Bill Hader Refuses To Autograph Star Wars Merchandise
Bill Hader won't sign Star Wars merch after an incident with a fan attempting to obtain his autograph to sell.
Bill Hader has revealed why he refuses to sign Star Wars merchandise. The actor, who served as a voice consultant for BB-8 in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, made the revelation while speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “I do not sign them,” the Saturday Night Live alum said. “Autograph people don’t like me. I won’t sign things.”
However, Bill Hader has a valid reason for refusing Star Wars autographs. The Power Rangers actor detailed an incident where a fan had his child approach him with a BB-8 at 3 am, following the Inside Out premiere and after-party. “This guy kept his kid up all night. [He] was like, ‘Go over there so he’ll sign it so I can sell it online,’” he explained.
After that experience, Bill Hader decided to stop signing Star Wars gear entirely. “I was like, ‘That’s f**ked up.’ So now, I just kind of blanket, like, I’m not signing any of this s**t.” The 44-year-old also believes he shouldn’t be credited with voicing BB-8 since his voice work for the famous droid didn’t work well.
“It’s very sweet that J.J. Abrams put my name on it,” Bill Hader added. “But I came in and did voice stuff for it that didn’t work.” The actor was later asked if he wanted to use a talk box to create the audio for BB-8. Although he agreed, the Toy Story alum said he wasn’t asked to return for the subsequent films in the sequel trilogy because anyone could do it.
“Anybody can do that. It’s like a machine that you can operate,” he explained. Bill Hader started his career as a production assistant on several projects before becoming a comedian. He later earned acclaim for his eight-year stint as a cast member on the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live where he created memorable characters such as Stefon Meyers and Vinny Vedecci.
After leaving the show in 2013, Bill Hader landed roles in movies like Superbad, Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and IT Chapter Two. He also lent his voice to several animated characters in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Inside Out, and The Angry Birds Movie.
In 2018, Bill Hader released Barry with co-creator Alec Berg. Billed as a black comedy crime drama, the HBO series received critical acclaim for its directing, writing, originality, characters, humor, and performances. The show’s stellar cast, which also features Henry Winkler, Sarah Goldberg, Stephen Root, and Anthony Carrigan, was praised for their performances.
The story follows a hitman named Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) who travels to Los Angeles to kill someone. But he joins an acting class instead, where he meets an aspiring actress named Sally. As he deals with his criminal associates, Barry slowly begins to question his life choices. The fourth and final season premiered on April 16.
Bill Hader’s most recent movie credits include Lightyear, where he voiced Benny Featheringhamsta. He also made a cameo appearance in the film Beau Is Afraid from director Ari Aster. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as a mild-mannered man who embarks on a surreal journey home. Along the way, he is forced to confront his greatest fears. The film received a limited theatrical release on April 14.
