Bill Murray Confesses He's 'Done Some Damage' in Emotional Chat About Life and Career — As He Admits He Prefers Messy Characters
Bill Murray said he prefers portraying 'messy characters' who have 'done some damage.'
Jan. 28 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Billy Murray got candid about crossovers between his personal life and on-screen characters during an emotional interview.
The legendary actor confessed he's "done some damage" over the decades, which is why he finds playing "messy characters" most rewarding, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Murray, 74, reflected on his career and legendary roles during a surprise appearance at Sundance Film Festival.
Murray made a surprise appearance at Sundance Film Festival.
The Caddyshack star opened up about his life during a chat at the Elvis Suite presented by Darling&Co at the famed Utah film festival.
He told host Elvis Mitchell: "It's always interesting when you're playing a guy who has done some damage.
"I know I've done some damage. It's unconscious damage, but it's some sort of penance to play them and to show that, you know, to show accepting responsibility for it."
The actor confessed he enjoys playing characters who have 'done some damage.'
While Murray wasn't specific on how exactly he's "done damage," his career hit a lull in 2022 following an incident on the set of Being Mortal involving alleged inappropriate behavior from the Ghostbusters star to a young female assistant.
As a result of complaints about Murray's alleged behavior, production company Searchlight Pictures halted production to investigate the incident and ultimately never resumed filming.
At the time, Murray said: "I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn't taken that way. The company, the movie studio, wanted to do the right thing, so they wanted to check it all out, investigate it, and so they stopped the production. But as of now, we're talking and we're trying to make peace with each other."
Murray faced allegations of inappropriate behavior on the set of axed film 'Being Mortal.'
When looking back on characters he's played that have "done some damage," Murray highlighted Sophia Coppola's 2020 film On the Rocks.
In the film, Murray plays Felix Keane, co-star Rashida Jones' playboy father. The movie explores the sometimes not-so-perfect bond between adults and their parents.
On portraying the character, Murray said: "I was answering for a lot of things through that role."
He went on to brand the incident a "learning experience" about how times have changed.
The Groundhog Day star said: "The world is different than it was when I was a little kid. What I always thought was funny as a little kid isn't necessarily the same as what's funny now.
"Things change and the times change, so it's important for me to figure it out. And I think the most important thing is that it's best for the other person."
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Murray said he's been 'lazy' in recent years but is now 'searching for material' to revive his career.
Without acknowledging the 2022 incident, Murray summed up his career slowing down in recent years to being "lazy."
He added: "Only in this last year, doing these has reawakened me about searching for material.
"I’ve lived the life of a bass in a stream, just waiting for something to come down at me. If something lands in my mouth, I’ll eat it."
Murray is set to star in The Phoenician Scheme, an upcoming film from writer-director Wes Anderson, who the actor has worked with numerous times over the years including The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, among others.
