CNN
—
Bill Hader was in Malibu filming a Volkswagen commercial with his former “SNL” co-stars Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen when a devastating wildfire began ripping through the Pacific Palisades, the affluent West Los Angeles neighborhood perched atop a peak overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Hader opened up about seeing his community destroyed and his experience in the aftermath for the first time on a recent episode of Conan O’Brien’s podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend.”
With help from a news crew, as seen in a viral clip, Hader made his way to his home and was grateful to see it was still standing. However, he said, it was “unlivable” and filled with “toxic stuff everywhere.”
“There’s just devastation all around,” he said. “It was no good. I was just in total shock.”
The once picturesque community was reduced to ash and rubble in January when multiple wildfires erupted in Los Angles. The Eaton Fire, which burned through Altadena on LA’s East Side, and The Palisades Fire are considered the most destructive fires in LA history and killed 29 people.
Hader said he has a “great support system of friends,” including his girlfriend, comedian Ali Wong, who supported him in the aftermath. Wong, he said, helped him go clothes shopping after his kids noticed he was still wearing only sweatpants.
“It was very sweet. It meant a lot to me,” he said. “My kids are like, ‘You’re living in your pajamas,’ like, they’re very worried. And I told her about that and she was like, ‘Let me take you to get some clothes.’”
The hardest part, he said, was knowing his kids lost so much and “just seeing the devastation in that community and everything, I was speechless.”
Hader has three daughters – Hannah, Harper and Hayley – who he shares with his ex-wife, director and screenwriter Maggie Carey. Hader said they have been “resilient” throughout the ordeal.
“Everybody’s like, are you there for your kids? And it’s like, ‘No, I’m getting more from them,’” he said. “I’m so inspired by them and their ability to move and adapt and be positive.”
