Bill Hader Quotes

I like when I have to act and direct; then, when you have to dub, you're by yourself in front of the wall, and I'm always scared that you're not good like when you are in real when you act.

Performing doesn't come that naturally to me, even though I've done it for years.

I'm a very shy person, and I never tried to do theater. I've been asked many, many times by the most incredible authors in America to do theater. And I always said no, not knowing what it is to be on the stage and to do theater.

There's no hope of me becoming completely relaxed on stage. If I did, I'd sit down and doze off.

I could never do stand-up because it's that thing of having to get up on stage. And out of every 10 jokes you tell, nine of them have to get a really good response.

There are times when I've had ideas walking down the street that I thought were great, and the minute I got onstage, I would think of them and go, 'Wow, that would never work,' even before I did it in front of the audience.

I've done a lot of stage in my life, but I never had to dominate a stage for three hours.

Self-consciousness can destroy a performance. Getting rid of that is always good.

You'll never see a good performance out of me, in terms of a character, when the camera isn't rolling.

After doing the first couple scenes and I got used to being in front of a few people it got easier and easier. In Chasing Amy, I wasn't nervous at all. And in Dogma, the same.

I don't think I'm sharp enough to not prepare and come on set and kill it.

If I could live a parallel life, I would be a sitcom star; being in front of a live audience would be great.

Every now and then, when I think about it, I think, 'What would I even talk about onstage?' It's never been, 'I wonder if I'm funny. I wonder if I can come up with jokes.' It's more, 'What would it be like without the leather suit and the anger?'

I'm never going to be an improv comedian.

Rehearsal for film is tough. Until the camera's there, everything changes.

When I did 'Guffman,' it was terrifying. I didn't know what to say. I started talking, and it just came out.

There are many problems with being a comedian: the travel, the late nights, the pressure, the fear of running out of funny things to say.

I really do like being on stage. Compared to television I have a lot more control - it's a lot more relaxed and loose.

I'm not very good when I'm given scripts.

I started off doing theater as a kid, and I always played a character. I hid behind the script and was told where to go. But to actually perform as yourself is very difficult. I didn't used to enjoy it, but now I do.

I'm bad in front of the camera. However, if someone gave me a small role in a film with two dialogues and one scene, I'd do it.

In WWE, they're real big on letting you sink or swim, and they let you go out there, and they're going to give you the stick and a live mic in front of a packed house and millions watching at home, and if you're not prepared for that moment, you're going to go down in flames.

I can't say I'm confident in my abilities as an actor.

The toughest thing for me is doing on-camera stuff as a comedian.

I have fear of the audience and I am responsible for the scenes involving me, be it as a comedian or hero.