Nowadays, we can’t help but see Bobby Berkman when we look at Bill Hader. But once upon a time, he was more than that… he was a writer. Rumor has it, that he even wrote for an animated series called South Park – you might have heard of it once or twice.
Many fans may not have realized that numerous of their favorite actors and actresses work ceaselessly behind the scenes. Take Ben Affleck for instance – you might easily forget that he is a nominated screenwriter. Or alternatively, Ricky Gervais, whom you’ll forget is an actor – a questionable one at that, but an actor nonetheless. As for Hader, the entire Barry series was co-written by the actor, but was he actually involved with South Park, out of all adult animated shows?
Did Bill Hader write for South Park?
If you’ve been wondering about Hader’s involvement in South Park, you’d be correct to assume that he was indeed a writer for the show. Although a significantly less known aspect of his resume, Hader has worked on and off with the South Park production and writing team since 2008. The actor joined as a creative consultant in season 12, and also made occasional appearances as an actor.
After finishing his tenure at Saturday Night Live – where most Americans know him from – Hader transitioned to working with the South Park team. In 2013, he was brought on as a producer for season 17, becoming a full-time staffer. He became thoroughly involved with the show, but other creative and comedy-related projects also demanded his attention.
Nowadays, Hader is very rarely credited on South Park, possibly due to his focus on Barry, which he starred in, created, and wrote. Nonetheless, the actor looks back on his time with South Park fondly, noting that the experience taught a younger Hader a lot about comedy, as he shared with Vulture in 2013.
“That’s another thing I’ve learned at the show is it’s gotta be an emotional story. You hear Trey say that a lot. If we’re telling a story that has to do with Cartman and we’re telling another story that’s about Kyle, he’s always saying, ‘What’s Cartman’s emotional story here? He goes from this emotion to that emotion. What’s Kyle’s emotional story?’ That’s really what drives the thing.”
While we all recognize him as one of the best contemporary artists, Hader’s contributions to South Park may be severely overlooked by some fans. Nevertheless, Hader can reflect on his past with pride, knowing he played a role in creating some of the show’s most iconic episodes, including the unforgettable “Kanye West is a Gay Fish.” He wrote it, not me.