Overview

• During a taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers, Hader confirmed that crippling anxiety—not a scheduling conflict—kept him from attending the primetime SNL50 celebration in February.
• He declined Andy Samberg’s invitation to star in a digital short about cast anxiety, leading Bowen Yang to assume the part in the sketch.
• Hader recounted that stress-induced shingles developed after the special and recalled a migraine aura that once caused temporary vision loss backstage.
• He contrasted his own tremors on live sketches with the composure of colleagues such as Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler to illustrate the pressures of Studio 8H.
• Hader’s disclosure refuted his publicist’s scheduling explanation; it highlights the impact of mental health challenges on performers in live comedy.