![Bill Hader as Stefan covering his face during SNL weekend update on [Season 38, 2013]](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5DHFgNBycCfJKc7VkGLdei-1280-80.png.webp)
One of the funniest recurring characters in SNL history to this day is Bill Hader’s Stefon, thanks to all his off-the-wall recommendations for the hottest clubs, events and destinations in New York City. To this day, Seth Meyers still gets asked about working alongside Hader when he was playing this character, because he was the one sitting next to him at the Weekend Update Desk. Now, the Late Night host has revealed his favorite moment with Stefon and why it made them both emotional.
When the SNL alum answered audience questions on his show Late Night With Seth Meyers, the host was asked to break down his favorite memory with Stefon. He started to recall a sweet moment with Hader while explaining which episode sticks out to him the most. In his words:
There was this last Stefon, where he came out on the Weekend Update desk, he told me he was going to get married and I didn’t fight for him, and he went out and he left, and then Amy [Poehler] was like ‘Go to him.’
Meyers went on to recall a sketch called “Stefon’s Farewell,” which aired on NBC on May 18, 2013. This particular edition of Stefon, happened during Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis and more's final episode. Meyers also noted that he knew he’d be soon transitioning to late night, and he had just half of a season left of being on the sketch show. As he continued:
And so, then I ran off, and it was this pre-tape and Stefon was going to marry Anderson Cooper and then it was like The Graduate. I ran and I stopped the wedding. And then we were gonna run back on stage and that was how Weekend Update was going to end.
This was an all-time great Stefon moment. In the hilarious bit, Seth Meyers runs off to stop a wedding between Stefon and Anderson Cooper, which was a pre-taped part of the show. So, while that was playing for the audience, here’s what was happening behind the scenes for the two SNL cast members, as Meyers recalled:
Bill was wearing a wedding veil and I was standing there, and we were just watching backstage. We were watching it on the monitor, and we were holding hands cause we were gonna run in holding hands, and Bill was getting emotional. This was his last show. And then I started getting emotional, and like the two of us are sitting there, and we’re both tearing up watching a fake wedding.
How sweet! Bill Hader was saying goodbye to a job he’d had since 2005 at that moment, and Meyers knew it was in the cards for him soon after joining back in 2001. He also said this:
And I remember thinking, 'cause I was getting for-real married three months later, and I was thinking, ‘Oh, I better cry at my wedding. If I don’t cry at my wedding and I’m crying at this fake Stefon wedding, it’s gonna be a terrible time.’
One might have thought Meyers’ favorite moment would have to do with some funny instance where they broke up laughing (did you know the reason why Hader actually covered his face as Stefon was because Meyers would make him laugh?) But his favorite memory is actually super emotional. Check out the sketch below:
Ultimately, Bill Hader did return to play Stefon again, even though he has expressed some regrets about the character. And recently fans were super bummed Stefon didn’t return for SNL50. Of course, we can only hope he’ll become one of the upcoming SNL hosts, so we can see him and maybe even Stefon again.
Overall, it’s so lovely to hear Meyers recall the good old days working with Hader on the show, and it’s such a good answer to add to the Best Of Stefon collection. Now, you can go back and watch these iconic SNL moments with a Peacock subscription.
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