“It’s that very rare thing he has”: Jim Jarmusch explains the unique magic of Bill Murray
As a mystery wrapped in an enigma with his own unique mythology and a habit of rubbing certain people the wrong way, the best way to get to know the real Bill Murray is to work closely with him for an extended period of time.
Of course, that’s easier said than done, with the actor and comedian famously making himself very difficult to reach. Sofia Coppola spent months trying to contact him because she couldn’t imagine Lost in Translation with anyone else in the lead, which worked out very well for both of them.
Wes Anderson will never have any issues getting in touch with Murray or convincing him to take part in his latest production, either, because the two have established themselves as kindred creative spirits who’d happily drop everything and come running should the other call.
On the other hand, Harold Ramis was a longtime friend and regular collaborator who ran afoul of Murray’s complicated nature. Various co-stars and colleagues, including Chevy Chase, Richard Dreyfuss, Lucy Liu, and McG, have also discovered that the genial image that’s made him an enduring favourite isn’t always the side of himself he’s willing to show on set.
Even Anjelica Huston found herself flummoxed by his behaviour, with his co-star on The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou convinced that he either adored or despised her depending entirely on what day of the week it was. He’s a complicated fellow, but Jim Jarmusch has established himself as one of the best at wrangling the maelstrom that is Murray.
The actor gave one of the best performances of his career in the filmmaker’s Broken Flowers before they reunited on the Spanish-set thriller The Limits of Control and absurdist zombie comedy The Dead Don’t Die. Jarmusch wrote the part of Don Johnston in the former specifically with Murray in mind, which he agreed to in a typically idiosyncratic fashion.
Murray said he would star in Broken Flowers as long as it was filmed on locations within an hour of his home, which he was happy to agree to. Speaking to Cinema, Jarmusch explained that he “was using a certain side of Bill” that deliberately made him less reliant “on things we expect or know or appreciate from Bill Murray,” elaborating on the magic he hoped to capture.
“I wanted that other side,” he said. “He’s always had that balance of mischief and melancholy; that’s Bill Murray. It’s that very rare thing he has. So I kind of wanted to create something that could give a little more weight to that other side of his abilities as an actor.”
Murray has rarely been better than when delivering his understated and engrossing central turn in Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers, so it goes without saying that the writer and director knew exactly how to stuff the star’s unique magic into a bottle and use it for maximum effect.
