No One Has Ever Been Happier Than Bill Hader Meeting Datelines Keith Morrison

Is there anything more joyful than watching an adoring fan surprise-meet one of their idols? What if that fan happens to be Bill Hader, and the idol is Datelines Keith Morrison?

Hader, a huge Dateline fanboy, paid a visit to the NBC production during an appearance on Today Sunday morning. (Hader is also, of course, a beloved Saturday Night Live alum—making the gimmick a nice exercise in brand synergy for NBC as well.) SNL fans likely recall that Hader loves Morrison so much that he once did an unforgettably deranged impression of him back in 2011s 37th season—in a sketch titled Dateline: The Mystery of the Chopped Up Guy. Haders wild bug eyes and gravely “Yeeeeaaaaahhhh!”s stole the show—and Steve Buscemi made a pretty great perp.

Flash forward to Sunday, when Today brought Hader to sit in on the shows production studio, visiting one of the editing bays and listening to Morrison record a few lines of narration. (Hader was even able to recount lines from an episode they were playing back.) But that was just an appetizer, of course; the main attraction came a moment later, when Morrison walked in just as Hader was rhapsodizing his brilliance.

“I knew he was gonna be here!” Hader said twice, before telling Morrison, “Oh my gosh…Man, youre the man!”

“You extended my career!” Morrison replied.

Hader seemed surprised to hear that, although truthfully he also still appeared to be captivated by the haze of fan admiration. The actor told Morrison that his celebrity fan club also includes John Mulaney and Larry David. “Wow,” he said. “This is the coolest thing of all time.” After a few more moments, Hader was stammering and almost speechless, overcome with glee.

Morrison also recalled the moment he first found out about Haders impression—when his daughter called him screaming to watch SNL. Upon seeing the sketch, Morrison said, “I didnt know—whats the expression? I didnt know whether to shit or go blind. It was very weird, Ive got to tell you.” In return, Hader looked back on the moment when Seth Meyers called him while recording a bit with Morrison for Late Night, asking Hader, “Im with Keith Morrison—jealous?” Hader, of course, replied, “Yes!” At least now he can call Meyers and brag about a Morrison hangout all his own.

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