Bill Hader shared an interesting story about Van Halen’s David Lee Roth on Team Coco. The rock star had pitched a movie idea similar to “John Wick” during Hader’s time at South Park.
Hader recalled a memorable encounter when Roth came to present his movie concept about an assassin’s quest to recover his dog.
“When I worked at South Park, David Lee Roth pitched a movie to us where he was an assassin: ‘It’s about a guy trying to get his dog back,'” Hader shared. “We were like, ‘Oh, they made this movie John Wick.’ And Dave was like, ‘Nah, but the guy has a dog?! What do you mean he has a dog?'”
South Park co-creator Trey Parker suggested modifying the concept to incorporate Roth’s musical background.
“And Trey Parker pitched, he goes, ‘Well, what if you’re you and it’s like you’re having to go on these missions but you got to like have the band. The band’s also going ‘Hey Dave we need you on tour’ and stuff like that,'” Hader continued. “Dave goes ‘No, I don’t want these those guys involved with this.'”
The pitch may have been unsuccessful, but Hader cherished the memory. “We loved him. We were totally in awe. ‘Oh my god, that’s f*king David Lee Roth.’ And he did not disappoint at all. He was so sweet and nice, it was awesome.”
This pitch wasn’t Roth’s first venture into the movie industry. The rock star had previously explored several acting opportunities beyond his musical career.
Grunge reported that Roth had developed an ambitious film project in the mid-1980s. The movie, titled “Crazy From the Heat,” drew inspiration from his album and stage persona.
The project reached advanced stages of development. The team had completed storyboards, prepared costumes, and selected a cast. However, TV Guide noted that CBS Records ultimately canceled the film due to internal changes.
The project’s cancellation resulted in legal proceedings. Roth received a settlement, and the film’s script remained unavailable to the public for years. It eventually surfaced online, giving fans insight into what could have been Roth’s first major acting project.
The “Crazy From the Heat” experience highlighted Roth’s persistent interest in acting and film projects. His later pitch to the South Park team demonstrated his continued pursuit of a career beyond music.
