From Spoiling Titanic to SNL Star Bill Hader’s Wild Job Story!

Before he was making audiences laugh on Saturday Night Live and starring in HBO’s Barry, Bill Hader had a much less glamorous job — working at a movie theater. And let’s just say… it didn’t end well. The 46-year-old comedian recently shared the hilarious (and kind of savage) story of how he got fired from that job — all because he gave away the ending to one of the biggest movies of all time: Titanic.

The Spoiler That Sank His Job

While appearing as a guest on Netflix’s Everybody’s in L.A. with John Mulaney, Hader told the story of how a sorority group had rented out the movie theater he worked at. The film? Titanic, which hadn’t even officially come out yet. “I was working in a movie theatre, and Titanic hadn’t come out yet,” Hader said. “A sorority had bought out the movie theatre, and they were in the doorway, blocking the entrance.”

Trying to do his job, Hader asked them to move. But instead of cooperating, they mocked him. “They said I looked like Charles Manson — which I kind of did,” he joked. “I had a little bowtie on and cummerbund, and I was like, ‘Hey guys, please move.’ And they were like, ‘No.’” So, naturally, young Hader did what any fed-up movie usher might be tempted to do… but shouldn’t.

“Enjoy the Movie. The Boat Sinks. Leo Dies.”

As the sorority group finally entered the theater, Hader got the ultimate petty revenge. “I tore the tickets and said, ‘Enjoy the movie. The boat sinks at the end. Leo dies,’” Hader recalled. “They were like, ‘No, he doesn’t.’ I said, ‘Yeah, you think he’s asleep. But he’s frozen.’” Spoiler alert, indeed.

Fired with a Smile

Unsurprisingly, Hader’s Titanic sabotage didn’t go unnoticed. Shortly after the spoiler incident, he was called in by his boss — and fired. But here’s the kicker: even his manager found it funny. “The guy came down smiling, and he was like, ‘Hey, Bill. I have to fire you,’” Hader said. “He loved it. Couldn’t look me in the eye, though.” It may have been a job-ending moment, but it makes for an amazing story nearly three decades later.

From Ticket Tearing to SNL Stardom

That Titanic-torpedoed job didn’t hold Hader back for long. Just seven years later, he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, where he spent eight seasons and became a fan favorite thanks to characters like Stefon and sketches like The Californians. But behind the scenes, things weren’t always smooth sailing. In a previous interview with Variety, Hader admitted he struggled with the pressure of live TV. It wasn’t until his fifth season that he felt comfortable performing, and even then, he experienced panic attacks both on and off stage. He eventually left SNL in 2013 after the birth of his second child with then-wife Maggie Carey, saying he was overwhelmed by anxiety and work demands.

He Doesn’t Even Watch His Own Work

Interestingly, despite becoming a household name thanks to SNL, Hader said he rarely watches any of his own sketches. “Any time someone says something to me that I don’t understand, I go, ‘Did I say that on SNL?’” he told Variety.

“I never saw any of the stuff I did.” It wasn’t until a nanny showed his kids a few of his old skits that they realized how famous their dad really is. “They came in and were like, ‘Dad, look at this,’” Hader said. “I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. There I am.’”

A Titanic Spoiler, a Legendary Career

While spoiling Titanic might have cost Hader his teenage job, it definitely didn’t sink his career. From SNL stardom to leading his own award-winning series, he’s more than bounced back — and now we all get to enjoy his stories and his comedy, spoiler-free.