When Bill Murray improvised one of the funniest scenes of his career
Comedy actors come and go, but few have enjoyed the same success or enduring legacy as Bill Murray. From his early days working for National Lampoon during the 1970s, Murray soon became a household name across the United States, beloved for appearances in classic comedies like Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, and, of course, Groundhog Day. In each and every role that Murray has taken on over the years, he has managed to imbue his own distinct style into proceedings, particularly in the case of films like Groundhog Day.
For much of his early career, such as his time with National Lampoon or early appearances on Saturday Night Live, Murray was one member of a wider ensemble cast. Although his hard work and natural knack for comedy often made him a stand-out figure within those groups, it was only when Murray began to get cast in leading roles that he was able to truly establish his comedic talent as a solo performer.
A prime example of this came with the release of Groundhog Day in 1993, a story which focuses almost exclusively on Murray’s character, Phil Connors. Within the film, Connors is a news weatherman who is sent to cover Groundhog Day, the annual tradition celebrated in certain regions of the United States and Canada. The weatherman is less than pleased about the assignment, showing contempt for the small town where he has been sent, but as the film goes on, he begins to realise that he is living the same day over and over again.
Ushered in by the repeated tones of Sonny and Cher’s ‘I Got You Babe’, Connors wakes up every morning to the same day, encountering the same people and performing the same tasks. With each repetition, the weatherman changes his approach, righting wrongs and trying in vain to resume the passage of time. As you might expect, these repeated occurrences allowed Murray to flex his improvisational muscles on multiple occasions.
Bill Murray first entered the comedy world through improvisational comedy, performing with the iconic Second City improv troupe in Chicago before relocating to New York to subsequently be discovered by National Lampoon. Throughout virtually all of his projects, Murray has injected his improvisational skills into the final product. Some of his most beloved scenes and performances have been largely improvised, and a lot of the final cut of Groundhog Day was not in the original script.
In fact, some of the film’s most memorable moments were made up by the lead actor on the fly. One of the certainties in Connors’ repeated day is that he will bump into an old acquaintance, Ned Ryerson. In the first meeting, Murray’s character does not remember his old schoolmate and tries to end the interaction as quickly as possible. As the days – or, more accurately, day – go by, however, Connors adapts his interactions with Ryerson depending on his mood.
At one point, Connors enthusiastically greets the insurance salesman, warmly hugging him and tenderly saying, “I have missed you so much. I don’t know where you’re headed, but can you call in sick?” Ryerson quickly grows uncomfortable and ends the interaction, allowing Connors to get away much quicker than if he had been his cold self as in the beginning of the film.
Reportedly, that interaction was entirely improvised by Bill Murray, not appearing in the script of the film. However, the scene was so memorable and well-acted by Murray that the filmmakers decided to use it in the final cut. It certainly reflects the actor’s intense talent and quality that one of his most iconic performances was made up largely of improvisations, but that has been Murray’s bread and butter since his very early days on the comedy circuit.
