Bill Hader likes to joke that he owes Finn Wolfhard for getting him the role of Richie Tozier in It Chapter Two. But it’s actually true: When It became a surprise success in 2017, every time the all-teen cast hit the red carpet, questioned about possibilities of a sequel, what everyone wanted to know was who would play their older counterpart. Wolfhard admits to saying Hader’s name “all the time,” and as luck would have it, director Andy Muschietti agreed. Within six months of the first film’s release, Hader was in talks to join the sequel.
While Wolfhard has become a recent staple in hit genre films and TV shows, thanks in large part to his role as Mike in Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, Hader is best known for his comedy. After doing an eight-season run on the long-running Saturday Night Live, Hader went on to co-star in hits like Trainwreck and The Mindy Project, and was part of the voice cast for Bob’s Burgers, Finding Dory, Inside Out, and more. The two might have contrasting résumés, but in reality, the actors couldn’t be more similar— neither wanted to be an actor, both are quieter than what you might expect, and both had to quickly learn how to navigate fame as cast members for popular shows. Their similarities, in turn, made matching the older and younger versions of Richie a snap for the pair.
Sitting across from Wolfhard and Hader in Los Angeles late last month, their likeness is undeniable. Neither really expected their Hollywood careers to unfurl the way they have, and both men have an incredibly relaxed demeanor about it all, and a lackadaisical way of answering tough questions, even as we sat in a house with no air conditioning on a hot California morning.
GQ: You guys were both great in this film. I don’t know if you've seen the social reactions, but Richie seems to be the fan favorite right now.
Bill Hader: Oh, good.
Finn Wolfhard: That’s awesome.
Bill, coming in to this franchise, I imagine it’s a little harder to make a specific character your own because there’s been a few versions that people already know. How do you take a character like Richie and make him fresh?
BH: I don't really think about it too much. I just try to [think about] the story and what Andy [Muschietti]'s liking and reacting to the other actors and your own taste, really. [It’s about] just kind of trying stuff and being open to [the idea that] “sometimes it works, and sometimes nothing works.” That's all you can really do. We have a lot of freedom with Andy. I think there's only been two things that he's been like, “...no.”
I'm a big fan of Stephen King and I recently re-read The Shining. The first time I read it I was 13, and now I'm 40. I’m picking up on totally different things that I didn’t before, and the things that scared me then have changed. Because It is so rooted in trauma—and specifically childhood trauma—and its effects, and here you both are playing the same character across two different ages, what are each of your takes how your character experiences and overcomes trauma?
FW: I don't know. It's a tough one.
BH: I mean, you want to honor it, but you also want to say you're doing a big horror movie, so it's like this balance, you know what I mean?
FW: I feel like you don't want to go one way or the other.
BH: Yeah, you don’t want to make a glib thing but you also don't want to be so heavy. I think that's what makes It great is that it has a lot of things going for it—a lot of genres. I think that some of the best movies are the ones that aren't just “let's just see John run.” They kind of have everything going for it.
I read an interview in which you talked a little bit about how the film explores repressed emotions through trauma. Richie is a prime example of that in the film—of something that is repressed, but not implicitly stated in the film. His sexuality is just alluded to. Do you think that layer to Richie was important to be included?
BH: Yes, absolutely. I don’t want to say too much but yes, I think it's just playing the character and being true to that character. Andy and I talked about it…
Because that wasn’t in the book?
BH: Well, it depends on who you talk to. Some people have felt that it is implied in the book. Regardless, I just thought it was an interesting idea. Once I got the part, then Andy sat me down and said, “Hey, we're thinking about going this way.” And I thought it was great.
Finn, did you know that Andy was thinking about going in that direction?
FW: I had no idea, but when that scene came about, it was like, of course. I don't want to give too much away, but I think it made a lot of sense because a lot of kids go through that. I thought it was really smart.
It: Chapter One seemed to explore childhood fears, whereas Chapter Two is more about actually overcoming trauma and becoming the survivor. Do you feel like that journey is something that a lot of viewers can identify with?
BH: I always think about how people have a communal experience like that, something traumatic or exciting or whatever. You hold onto those people no matter what. It's like you all have the same disease in a weird way. The Losers, they have that and they're bonded forever. I think that that does happen, whether it's your siblings or going through something with someone at school; there's an explicit understanding and a bond there that other people just won't understand, and couldn't understand. That's one of the most interesting things about this group of characters.
Finn, is there something about horror in particular that attracts you?
FW: No! Getting both was just a complete coincidence. I wanted to be a director and comedian and my plan was to go to NYU. I wanted to be in UCB. But then, I got Stranger Things from a self tape that I did when I was sick in bed, so I did not expect to do any of that stuff. Then I just got the part and then it was like, there's also It. It's so funny, I get this question and usually, I'm like, well, sure, I like it, but there's also like... if you know me, I don’t always watch horror. It's been a big coincidence.
In contrast, Bill, you're best known for your comedic work, though you’ve done some drama, too. But here you are, part of a horror franchise. How do you find the comedy in horror?
BH: Well, it's all kind of the same thing. It's all about timing. Comedy and horror feed off the reactions, whether the audience screams or laughs. It's the same as the haunted house ride thing, you know? There's always a certain order to a movie like this, a fun house thing. It's all kind of instinctual: you're on set and you just try a thing and the reactions make it work or not. And then you go, “Oh, I wasn't feeling that,” and try something else. I think, anyway. I wish I had better answers!
It feels like we're living in a time in which horrifying things are happening in every day life, and concurrently, the horror genre is having a real, pronounced renaissance. Do either of you see a connection there?
FW: Maybe a little bit. Movies have always been an escape for people, though.
BH: I feel like in general, yeah. You look at like the first Night of the Living Dead and everything that was going on in the world at that time. You could see the Cold War stuff and people talking about McCarthyism when they watch that movie. It's all a way of relating, and emotions. I say that, but then I think every year someone goes, “We're living through terrible times.” Then twenty years later, people will be saying “I miss 2019!” It's always terrible. Not to say it's not terrible right now, but I think that's how humanity works.
FW: I wonder if that's what people who watched the first movie thought. That train going by. Do you think people came out of the theater and said “Let's just go see it again and again,” thinking this is how the world works now. It’s crazy how it changes.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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