Why Bill Hader Fans Are Just Discovering His 'Secret' Star Trek Movie Role Now
The second film in a franchise is liable to be deemed a sophomore slump, and in the case of "Star Trek Into Darkness," that pressure was even more keenly felt due to the devoted fanbase. Fortunately, some new blood in the form of Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan Noonien Singh elevated the film, with Peter Travers calling the portrayal "a villain for the ages."
Cumberbatch wasn't the only new addition. In the film, the USS Vengeance is voiced by "SNL" alum and "Barry" star Bill Hader. Even though "Star Trek Into Darkness" was released in 2013, new fans are continuing to discover Hader's involvement, thanks in part to the shifting social media landscape (Back then, Twitter only had one name, and TikTok didn't even exist). Indeed, a viral TikTok video that has since been taken down (presumably for copyright reasons) highlights Hader's role in the film, to viewers' shock.
Over on Twitter, fans are just as surprised to learn that the actor is behind the robotic voice. One fan, @WriterEm0, simply exclaimed, "BILL HADER WAS IN STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS?????" Other Twitter users followed suit. For another user, the realization came when they pointed out that a former "Star Trek: The Original Series" actor looked like Hader in a wig. "Now I really want Bill Hader to be in Star Trek," they wrote. @Mercuryal chimed in to assure that their dream had already come true, writing, "Fun fact: Technically, Bill Hader HAS been in Star Trek — but only his voice."
Hader forgets some of his own voice roles
Bill Hader is known for his on-screen work, but he's also a prolific voice actor, having played Pixar characters and a dizzying number of "South Park" characters. In a video interview with GQ, Hader recalled the lightning-fast experience of joining "Star Trek Into Darkness." "J.J. [Abrams] called and said, 'Hey man, do you want to do the voice for a ship in the new Star Trek?'" The only caveat? "'You need to do it, like, today.' I go, 'Well, I'm in Las Vegas.'" Using some J.J. Abrams magic, the director immediately procured a vehicle to pick up Hader and shuttle him to a nearby recording studio. "I went in and did it like three times and left." The fact that countless fans continue to do a double take at Hader's voice would surely surprise the actor. "I wouldn't have noticed me," he added.
For Hader, some of his voice roles are so flash-in-the-pan that he barely recalls doing them. "You do these things, and they're so fast," the actor continued. "I've watched things that I've done voices in and I fully forgot I was in it. I have three small children, and we'll watch movies, and then suddenly, my voice pops up. In 'Ice Age 3' or something, I'm a gazelle, and it's like, 'When the hell did I do this?'"
To the likely chagrin of "Star Trek" fans, Hader has no problem remembering his work as a vocal consultant for BB-8 in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." He credits Abrams with granting him "a fanboy dream of having your [name in the] credits of a 'Star Wars' movie."