Bill often had panic attacks before the live performance of a Saturday Night Live (1975) episode. To help him to relax, his wife came to the SNL studio to do Lamaze breathing exercises with him.
[re leaving 'SNL'] It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point. It got to a point where I said, 'Maybe it's just time to go' ...I'd heard stories that you get very emotional in those conversations, and I've had other people tell me, 'Oh, I cried.' I didn't, but I did think I was about to faint.