Maggie Carey is a powerhouse behind the camera, and her ex-husband, Bill Hader, is also known for his on-screen comedic talents. Maggie Carey is a director, producer, and writer who has worked on over 30 movies and TV shows.
Before their split, she worked together with Hader on several projects. They remain popular for the movies they collaborated on. However, many fans remember them for their 2018 divorce. We explore Maggie Carey’s career and relationship.
Who Is Maggie Carey?
Maggie Carey is originally from Boise, Idaho, born in 1975. Carey attended Jackson Elementary School and West Junior High School before graduating with honors from Borah High School in 1993. Initially, she began her college journey at the University of Idaho but later transitioned to the University of Montana.
While at the University of Montana, Carey caught the soccer coach Betsy Duerksen’s attention and was recruited to join the university’s Division 1 soccer team. She eventually became co-captain of the group. In 1997, Carey completed her undergraduate studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in English Literature.
Following her undergraduate studies, Carey pursued a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production at the University of Texas. Details about her family background remain undisclosed, and there is a lack of information regarding Carey’s siblings. Nevertheless, she has previously mentioned that her family consisted of four children.
Maggie Carey Career
Residing in Los Angeles, Maggie Carey is a highly acclaimed writer, director, and producer. She attained her MFA in Film from the esteemed University of Texas, Austin. After graduating from the University of Montana, Carey went to New York, establishing herself as a familiar face at Chelsea’s renowned Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.
Carey’s career took flight within the realm of stage comedy. She became a Bob’s Family Improv Group member in Montana before relocating to New York and joining the esteemed Upright Citizens Brigade.
Carey delved into other creative mediums, such as film and television, as time progressed. In 2013, she wrote and directed her remarkable feature debut, “The To Do List,” which featured acclaimed actors Aubrey Plaza and Bill Hader.
Subsequently, she embarked on a prolific journey as a director for numerous notable shows, including “Silicon Valley,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Last Man on Earth,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Love,” and “Barry.” Additionally, her documentaries and short films have garnered widespread acclaim.
Maggie Carey’s extensive background in improvisation and film production has endowed her with the expertise and skill set required to write, direct, and produce numerous episodes of television comedies. She has credits in over 30 movies and TV series, including popular ones like “Never Have I Ever,” “Mixed-ish,” “AP Bio,” etc.
Maggie Carey’s Breakthrough Project
For Maggie Carey, the popularity of “The Jeannie Tate Show,” an online comedy series, led to more writing assignments for television. This included the short-lived comedy series “In the Motherhood” (ABC, 2007) and a quartet of shorts for the Funny or Die website.
In 2013, Carey wrote and directed “The To Do List,” a sex comedy based partly on her experiences growing up in Montana during the 1990s. It was a breakthrough project for her.
The film achieved modest success at the box office, opening doors for Carey to take on additional directing assignments in television. Some notable projects she directed include episodes of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix, 2015-), “The Last Man on Earth” (Fox, 2015-), and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
Maggie Carey and Bill Hader’s Relationship
In Los Angeles, California, Bill Hader and Maggie Carey were introduced to each other through a mutual friend. At the time, Hader was performing in a small local comedy show hosted by Carey’s friend.
Together, Hader and Carey have been blessed with three children. Their firstborn, Hannah Kathryn, arrived on October 6, 2009, followed by Harper on July 28, 2012. Hayley Clementine, their last-born daughter, came on November 15, 2014.
For a long time, their relationship was a tale of two lovebirds. While speaking with Magic Valley, Carey revealed she fell for Hader at first sight. Hader also was always a considerate husband to his wife and children. He told Variety in 2019 that he struggled with the demands of being a regular cast member on “Saturday Night Live” after he became a father.
He said, “It could not have been easy on my wife then. I was so consumed with work and anxiety.”
Why Did Maggie Carey and Bill Hader’s Marriage End?
On paper, Hader and Carey appeared to be the perfect couple. However, Maggie Carey and Bill Hader separated in December 2017 before finalizing the divorce in March 2018. Before the divorce, they were married for 12 years with three daughters between them.
Both entertainers were super private about their relationship until Hader revealed in 2015 that their marriage had been awesome. He told reporters, “I never liked the saying ‘Relationships are a lot of work.’ I’m not saying we don’t have stress, But I have friends who are like, I got kicked out of the house again. It’s like, Jesus Christ. I thought that happened on sitcoms because it moved the story forward.”
Hader was implying that things were fine at home compared to many friends. However, only two years after that interview, Hader and Carey walked down the famous path of celebrity relationships: divorce. Citing irreconcilable differences, their reps confirmed that their marriage was over.
Neither party has opened up about the differences behind their divorce to date. But there was information that Hader sought joint custody of their children at the time and was ready to give Carey monthly spousal support fees. The only thing Hader hated about the split was that he no longer got to be with his daughters as much as he liked.