Bill Hader Says Carol Burnett Emailed to Tell Him They're Cousins: 'It's Been Really Exciting'

"I hope I can, like, have dinner with her," Bill Hader said of Carol Burnett while recalling how he learned about the family connection

Bill Hader has a special connection to Carol Burnett.

While the two Hollywood actors are veterans in the comedy industry, an episode of PBS' Finding Your Roots also uncovered that Hader and Burnett are, in fact, cousins.

"She emailed me," Hader, 44, recalled to Entertainment Tonight about learning the news. "Yeah, she emailed me and said, 'Hey, we're related.' And I went, 'What?'"

Related: From Julie Andrews to Julia Louis-Dreyfus: Carol Burnett's Famous Friends Toast Her 90th Birthday

The Emmy winner added that he and Burnett, 89, have kept in touch since learning of their familial connection, which he called "really exciting."

"I hope I can, like, have dinner with her," he gushed, adding that his family shared the same joy when he told them.

"I'm like, 'We're all related to Ms. Hannigan," and they were like, 'Ah!!'" he added, referencing Burnett's iconic role in the 1982 version of Annie.

Related:Carol Burnett on Turning 90 — and Cherishing Her Hips and Knees: 'I Still Feel Like I'm About 11'

Hader first shared his reaction to the news while appearing on Thursday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he explained that their connection is "insane."

During the appearance, he was also shown a clip of an interview he took part in for the 2015 release of The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes DVD box set, in which he confessed he had a crush on the legendary actress.

"Hey, you can take the boy out of Oklahoma. You know what I'm saying? That's the way it works. I knew there was something about her," he joked in response to the hilarious flashback.

Related:Bill Hader Says His Girlfriend Helped Him Realize He Should Take His First Vacation in 10 Years

Hader has been keeping busy lately, most recently as a director for all eight episodes of Barry's final run.

The feat was hardly lost on his costars Henry Winkler and Sarah Goldberg, who both said Hader brought a "cinematic" quality to the series' already frenetic action and absurdly comedic scenes while speaking to PEOPLE during Sunday's premiere event.

"Well, when he said he was going to direct all eight, we thought he was insane," Goldberg, 37, told PEOPLE. "Such a huge amount of work, and he really pulled it off. I mean, he had a really strong vision for what he wanted to do this season. It was a very ambitious, cinematic vision, and he was so kind of organized with his thoughts and ideas and kind of brought it every single day."

Winkler, 77, agreed and added: "This is where Bill wanted to be. Saturday Night Live was a deviation from his dream, and I watched him from the very first season to now. He is the creator, producer, writer, actor, and now director of all of them. Not a ripple in the water. Not a moment where you think, 'Oh my God, he's stressed.' I'm stressed. Oh, my Lord."

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Barry airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.

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