Bill Hader to Star in Dark Comedy from "The Wrestler" Scribe

Bill Hader to Star in Dark Comedy from "The Wrestler" Scribe

Movie News

By our guest blogger, Nick Hanover

SNL cast member Bill Hader has been one of the most promising talents on the show in its current lean years so it's no surprise he's had a healthy acting career with appearances in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Adventureland, among others. And now comes word from indieWire that Hader will be starring in a new film from Rob Siegel, screenwriter of The Wrestler and director/writer of the Patton Oswalt film Big Fan.

The new film, titled Vaughn Meader, will focus on the story of the eponymous comedian who finds himself becoming immensely famous thanks to his JFK imitation but fades into obscurity in the wake JFK's assassination. Hader will be playing Meader and given Siegel's track record, the film is likely to be a dark, brooding look at falling past your prime. Hader also has a darker than normal role in the upcoming Paul, which also stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. In Paul, Hader plays the villain, who is psychotically pursuing the protagonists and their alien friend Paul.

As further proof that Hader might be going over to the dark side, the actor also spoke to indieWire about his upcoming project with SNL peer and Lonely Island co-founder Akiva Schaffer, Henchman. That film is described by Hader as a mixture of the Bourne films and "The Office," centered around two guys (who are having a good time), who slowly realize they're working for a villain as disposable henchmen.