Bill Murray Admits He’s Been Lazy About Finding Work, Says He Relates to His Destructive Characters: ‘I’ve Done Some Damage’

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Bill Murray admits that he hasn’t been particularly eager to seek out acting roles lately. The renowned actor from “Groundhog Day” and “Lost in Translation” has mostly starred in independent films, such as the 2024 ensemble crime comedy “Riff Raff” and the drama “The Friend,” which is led by Naomi Watts, in recent years.

Murray admitted during a conversation with critic Elvis Mitchell at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday that he’s been more relaxed lately. Without an agent, he’s not typically the go-to choice for big-studio films.

Nevertheless, following his appearances in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (2023) and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (the previous year), Murray finds himself eager to return to acting on screen once more.

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Murray, who recently starred in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (2023) and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (last year), now has a renewed passion for getting back in front of the camera.

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After playing roles in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (2023) and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (the previous year), Murray shows a fresh interest in returning to acting, specifically on screen.

For the past year, working on independent films, has sparked a renewed interest in me about finding new material,” he stated. “I’ve spent most of my life as a bass, anticipating something to be dropped for me. If something falls within reach, I’ll certainly consume it.

Despite not being discussed during our recent conversation, it’s worth noting that Murray’s career has come to a halt following an incident on the set of “Being Mortal” in April 2022. Production was halted by Searchlight Pictures due to allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a young female assistant by Murray. The film, which was set to be Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut and also starred Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer, has yet to resume shooting.

Previously on “Saturday Night Live”, the actor in question spoke about the past controversy, explaining, “I had a disagreement with a female colleague over a joke I thought was amusing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t received as intended. The film studio decided to act responsibly, so they halted production to thoroughly investigate the matter.

It’s not the first time that Murray experienced a disagreement on set, as reportedly, he had a confrontation with Lucy Liu during the filming of “Charlie’s Angels” in 2000. According to accounts, Murray hurled insults at Liu after altering a scene without informing her first. Furthermore, Geena Davis claimed that Murray harassed her while making the 1990 crime comedy “Quick Change.” He attempted to use a massage device on Davis in a hotel room and later criticized her during filming.

During last Sunday’s conversation, Mitchell brought up the topic of Murray’s acting choices in his recent roles. Specifically, he asked about portraying characters who possess immense charm but are also aware that this charm can be deadly. This discussion centered around Murray’s performances in “Riff Raff,” a movie about a reformed criminal whose life is disrupted when his long-lost family reappears for a dramatic confrontation, and “The Friend,” where Murray plays a writer who takes his own life, leaving behind his protege to care for his Great Dane.

As a passionate cinephile, I find it intriguing when I embody characters who have caused harm. I’ve been there myself. There’s a sense of penance in portraying such roles; it’s a way to acknowledge and accept responsibility for the hurt they inflict. It’s often damage we don’t consciously intend, but as actors, we must take ownership of the impact our characters have.

During the extensive 45-minute chat, Murray touched upon various topics. He reflected on his long career in Hollywood (“I’ve been successful, and it’s provided me with these shoes and socks”), shared his favorite acting partner (“Robert Duvall is an exceptional actor I’ve worked with. Yet, he can be grumpy”), mentioned recent airplane movie picks (“Jennifer Lawrence in ‘Silver Linings Playbook’, that was quite impressive”), and talked about mortality (“In life and on stage, it’s essential to not fear death”).

He presented the secondary subject to the audience, inquiring, “Who among you has fear of death? Overcome it. It’s a squandering of precious moments.

During moments when his humor didn’t resonate with the crowd, Murray would humbly joke about himself. The conversation steered towards his past on “Saturday Night Live,” and Murray remarked, “That show will never succeed.” The audience fell silent. “I thought I could get a chuckle there… it’s been running for 50 years,” Murray sighed. “I feel so isolated here.” Later, when another attempt at humor missed the mark, he jokingly said, “You won’t see me giving up… I’ll keep trying with you all.

Murray isn’t bothered by being overly critical of himself. He doesn’t actively search for his past works, but if something appears on TV, he’ll watch long enough to check if the humor still resonates in today’s context. “Not everything stands the test of time,” he acknowledges. One production that undoubtedly does, according to him, is “What About Bob?”, a 1991 comedy about a patient who tags along with his doctor on vacation.

“I hadn’t seen it for 15 years,” Murray said. “I saw it and said, ‘God damn, it was funny.’”

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2025-01-27 00:19