Production on Being Mortal was shut down due to controversial behaviour by Bill Murray, but as past incidents show, this is nothing new.
In case you’ve been out of touch, production on Aziz Ansari’s Being Mortal has been shut down due to inappropriate behaviour by Bill Murray.
This past week, Searchlight Pictures decided to put the film’s shoot on hold following a complaint filed regarding Murray’s behaviour. Contents of the complaint are, however, unclear.
But Bill Murray has always been problematic. Shortly after news broke, Twitter started pointing out that Murray has had a history of controversial behaviour, both in his personal and professional life. Here is a round-up of some notable controversies around the actor.
The ‘Murricane’
The actor is reportedly infamous for his temper tantrums, leading Dan Aykroyd to refer to him as the ‘The Murricane’.
Murray, however, defended himself in an interview, saying: “I remember a friend said to me a while back: ‘You have a reputation.’ And I said: ‘What?’ And he said: ‘Yeah, you have a reputation of being difficult to work with.’ But I only got that reputation from people I didn’t like working with, or people who didn’t know how to work, or what work is.”
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Domestic Violence charges
In 2008, Murray’s then wife Jennifer Butler filed for divorce from the actor and accused him of domestic violence, infidelity, and addiction to sex, marijuana, and alcohol. Butler also detailed a 2007 incident where Murray “hit his wife in the face and then told her she was ‘lucky he didn’t kill her.'”
Nobody wants to reckon with Bill Murray being a bad dude…but we've needed to talk about Bill Murray probably being a bad dude for years. https://t.co/vOcq6kcPSr pic.twitter.com/12Iee89zf8
— K8 Hagen (@thathagengrrl) April 21, 2022
Throwing a producer into a lake
During a heated argument with Laura Ziskin, producer of Spider Man, Murray reportedly threw her into a lake. She maintains that the lake toss came from a place of playfulness, she cannot say that for the rest of the argument.
I find that claim very credible, considering how he treated a powerful female producer on a full set. He's a bully. You would never want to be the person with significantly less power on his bad side. pic.twitter.com/NvgdDP9vqb
— Christopher (@CBOwenII) April 21, 2022
Actor Ben Dreyfuss added that Ziskin and Murray had an argument regarding an extra day off while working on What About Bob?, which resulted in Murray ripping Ziskin’s glasses off of her face. Murray also reportedly threw an ashtray at Dreyfuss’ father, Richard Dreyfuss, when he complained about his behaviour.
https://twitter.com/bendreyfuss/status/1517291859877392385?s=20&t=TPXqhni9fNnxahPxEkKNFQ
Argument with Lucy Liu while working on Charlie’s Angels
Murray and Liu reportedly got into an argument on the set of Charlie’s Angels, during which he told Liu she could not act. This resulted in the actress throwing punches at him. Murray claims that the two had made peace since then. Liu has reiterated this, but maintained that she does not regret standing up for herself.
“I stood up for myself, and I don’t regret it,” she said. “Because no matter how low on the totem pole you may be or wherever you came from, there’s no need to condescend or to put other people down.”
People like 'oh no not Bill Murray he's so cool' clearly don't remember how he treated Lucy Liu on the set of Charlie's Angels
— Erik Anderson (@awards_watch) April 21, 2022
Argument with Harold Ramis while working on Groundhog Day
According to reports, Murray and Ramis frequently butted heads while working on Groundhog Day, which eventually led to a fallout. In one particular instance, Murray apparently grabbed Ramis by the collar and threw him against a wall. Their arguments were enough to bring an end to their longtime collaboration.
Sofia Coppola remembers ‘tense’ moment between Murray and Scarlett Johansson on Lost In Translation
While Coppola maintained that Murray was ‘lovable’ to work with during Lost In Translation, she remembered a particular instance when she sensed tension between him and Scarlett Johansson.
“The scene where [Bill and Scarlett] are lying in bed talking and the TV is on, it’s just really intimate. That was just off. I don’t know if they just weren’t in a good mood, but they weren’t getting along and it wasn’t going well.” she told Daily Beast in an interview about the movie’s 10th anniversary.
Argument with Chevy Chase on Saturday Night Live
In the Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guests, Chevy Chase recalled a 1978 incident where him and Murray hurled insults at each other. According to reports, the verbal argument escalated to physical blows, with the rest of the erstwhile SNL cast members bearing witness.
The Bill Murray Post article proves that Murray has been bullyciding Hollywood nerds for decades. Only Chevy Chase could own him. Midwest power. pic.twitter.com/nj1agnJQ6Q
— Second City Bureaucrat (@CityBureaucrat) April 21, 2022
For more on this topic, follow the Film & TV Observer.