Bill Murray: iconic actor or ignorant arsehole?
Hollywood has a habit of making actors into icons, not just because of their acclaimed performances but also due to their lives off-camera. The job of being an actor requires far more than just showing up, performing a role, and then going home. If you want to be a successful actor, you must attend interviews, premieres, award ceremonies, and talk shows, and if you’re charismatic and quirky enough, you might become a particular favourite with the public. If you can keep up this belovedness over an extended period of time, perhaps even creating a kind of mythology around you from people’s real-life interactions, then you might just become an icon.
This has certainly been the case for Bill Murray, a man who has remained popular since he became a regular cast member on the popular sketch show Saturday Night Live. Watched by countless Americans, the series allowed Murray’s natural propensity for comedy and improvisation to shine, and he subsequently began acting in films.
Early film roles in titles like Caddyshack and Tootsie quickly paved the way for Murray to appear in Ghostbusters, which was an instant box office triumph. Further acclaim came with Little Shop of Horrors, Scrooged, What About Bob?, and Groundhog Day, with the latter becoming one of his most well-known performances.
These comedies defined Murray’s career during the 1980s and 1990s, making him an American household name. Everyone seemed to love the easygoing, eccentric, and loveable Murray, and as the ‘90s drew to a close, he demonstrated that he wasn’t just a comedic genius; he could do complex, more emotionally driven parts, too. Roles in movies like Rushmore, Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Coffee and Cigarettes showed another side to Murray – an unexpected but well-received indie darling.
So, due to Murray’s performances in comedies that many of us have grown up loving and his tenure in many smaller-budget movies playing more tragic or unconventional roles, he has become one of cinema’s most coveted figures. Speaking to various generations with his roles, Murray has found himself the centre of memes, T-shirts, and other forms of memorabilia. Especially during the early 2010s and the age of Tumblr, as stories of him frequenting weddings or dishing out drinks at a bar became prevalent, it was cool to think that Bill Murray was cool. But there have always been stories about a darker side of Murray – and in the last few years, allegations, too – which leave his legacy up in the air.
While tales of Murray being a funny guy outside of his films – such as him being a photobomber and a true performer, regardless of who is watching – make it easy to see the actor as an all-around good guy, there are many stories that suggest otherwise. Actor Geena Davis claims to have experienced the ‘real’ Murray in 1990, revealing that he made her uncomfortable on multiple occasions, such as during their appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show, where he can be seen getting very close to Davis, even stroking her arm and removing her dress strap.
Davis also accused Murray of shouting at her repeatedly, making her uncomfortable and embarrassed on set. That wasn’t an isolated incident, either, with many other filmmakers and actors revealing Murray’s difficult behaviour throughout the years.
His difficulty has extended to his lack of proper communication, often making life hard for people for no reason. Take, for example, when the producers of Groundhog Day asked him to hire a personal assistant. Murray opted to employ someone who was deaf and could only communicate via sign language, which most of the team did not understand.
Richard Dreyfuss, meanwhile, had a tough time working with him on What About Bob?, with the actor accusing Murray of throwing an ashtray at him and shouting insults. It calls into question Murray’s quick temper, judging by many other stories that involve arguments and alleged verbal abuse. Anjelica Huston wasn’t keen on Murray during the filming of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, either, with the actor revealing that “He was a shit to me”.
Huston claimed: “The first week I was there, we were all in this little hotel, and he invited the entire cast to go and have dinner, except me.”
There are countless other stories from well-known figures that paint Murray as an argumentative, difficult, and rude individual, and few are as infamous as his spat with Lucy Liu during the filming of Charlie’s Angels. He boldly claimed she couldn’t act, with Liu sharing on an episode of Asian Enough that Murray would “hurl insults” which she found “inexcusable and unacceptable”.
While some sources claim that Liu punched Murray, both actors have denied that this actually happened. Still, Liu certainly found herself in a position where she had to verbally defend herself. “I stood up for myself, and I don’t regret it. Because no matter how low on the totem pole you may be or wherever you came from, there’s no need to condescend or to put other people down,” she explained.
One of the most recent allegations surrounding Murray came in 2022 when the film Being Mortal was allegedly cancelled due to the actor’s behaviour. Murray was accused of inappropriately touching, kissing, and even sitting on a female production member of the film. As a result, an NDA was signed, and Murray allegedly paid the woman $100,000.
Despite these allegations, Murray has been defended by longtime collaborator Wes Anderson, who is happy to continue working with the actor. He told IndieWire, “My experience with Bill is so extensive. Bill was such a great supporter of me from the very beginning. I don’t want to speak about somebody else’s experience, but he’s really part of my family. You know, he’s my daughter’s godfather.”
So, how can we consider Murray an icon when his behaviour suggests he is arrogant, selfish, and far from the likeable, comedic individual he clearly pretends to be? Despite his attempts to defend his behaviour, telling CNBC (in reference to the Being Mortal allegations) that he “did something I thought was funny, and it wasn’t taken that way,” there is plenty of evidence that suggests he is simply not a nice guy.
It seems that people often forget that actors are good at acting—that’s their job. So, when we see people like Murray appearing on talk shows or out on the street being loveable, funny, and perhaps a little charmingly offbeat, we must remember that they’re likely fabricating a persona and maintaining an image that will generate positive publicity. It’s smart but deceptive, and it’s now time we stop heralding Murray as the icon he thinks he is.
