Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader on Getting Serious (But Not Too Serious) as Twins in ‘Skeleton Twins’

The Skeleton Twins is definitely not a Saturday Night Live movie. The dark tale does, however, reunite two of its most high-profile cast members to exit recently, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Directed by Craig Johnson, Skeleton Twins debuted to raves at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Wiig and Hader play estranged twins who reunite after both, unbeknownst to the other, attempt to commit suicide.

We sat down with Wiig and Hader to talk about their new dramedy (can we call it that? More on that below) and watch them crack each other up.

Did you guys come onboard for this one together?
Hader: I was onboard first, starting in 2010… We had the money, and then didn’t have the money. Another actress [Anna Faris] was involved and then fell out, and then Kristen became available and said she would do it and then we got the money.

What did you say to convince her?
Hader: I didn’t say anything. Because I’ve been in that position before where people call me and say, “Hey man, I know we’re friends, I don’t want to pressure you but if you were in this thing it would be really fun.” And no matter how they say it, it’s just always puts pressure on you. So I was like, “I’m not saying anything to her. You guys just go talk.”

Were you guys pretty close from your years on SNL together?
Wiig and Hader [almost in unison]: Oh yeah.

You read about all different casts and how some got along really well and others less so.
Wiig: We were really lucky with our group. I mean it definitely goes through different phases, the show’s been on for what, 40 years? I started with, for the most part, Bill, Andy Samberg and Jason Sudeikis, and we just kind of went through everything together, and who you start with is like your class. You’re eternally bonded with those people because you go through a lot on that show.

Did the experience of making Skeleton Twins bring you guys even closer?
Wiig and Hader [in unison]: Oh yeah. [They laugh.]
Hader: You know sketch comedy is just that, it’s a quick thing. And when you’re on a show, you’re close and you’re working together, but there’s so much going on at SNL that you’re just trying to manage throughout the day. So to have something that is this intimate kind of movie, and you get to have such nuanced performances, drawing on what we have in life, you can’t help but get closer.

And also both being comedic actors play more dramatic roles.
Wiig: It’s funny when people say “comedic actors who are now transitioning.” From our perspective, we’ve always wanted to do drama, we’ve always wanted to do comedy, we just did comedy first, I guess.
Hader: It’s performing, it’s acting. It makes total sense when SNL’s the thing that breaks you, but typecasting is a real thing. I was always naïve to that. So you have to work to get parts like this. And you get very lucky when you find something that’s this good, and a director like Craig, who knew that he wanted two people known for comedy to be in the movie, because it doesn’t come along very often.

Bill, you mentioned typecasting. You became so closely associated with the gay Stefan character on SNL’s Weekend Update, were you concerned that would affect the way people saw this character, who is also gay?
Wiig: It’s a legitimate question.
Hader: It’s a super-legitimate question. And somebody said it at the very first Q&A at Sundance. It kind of took me off-guard. But Craig Johnson said, “I think the only thing they have in common is that they’re gay.” And it was one of the things that I appreciated about the script, that him being gay wasn’t his problem, it wasn’t his issue. But I didn’t think of it that way. I reacted to the character, I thought he was an interesting guy.

You both said you guys grew closer on this film, what did you learn about each other?
Wiig: It’s hard to say something specific. When you spend a lot of time with someone, and when you’re emotionally open with someone, and you did something that you’re really scared to do with someone, and then say “Oh my gosh, I did it.” You just get closer. You peel off the layers of the other person and yourself. It’s kind of hard to put into words, because it’s a feeling. But when we were done shooting I felt like I had never really been through an experience like that with someone.
Hader: I just remember feeling very vulnerable, and the stuff that Kristen was doing, because we know each other so well, would affect me more than it would anybody else. She got angry—
Wiig: Or if I cried.
Hader: Yeah if she cried, I would get real worried. And then we would try to make each other laugh.

You mentioned drawing on what you guys have together in real life. What carried over into your characters?
Hader: I think the way we mess around.
Wiig: The way we talk.

And also the fart noises you make for each other in the movie?
Wiig: Totally in the script.
Hader: Lindsay Shookus, who runs the talent department at SNL, saw the movie and said that when she saw that scene she felt like she was right back on the show with us.
Wiig: Like, that’s what you take away from your experience with us, the fart noises? [laughs]
Hader: The fart noises and being annoying.

How do you guys feel about the term dramedy?
Wiig: I don’t really like combined words like that.
Hader: Yeah, I don’t either.
Wiig: But it is hard to describe a movie that is both comedic and dramatic without either saying that or “dark comedy.” It’s so hard because everyone has a different definition for those words. Even the word “comedy.” Yeah I guess Bridesmaids was a comedy but Woody Allen makes comedies [and they’re so different].
Hader: Those are my favorite kinds of movies, the ones that are hard to categorize. Those are also the ones that are hard to sell.

Do you guys believe that twins have telepathy, or some kind of extra sensory connection?
Wiig: Oh, absolutely. Unless they plan on wearing the same thing.

Bill, what kind of sister would Kristen make?
Hader: A great sister. We kind of already have that relationship. When we get around each other, we’re just super-goofy. Yesterday we were on a plane together and we just sat and chatted. But then you can be like, “Okay, I’m gonna watch a movie now. Bye!”
Wiig: But then I tap him on the shoulder, like, “What are you going to have for breakfast?
Hader: “I’m going to have the turkey bacon quiche, ‘cause I don’t like my stomach.”

Finally, now that you’ve done your non-SNL spin-off, when are we going to see a Californians movie?
Hader: Didn’t they make that already? It was called Crash.
Wiig: [Laughs] That’s the best thing you’ve said, ever.

The Skeleton Twins is now in limited release.