Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hader honed his comedy chops at the Los Angeles chapter of Second City, the renowned comedy proving ground for many of the shows veterans. Along the way, he supported himself with a number of low-level jobs, including serving as a production assistant on the DVD, “Empire of Dreams: the Story of the Star Wars Trilogy.” He also worked as an assistant on VH1's washed-up celebrity reality series “The Surreal Life.” He also worked as a “field agent” for the popular Ashton Kutcher MTV pranks series, “Punk’d.”

In 2005, Hader produced and appeared in the film “Jenny Clone,” written and directed by his wife, Maggie Carey, who also played the lead role.His work with the Los Angeles comedy troup “Animals From the Future” captured the eye of Megan Mullally of “Will & Grace” (NBC) and she suggested Hader to “SNL” producer Lorne Michaels. He joined the show shortly thereafter as a featured player, one step below being a full cast member. On the big screen, Hader appeared next in the Owen Wilson comedy “You, Me and Dupree,” set for release in summer 2006.