“It scared the sh-t out of this cop”: ‘Barry’ Star Bill Hader Based His Iconic Role in $171M Cult-Classic With Seth Rogen on Real Life Policeman Who Arrested Him
Bill Hader is a charismatic actor who started his career as a comedian and writer on Saturday Night Live, earning a reputation for his flawless impressions and creating memorable characters. The Noelle actor has worked in some popular movies which include the 2007 cult classic, Superbad.
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A still from Superbad
The actor appeared in a supporting role in Superbad, where he played the role of an intimidating officer. Bill Hader’s performance was loved by critics and viewers alike as he brought his comic timing, and humor to the role, which gave many memorable scenes in the movie. The actor who was recently present on Jimmy Kimmel Live shared that his role as the cop was inspired by a real-life cop who once arrested him.
Bill Hader played the role of Officer Slater in the 2007 film, where he crossed paths with Seth and Evan throughout the film and his character somehow made the situation worse. Recently, when the actor was present on the episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, he shared that prior to the film’s shooting, he did a prank that he heard from his father.
Bill Hader and Set Rogen in Superbad
“I remember when I did that movie… and I go, ‘I got messed with by a cop with glasses,’ and Seth was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s, like, so lame. I can’t take a cop with glasses seriously!’
My dad did the classic ‘let me tell you something I did, but hey, you guys can’t do this,’ and we were like, ‘Uh-huh.’ He was like, ‘We used to take two trash cans and put fishing wire between ’em and we’d put one on either side of the street and when a car goes through, the trash cans go bop on the side of the car. It was hilarious, but don’t do that.’ And we were like, ‘Okay!'”
Bill Hader continued that he and his friends were inspired by his dad’s antics, and they recreated the prank with two trash cans and a giant piece of rope, but the situation escalated quickly when a police officer became a victim of their prank.
“It’s really late at night. We’re at a park, we’re waiting, and here comes a car. I’m like, ‘Alright, ready, go!’ And we pull it up. The car goes through… It’s a cop car. The rope is too long that the trash cans go behind the car and they bang into each other, so it looks like he just got married.”
A still from Superbad
The Trainwreck actor burst into laughter because it scared the cop, but the officer was not thrilled by the prank because when he got out of his car, Hader got approached and arrested for it.
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“It scared the sh*t out of this cop. Everybody ran, but I was like, ‘Aww, I’m gonna be cool.’ So I went over to my car and was just smoking a cigarette, like, ‘Hey, what happened, officer?’ He was like, ‘F*ck you!’ He had a flashlight and then he made me pick up beer cans. I got arrested afterwards.”
The prank was hilarious, and Bill Hader got the inspiration for his role in Superbad, which made it a great comedy film. The movie was a massive success at the Box Office, earning $169.9 million worldwide, and earning himself a huge fan following despite being a supporting character in it.
Directed by Greg Motola, Superbad is a 2007 comedy film that has survived the test of time. To this day, it remains a highly influential and great modern comedy, with its vulgar humor, and sharp dialogues. The film had relatable characters in the form of Evan and Seth, two teenagers coping with the ups and downs of life.
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Jonah Hill in Superbad
The portrayal of Officer Slater by Bill Hader was immensely praised by critics and audiences alike, as he brought comic relief to the film. He portrays himself as an incompetent cop and his interactions with Seth and Evan are often absurd and over-the-top, which amused the viewers greatly.
Lastly, the film perfectly captured the essence of the high school experience, and showcases the theme of friendship, growing up in the adult world, and the awkwardness of teenage years. And with the experiences being felt by the viewers, it remains an evergreen comedy film.
Tushar Auddy, Junior Content Writer. He has been in the entertainment industry for 3 years and is always on the lookout for a captivating story. He is a student of Linguistics and currently pursuing his Master's degree in the same field. He has a passion for literature that runs deep and loves nothing more than getting lost in a novel for hours on end. When he isn't reading, you'll find him capturing the beauty of language.
