Crew member on the 'Barry' set explains why Bill Hader is such a tremendous leader and talent
Starting at the bottom prepared him for life at the top.
Bill Hader speaking at the San Diego Comic-Con International for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2"
It’s common to hear anonymous dispatches about Hollywood sets where an actor or director created a toxic environment for the cast and crew. This type of behavior feels like a given in a high-pressure creative field with a lot of egos and money on the line. But does it have to be?
An anonymous employee from the set of HBO's “Barry” has some refreshing news that’ll delight anyone who’s a fan of the show created by its star, Bill Hader, and Alex Berg. It should also give hope to anyone interested in working in film that not all sets are toxic.
An anonymous post on the IA (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) Stories Instagram account said that Bill Hader was a true professional who cared about people working on their set, no matter their job. IA Stories is an account where "TV/Film workers share stories [anonymously] about our work environments to build solidarity across crews/crafts." Hader directed every episode of the recently released 4th and final season of the critically-acclaimed show.
The post was tweeted out by Amrita Khalid, a reporter for The Verge who specializes in writing about podcasts and audiobooks.
\u201cAdd Bill Hader to the list of Hollywood directors who treat their crew like humans and aren\u2019t assholes.\u201d— Amrita Khalid (@Amrita Khalid) 1686172863
“The series finale of Barry is now wrapped, and I’d like to share some thoughts on my experience working with Bill Hader and his team,” the IATSE guild member writes. “All of the actors have spoken about what a great director he is, but he’s also great from a crew standpoint, and it makes me believe that people like him who worked as a PA will end up making the best directors.”
Hader came to Los Angeles in 1999 from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and worked as a production assistant with the goal that he would one day become a director. Four years later, he joined a Second City improv class on a whim and two years later was on the cast of “Saturday Night Live.”
“He knows firsthand how much of a beating the crew can take when a director comes in ill-prepared,” the guild member continued. “Bill worked extensively in prep and always came to set knowing exactly what he wanted. As a result, we worked the shortest hours I’ve ever worked in my whole career.”
The anonymous poster also has kind words for “Barry” star Henry Winkler who is known as one of the nicest people in Hollywood. Winkler played the iconic character Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli on “Happy Days” in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
“The real person who stole my heart was, of course, the Fonz himself. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it as long as anyone wants to hear it, Henry Winkler is a National treasure. … He makes you feel special just by looking at you.”
Hader told The New Yorker why his directing style caters to the needs of the people working on his set.
“I had those jobs. I know what it’s like when someone at the top is miserable and yelling and screaming. It just makes everybody’s life miserable,” he said. “The crew and all these people, they have families and lives, and, yeah, they’re being paid, but nothing’s worth keeping someone up for twenty hours because you can’t make up your mind.”
“I’ve talked to directors who do a ton of takes, and as an actor, I’ve never felt like it helps me at all,” he told IndieWire. “I used to have that thing in my 20s with Kubrick, thinking shooting all those takes was really romantic and cool. But then once you actually start doing this stuff, you’re like, ‘That’s insane.'”
Hader keeps his set calm by using other people on set for mental health support when things get stressful. “It’s been brought to my attention that I can emotionally dump, and I treat people like my therapist. I think meditating helps,” he said.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
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Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."