Bill Murray shares his favourite ‘Saturday Night Live’ moment
Having worked with some of the biggest stars and most notable directors in the industry during a career that stretches back almost half a century, it takes somebody truly special to leave Bill Murray feeling starstruck. During his stint on Saturday Night Live between 1977 and 1980, Murray shared the screen with countless future greats, current superstars, and indisputable icons across his 72-episode tenure, but only once has he been left feeling like the most miniscule person in the room.
That’s saying something, considering Murray’s personality has rubbed many people the wrong way over the years and ignited several notable feuds as a result. Still, the actor nonetheless shared his single most prominent memory from SNL, where he was happy to admit he was completely blown away.
“I think the favourite one I ever had was my greatest moment of absolute and total humility,” he shared. “You know how they play the song at the end of the show, and the host is out there, and the cast and everybody and they play the saxophone? We had to stand out there at the end of a show that we had just done with Mr. Ray Charles.”
It was Murray’s first year on SNL that Charles dropped by as guest host in the fifth episode of the third season in 1977. Still relatively new to the pressures of fame at the time, the comic was awed to be standing side-by-side with one of the most notable musicians of the time.
“Wow, I never felt so… not worthless, but so much that I didn’t belong on the same stage with anyone,” he continued. “I’ve been on stage with huge people, but to see that fella walk in and spend a week with us, know his lines cold, play like five different musical numbers and just murder everything, he just killed everything he did.”
Murray was left awestruck by the mere presence of Charles, describing him as “an extraordinary person,” with their interactions on SNL lingering in his memory as “probably the most undeniable moment I ever had.” He may have kept his composure on-screen, then, but from the way he speaks about Charles in almost reverential tones, he must have been a nervous wreck during their short-lived collaboration.
It takes a lot to have that sort of effect on somebody like Murray, a performer who’s always exuded confidence and self-assurance throughout his career. Still, it’s understandable that one of the most influential figures in the modern history of music, who was referred to as ‘The Genius’ by a number of peers and contemporaries, would be capable of doing it. More than 45 years later, it still endures as Murray’s single most memorable moment from his time on SNL.
