Bill Hader Sinks His Own Career Before It Even Started — Fired for Titanic Spoiler Revenge

In a Hollywood origin story almost as dramatic as the movies he stars in, Barry actor Bill Hader revealed that he torpedoed his own minimum-wage career long before setting foot in show business — by spoiling Titanic for an unlucky group of sorority girls.

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Appearing on Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney on Netflix, Hader, 46, shared a story so petty it deserves an Oscar.

Long before winning Emmys, Hader was working at a movie theater in the late ’90s — specifically when James Cameron’s Titanic was about to dominate the world.

Titanic movie poster : 11 x 17 inches (main) : Leonardo Dicaprio poster | eBay

It was a simpler time: Leonardo DiCaprio was a teen heartthrob, Kate Winslet was making cinematic history, and the fate of Jack and Rose was still a tightly guarded secret for audiences.

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But not if Bill Hader was on ticket duty.

“I was working in a movie theater, and Titanic hadn’t come out yet,” Hader told Mulaney. “A sorority had bought out the theater for a screening. They were blocking the entrance, being super rude, and making fun of me — said I looked like Charles Manson.”

Bill Hader at an event, split image with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in a scene from *Titanic*.

Fed up with their mockery, Hader hatched what may be the pettiest revenge plan in movie theater history.

“As I was tearing their tickets, I just said, ‘Enjoy the movie. The boat sinks at the end. Leo dies,’” Hader recounted with zero remorse.

Apparently, the sorority sisters weren’t ready to hear those chilling words. They denied it. Argued. But Hader, with the confidence of a man who had nothing to lose (and soon nothing to gain), doubled down:

“I told them, ‘Yeah, you think he’s sleeping? He’s frozen.’”

Cold. Ice cold.

LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 19: The movie "Titanic", written and directed by James Cameron. Seen here from left, Kate Winslet as Rose and Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack. Initial USA theatrical wide release December 19, 1997. Screen capture. Paramount Pictures.

Naturally, management caught wind of the spoiler incident. And while Hader’s manager reportedly loved the rebellious energy, there were consequences.

“He was like, ‘Hey Bill… I gotta fire you,’” Hader recalled. “He couldn’t even look me in the eye. But he was laughing.”

It was a career-ending move — at least for that job. But considering Hader went on to become one of the most beloved comedic actors of his generation, it’s safe to say he had the last laugh.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Bill Hader attends the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards at The Beverly Hilton on February 08, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.

And honestly? There’s a certain poetic justice in the fact that Hader’s career in storytelling began with a brutal spoiler that people are still talking about almost 30 years later.