Five iconic movies that almost starred Bill Murray
Bill Murray, celebrated for his innate comic skills, remarkable charm and laid-back demeanour, has built an illustrious career in Hollywood spanning over five decades. Known for his iconic roles in classic films like Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and Lost in Translation, Murray has solidified his place in the annals of film history, working with distinguished directors from both the 20th and 21st centuries, including the likes of Sofia Coppola, Jim Jarmusch and Wes Anderson.
As filmographies go, an actor couldn’t hope for a richer catalogue of work. Murray’s lasting mark on the world of cinema will remain for decades to come, and beyond the more-than-satisfactory results that the actor has given us, he’s still going strong. Fans last saw him appear as Lord Krylar in Antman and the Wasp: Quantummania, one of the more recent Marvel outings, and if not for an unfortunate bout of Covid, we would have seen him reunite once again with Wes Anderson for the utterly fantastic Asteroid City.
Then there’s the unfortunate case of Aziz Ansari’s Being Mortal, the feature debut from the comedian, which had production halted due to allegations of inappropriate behaviour from Murray on set – not the first time such claims have been made against the actor. This came in the wake of mounting complaints about Murray, which became so prominent that Anderson himself felt compelled to come forward, defend his long-time creative collaborator and friend, and stress that their working relationship would not be impacted. Whether this will turn out to be a smart move from the director, only time can tell.
Despite his successful portfolio, however, there remain a handful of roles Murray nearly clinched, but for various reasons, they didn’t make it to the silver screen. With such a diverse, eclectic and downright profitable career, it’s hard to imagine the decorated lamenting the loss of any role. Some of the following options certainly don’t particularly inspire that much speculation as to ‘what if’, and no doubt Murray has never since given them a second thought.
Others, however, are ludicrously big roles in even bigger films that would have undoubtedly changed the course of his acting trajectory. Indeed, it’s plausible that if Murray did cinch some of these roles, in turn, we might never have seen him portray some of his most beloved characters – such is the way that these things work. Without further ado, here are the top five films Bill Murray nearly starred in.
Five movies that almost starred Bill Murray:
5. Philadelphia (Jonathan Demme, 1993)
Director Jonathan Demme originally eyed Murray to play the role of lawyer Joe Miller, believing that a comedic actor could make the heavy topic of AIDS more palatable to audiences. Murray expressed in later interviews that he would have relished the opportunity to play this role. Eventually, Denzel Washington bagged the part, delivering a critically acclaimed performance. The film went on to win two Academy Awards, including a ‘Best Actor’ win for Tom Hanks.
Beyond just elevating Washington to mainstream audience awareness, the film marked one of the few studio-backed features in the early 1990s that had a Black actor in a prominent role. Murray may have given us something interesting, but Washington deserved the role as well as all the praise he received for it.
4. Cape Fear (Martin Scorsese, 1991)
During the early production phase of the remake of Cape Fear, when Steven Spielberg was still attached as the director, Murray was his top pick for the part of Max Cady, the movie’s psychotic antagonist. Instead, Robert De Niro became the infamous Max Cady in the Martin Scorsese-directed thriller, which earned two Oscar nominations and proved to be a critical and box-office success.
There’s no doubt De Niro was the perfect casting, and Cady’s laughter and cigar smoke filling the auditorium is a scene that no viewer can forget, but a Scorsese/Murray collaboration may well have been interesting. We know that in capable hands, Murray can give us finely tuned and complex characters – and which director has hands more capable than Scorsese himself?
3. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Robert Zemeckis, 1988)
In the early stages of this hybrid live-action/animated film, Murray was the first choice for the role of Eddie Valiant, according to both Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis. Murray was reportedly displeased when he discovered this missed opportunity, and meanwhile, the role went to Bob Hoskins. The film became a major hit, winning three Academy Awards and helping to revitalise the waning animation industry.
Whilst Bob Hoskins nailed the role, it’s easy to imagine Murray also flourishing in a film like this. Eight years later and we got to see Murray interacting with cartoons in the first Space Jam movie, with pretty funny results. Considering the reverence Zemeckis’ film gets in contrast to the Looney Tunes basketball mash-up, it’s understandable why Murray was upset about missing out.
2. Batman (Tim Burton, 1989)
At a time when audiences were wary about a comedian like Michael Keaton donning the Dark Knight’s cape, Murray was considered for a part in the film. Not as the Joker, not as the Riddler, but as Bruce Wayne himself. Given his comedic background, Murray’s potential as Batman was a subject of debate, and the role eventually went to Michael Keaton, whose performance assuaged critics and viewers alike.
Tim Burton’s Batman ushered in a darker and grittier depiction of Gotham City and its hero, forever changing the superhero film genre. Whilst the Batman films have a long history of surprising audiences with unexpectedly incredible performances and unusual casting choices, it is hard to imagine that the DC hero’s fan base feels short-changed on this occasion.
1. Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977)
The most significant role not to land, Murray was in the running along with several other actors for the role of Han Solo in Star Wars. Imagining Han as anyone but Harrison Ford is obviously now absurd, but Murray’s interpretation could have given an entirely different dimension to the character. It is only thanks to the Star Wars franchise becoming a global phenomenon that Ford was made an international star. In contrast, Murray seemed to do all right without it.
Then, of course, there’s the issue of the fandom. Murray’s films, like Ghostbusters, are beloved everywhere, but nothing can rival the unbridled and sometimes troublesome passion of hardcore Star Wars fans. Actors like Ford and Mark Hamill have shown to be great sports, attending countless conventions and giving their thoughts on the lore and extended universe of the franchise. Somehow, it just seems slightly out of reach to imagine Murray exhibiting the same kind of earnestness and patience.
