Tulsa-born actor Bill Hader wins “Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series,” continuing a diverse career in television and film.
The 71st Annual Emmy Awards took place on Sept. 22, and Tulsa native Bill Hader took home an Emmy for his role in “Barry” after his nomination for “Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.” This makes the second year in a row that Hader has won in that same category.
“Barry” is an American dark-comedy television series written by Bill Hader and Alec Berg. It details the life of a hitman who travels to Los Angeles to take out a target and finds himself joining an acting class. “Barry” is an HBO original TV show.
“Barry” was nominated for a total of nine Emmys, including “Outstanding Comedy Series.” In the show’s lifetime, it has been nominated for 30 Emmys.
Hader was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended high school at Cascia Hall Preparatory School, then moved to Arizona and attended Scottsdale Community College.
Hader competed against nominees Don Cheadle (“Black Monday”), Anthony Anderson (“Blackish”), Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”), Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”) and Ted Danson (“The Good Place”) to win this award.
In his acceptance speech, he thanked Alec Berg, his co-writer for the series. Hader said, “I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
He also gave an anecdote about how Berg critiques him after every take: “I get one of two responses after each take. It’s either ‘yeah, we should move on’ or ‘ehhh, we should go again.’ So thank you for molding my performance.”
During his press speech he discussed a handful of topics, ranging from his impression of Tom Cruise to his friendship with his co-star, Henry Winkler.
Hader discussed how comedy is evolving in this age. He remarked that comedians are learning to be more aware of various issues and that it’s a great thing for the industry.
He went on to comment about the upcoming third season of “Barry,” mentioning that the next season is going in a different direction with more drama than the previous seasons. Hader described the upcoming season as “terrifying and messed up.” Season three of “Barry” is scheduled to release on HBO in March 2020.
A reporter asked him about his journey from a comedian to the winner of “lead actor in a series.” He responded with, “I still haven’t processed it from last year.”
This win makes the third Emmy that Hader has received. In his lifetime, he has received twenty nominations for various shows, including “Saturday Night Live” and “South Park.”
It’s been a stellar year for Hader. Some of his films have gone on to break box office records. He starred in “It: Chapter 2,” which went on to become the widest globally released R-rated opening in history, beating out “Deadpool.” He also had a voice role in “Toy Story 4,” which went on to receive over $1 billion in worldwide box office.
His next upcoming film is “Noelle,” which will be released Nov. 12 on Disney+. He co-stars with Anna Kendrick, playing Santa’s son who is reluctant to take over the family job.
Hader’s ever-growing popularity in comedy, television and film has led to a thriving career that has won many awards and nominations. Tulsa should be very proud of Hader’s wide range of accomplishments.
