Bill Hader Didn’t Appear On SNL’s 50th Anniversary Special, And Fans Aren’t Holding Back Their Thoughts

SNL50: The Anniversary Special is in the books and it proved to be one of the biggest events of the 2025 TV schedule thus far. The live reunion show featured various comedic titans, thanks to Lorne Michaels wildly large budget, minus a handful, including Bill Hader. As the evening went on, with Hader nowhere in sight, fans started taking to social media to express how much the star's presence was missed.

Plenty of users took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts and feelings about the Barry star being MIA for Saturday Night Live's biggest evening yet. X user @ohheyp stated that the Weekend Update segment was missing one of the most popular regular guest spots, and one of the actor’s most notable characters, Stefon:

The tweet paired the classic GIF with the declarative sentiment perfectly while making a great case for those who feel the show missed out on a huge moment. And, while I missed the Superbad actor during the show (and segment), I was much happier to see Drunk Uncle (Bobby Moynihan) and Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started A Conversation With At A Party (Cecily Strong). Nevertheless, I can't deny that it would've been a treat to see Stefon pop up.

Speaking of The Skelton Twins alum’s best characters, Devin of The Californians tops my list. Other fans, like myself, were lost metaphorically and maybe even physically (you should’ve taken the 101 to the 5) without Hader. @theycallmeT_04 used the comedian’s Californians’ character, Devin, to drive home that the funnyman was missed big-time:

That signature overly soapy face GIF is an apt and comedic compliment. The Inside Out 2 star was one of the more notable missing alums from the late night sketch comedy show and, with a substantial tenure there (2005-2013), it’s no wonder that there’s this much discourse over his absence.

Other fans claimed the evening felt incomplete without Bill Hader in the mix. @BrunoCendon used a Dateline GIF of Hader as Keith Morisson to drive home the feeling, and they name-dropped another SNL icon as well:

They aren’t wrong to tweet that both ex-cast members were missed over the weekend. The large pockets of missing alums were seemingly felt across SNL fandoms, if social media is any indication. I particularly loved to see Jane Curtain and Laraine Newman holding up Gilda Radner’s picture during the goodbyes to commemorate their late peer.

With so much material going into one weekend, another user, @JoshNason, shared a wish that would theoretically explain why Bill Hader wasn't present at the show:

A recap in a limited series or movie format would be a great way to encapsulate the historic weekend. I know I'd surely love to know why the Noelle actor wasn’t there (along with other big names) @kbeninato said it best with their X post, which also featured a dash of Stefon:

I'm curious as to what might come of this this popular conversation as time goes on and whether or not Bill Hader himself will respond directly to the fans. It’s very possible there was a scheduling conflict or he's still dealing with an eye health issue, (which prevented him from attending the Globes with his alleged girlfriend Ali Wong). Whatever the reason was, fans are sure to remember Bill Hader's absence for years to come and may continue to wonder what could've been.

Saturday Night Live Season 50 has plenty left in store. As of now, no new upcoming hosts or musical acts have been announced, but it's likely that announcements will come soon. Catch the sketch show on its titular night on NBC at 11:30 p.m. EST or the following day with a Peacock subscription, which will also allow you to stream SNL50: The Anniversary Special.