority buying out one of the theaters to see Titanic prior to its worldwide release in 1997.

The result was Hader opting to pull a relatively savage move upon taking exception to being made fun of by the group.

Bill Hader speaks onstage at The Skeleton Twins Reunion with Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader during New York Magazine's Vulture Festival at NYA EAST on November 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Jerod Harris/Getty Images

Yes, the 46-year-old comedian went ahead and spoiled the movie for the group of sorority girls, but it was hardly the obvious spoiler of "yeah, the ship crashes and sinks at the end."

Hader explains:

"I got fired from a movie theater for ruining the end of 'Titanic,'" Hader said. "I was working in a movie theater, and 'Titanic' hadn't come out yet, and a sorority had bought out the movie theater and they were in the doorway and I was going, 'Hey, guys. Can you guys move?' They were making fun of me. They said I looked like Charles Manson. Which I kinda did. I had a little bowtie on and cummerbund, and I was like, 'Hey guys, please move.' And they were like, 'No.'"

"So when they went in, as I tore the tickets, I was like, 'Enjoy the movie. The boat sinks at the end. Leo dies,'" Hader continued. "And they were like, 'No, he doesn't.' I go, 'Yeah, you think he's asleep. But he's frozen.' And that showed them."

Hader went on to share that while his manager "came down smiling," he informed young Bill that he had to fire him, but adding that, "he loved it," and ultimately could not look Hader in the eye while doing so.

Whether or not the move by Hader was fair retaliation for being told he looked like notorious serial killer Charles Manson, it's seemingly impossible not to envision such a sequence developing with the comedic mind of a then-teenage Bill Hader, who was just standing around tearing up movie stubs.

Related: 'SNL' Execs Make Major Announcement Set for 2026

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Published on April 10, 2025 18:48
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