Bill Hader has recalled being warned that taking a supporting role in the 2013 comedy *The To Do List* could end his career, because the film was expected to be poorly received. The warning reflects the uncertainty Hader faced while moving beyond *Saturday Night Live*, though the part ultimately did not prevent his subsequent success as an actor, writer and creator.

In the film, written and directed by Maggie Carey, Hader played Willy, a pool manager who helps Aubrey Plaza’s character prepare for university. Hader said someone told him, “We’ll never see you again,” if he appeared in it, but he took the role because he liked the script and Carey’s approach. *The To Do List* received mixed reviews and underperformed commercially, grossing about $3.6 million worldwide from a reported $1.5 million budget.