Bill Hader says uncomfortable Star Wars fan encounter put him off signing autographs

‘Barry’ star called the encounter ‘f***ed up’

Bill Hader has shared a “f***ed up” experience that caused him to stop signing autographs for fans.

Known to many fans as the voice of BB-8 in Star Wars film The Force Awakens, the actor has found he often gets asked to sign pictures or memorabilia.

However, after one encounter in 2015, he apparently decided he would no longer continue signing autographs.

“Autograph people don’t like me; I won’t sign things,” Hader told the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

Elaborating on why, the actor and former SNL comedian said: “You know what it was? I used to sign stuff, and then one time I saw somebody and they had their kid come up to me to sign a BB-8 thing and it was three in the morning.

“I was leaving the Inside Out premiere, and then we went to an after-party thing and it was super late, and this guy kept his kid up all night. [He] was like, ‘Go over there so he’ll sign it so I can sell it online.’”

Hader said he told the man “that’s f***ed up”, adding: “So now, I just kind of blanket, like, I’m not signing any of this s***.”

He also said it was “sweet” that Force Awakens director JJ Abrams even gave him a credit for BB-8, as some of the “voice stuff” he did for the character “didn’t work”.

“The reason he hasn’t had me come back is because anybody can do that,” Hader, said, adding: “It’s like a machine that you can operate.”

Bill Hader at the premiere of ‘Inside Out’ in 2015 (Getty Images)

During a recent interview withThe Independent, Hader named the one SNL character he won’t play again after “offending” a viewer – and backtracked on his suggestion he would retire the role of gay nightclub guide Stefon.

Barry season four is currently available to stream on NOW.