Patrick Swayze, Bill Murray and the ‘Zombieland’ rewrite
For some reason, zombies and comedy seem to go hand in hand. The creature was once used to evoke fear in classics like Night of the Living Dead and Day of the Dead, but more contemporary takes on the zombie apocalypse have tended to favour humour over horror. One of the most well-known and well-loved examples of this is Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland.
Serving as America’s answer to Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland followed a cast of star-studded survivors as they travel across the States evading the undead, working through trust issues and a list of rules as they go. With Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin all taking on starring roles, it’s an impressive cast, but their names are all eclipsed by the presence of a huge name.
During their risky road trip, the survivors stumble upon a particularly posh neighbourhood. They enter a lavish house through gates that read “BM,” wondering who might have once lived there. “It ain’t Bob Marley,” Harrelson’s Tallahassee states. Rather than playing host to the reggae icon, they soon discover that the mansion belongs to an acting giant, Bill Murray, who has pop art of himself lining the walls.
At first, the scene seems like a subtle ode to a comedic legend, but it quickly becomes even funnier – and more impressive – when Murray himself appears. In zombie makeup and a sweater vest, he reveals himself to the survivors. His cameo comes to an end when Eisenberg’s Columbus accidentally shoots him and he proceeds to declare Garfield as one of his life’s regrets, capping off a brief but striking appearance in a modern zombie staple.
Murray is a particularly impressive casting, especially for such a short and silly role, but he wasn’t the writers’ first choice. As Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick recalled during an appearance on Geeking Out, via HuffPost, there were a long list of names they contacted before they considered the Ghostbusters star.
The part was initially written for 1980s icon Patrick Swayze, but he couldn’t take it on due to his illness. The writers contacted a number of other actors about the part, including Mark Hamill, Matthew McConaughey and Sylvester Stallone, but they just couldn’t seem to land anyone for the role. Eventually, they called in Harrelson to make some recommendations just days before shooting.
“We walked up to Woody Harrelson on set and said, ‘Woody, anyone else. Do you have any other ideas?” they remembered, “He said Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray. We were like, ‘Yes and yes.’” It was the latter who would secure the part, going on to deliver one of the most iconic scenes in the entire film.
While Murray may not have even been on Reese and Wernick’s original list of casting ideas, he was a stellar choice for the role. He is one of the most familiar faces in cinema, and his appearance takes viewers by surprise in the best way. He’s also the perfect choice for his comedic and ghostbusting background, walking the line between the supernatural and the super funny.
Casting directors and writers take note, if you’re ever stuck for a famous face to give your zom-rom-com that comedic edge, drop Harrelson a line.
Revisit Bill Murray’s perfectly cast cameo in Zombieland below.
