I’ll say this right off the top: I LOVE Bill Murray. I can’t think of a project he’s done off the top of my head that I haven’t loved him in.
Now, having said that, I have heard rumours now and then over the last couple of years that Bill is something of a jerk in real life. I remember all the reports of his ranting after failing to win an Oscar at the awards show last year. Now, the New York Post is reporting a REALLY awkward situation that just slapped Murray in the face at a press conference to promote his new film The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou:
At a Q&A session with director Wes Anderson, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe and some of the rest of the cast at the Hollywood event, one man announced, “I am a cameraman, and I’ve worked with all the actors onstage. Anjelica, you’re wonderful. Willem — you’re great. But, Bill — you are a bastard. You are horrible to work with. My question is for Wes and the cast. What’s it like to work with someone as awful and difficult as Bill Murray?” After a stunned silence, Huston muttered, “Bill isn’t a bastard.” Anderson demanded, “Why are you in a position to make such a statement?” Murray didn’t react at all. “I was a cameraman on ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ and Bill Murray is awful,”
Ouch! Now that’s a little embarrassing. Before any of us take sides here, lets keep in mind that you don’t know Bill Murray… neither do I. For all we know he could be the kindest most awesome guy in the world… or for all we know he could kick kittens and hide Osama Bin Ladin in his attic… the point is we just don’t know. But if these stories about Murray (and I emphasize the word “IF”) then it’ll effect how much I’m able to enjoy seeing him on the big screen. It’s hard to laugh at a jerk that you don’t like. Therefore… I really hope these kinds of stories are all a bunch of crap. Have you heard of any more of these “Bill Murray is a jerk” rumours?
Special thanks to Miles for pointing this one out to me.
