SNL's Bill Hader Is The Voice Behind BB-8 In 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
SNL alum and "Trainwreck" star Bill Hader is the voice behind BB-8 in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
It seemed that Hader had planned on keeping his involvement in the seventh "Star Wars" installment a secret, until a reporter from Hitflix noticed his name (listed as voice consultant) during the end credits of the film.
When asked what "vocal consultant" consisted of, Hader explained to Hitflix at the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiere, "J.J. [Abrams] f****** around with this sound effects app on his iPad that was attached to a talk box operated by me."
The "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" voice actor added, "It looked ridiculous but it made BB-8's voice."
Hader, an ace impersonator, initially intended on using his real voice to create the robotic sounds but thought it noticeably sounded human. "At first I tried doing a voice, but we all agreed it sounded too human," he said.
It turns out that Hader wasn't the only voice behind the spherical droid. A report from People reveals that he received help from "Parks and Recreation" star Ben Shwartz, who also worked as the character's voice consultant.
Schwartz, who also had been keeping his involvement in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" under the radar, tweeted "Quite possibly the hardest and coolest secret I've ever had to keep. BB8 voice over consultant."
"Nothing makes me happier," he said, adding," this movie is amazing."
Directed by J.J. Abrams, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the seventh installment to the long-running space opera that began with 1977's "Star Wars: A New Hope." It is also the first "Star Wars" film to be released under new franchise owners Walt Disney Company.
BB-8 who debuted in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," is set to appear next in "Star Wars: Episode 9" in 2019.