Van Halen’s David Lee Roth pitched assassin movie starring himself to ‘South Park’ team

Comedian Bill Hader has revealed David Lee Roth pitched a movie idea to the South Park team, featuring himself as an assassin.

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Hader worked as a writer, producer and performer on the show for years. Appearing on Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast, Hader recalled a time when the Van Halen singer visited their offices to pitch an unusual, yet familiar, idea for a movie.

“When I worked at South Park, he pitched a movie to us where he was an assassin: ‘It’s about a guy trying to get his dog back,’” the comedian said, impersonating Roth. The staff apparently broke it the singer: “Yeah, they made this movie John Wick that’s kinda similar”. 2014’s John Wick starred Keanu Reeves as an assassin who goes on a rampage of revenge after his dog is killed by gangsters.

According to Hader’s recollection, the rocker was incredulous, saying: “‘Nah, but the guy has a dog?! Whaddaya mean he has a dog?’” When they suggested another idea, about him playing a musician by day and assassin by night, he replied: “‘Nah, I don’t want those guys involved,’” referring to his bandmates.

Despite the bizarre nature of the exchange, Hader said: “We were totally in awe. ‘Oh my god, that’s fucking David Lee Roth.’ And he did not disappoint at all. He was so sweet and nice, it was awesome”.

Roth would play an assassin in the short film Tokyo Story, which he wrote, produced, and starred in. The video is available on his YouTube Channel.

In March, Wolfgang Van Halen responded to a rant from Roth about him, which he believes stems from the feud between the singer and his late father, Eddie Van Halen. “I seem to have been born into this Van Halen drama that has come way before me” he told The Morning X With Barnes & Leslie radio show. “And I guess now that my dad isn’t here to be a target, I guess he went to the next best thing”.

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