Bill Hader’s Panic Attack Watching 28 Weeks Later’s Start
Bill Hader opens up about how the intense opening of 28 Weeks Later left him rattled, triggering a panic attack as real-life worries collided with on-screen horror.
Bill Hader’s played some pretty wild characters over the years. He’s been everything from a yoga-mad Santa who can’t stand Christmas in Noelle, to the voice of Fear in Inside Out 2. You’d reckon a bloke who can pull off those roles would be unflappable, but turns out, he’s not immune to a good scare. Hader’s got a knack for dry delivery and a winning grin, but he’s not so different from the anxious little fella he voices in Pixar’s latest.
Back in his younger days, Hader was just like any other teen, glued to the telly with mates, popcorn everywhere, and a monster flick on for a bit of a thrill. He told the New York Times,
“I remember being a teenager and just loving monster movies.”
But as he got older, the things that rattled him shifted. The harmless frights of a sleepover gave way to the tougher stuff life throws at you. In his words,
“As you get older, what you’re scared of changes into very real-life things. You lose people in your life, and it’s brutal in a different way.”
When Real Life and Horror Collide
That realisation hit Hader hard one night while he was working at SNL. He found himself watching the start of 28 Weeks Later, the 2007 horror flick directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. It’s a film that’s left plenty of punters on edge, but for Hader, it was more than just the usual blood and guts. He admitted,
“I watched the opening sequence, and I had a whole panic attack. I was like, I can’t handle this right now, because I had, like, real-life stress.”
It’s a fair point—most of us turn to films hoping for a bit of escape from the daily grind. But sometimes, even the most gripping story can’t drown out what’s going on in your own head. Fresnadillo’s opening scene is a cracker, all tension and chaos, but Hader’s mind was already racing with worries that had nothing to do with zombies.
When Escapism Falls Short
There’s something about horror that usually lets you leave your troubles at the door, at least for a couple of hours. But for Hader, the stress he was carrying meant the film’s tension just tipped him over the edge. The relentless pace and gut-churning suspense of that first scene didn’t help matters, and the line between fiction and reality blurred in a way that left him genuinely shaken.
It’s not really Fresnadillo’s fault—he did his job too well, crafting a sequence that sticks with you long after the credits roll. But sometimes, what’s happening off-screen is just as intense as what’s on it. Hader’s experience is a reminder that even the best escapism can’t always keep real life at bay.
Looking Ahead: A Different Kind of Scare
Thankfully, the much-hyped follow-up, 28 Years Later, landed with a warmer reception and a bit more heart. If the undead don’t get you, a gut-wrenching turn from Jodie Comer just might. Here’s hoping Hader had an easier time with that one.