Even after a lengthy IMDB filmography, actor/comedian Bill Murray is still a bit of an enigma. There are tons of conflicting reports online about Murray. He’s either the goofball that has fun with fans or the pain in the butt on the set of films. We really don’t have a good idea about which Murray is the real one. In a new interview with The Guardian, Murray talks about his reputation, as well as the recent reputation of a former colleague Harvey Weinstein.
Over the years, there have been reports of Murray being a bit of a problem on set. Various co-stars and filmmakers have all shared unflattering stories about the actor. Longtime friend and collaborator Harold Ramis even went on record calling Murray “irrationally mean” on set. But then, you see the actor work on multiple films with people like Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch, which leads you to believe he can’t be all that bad.
“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. Jim [Jarmusch], Wes [Anderson] and Sofia [Coppola], they know what it is to work, and they understand how you’re supposed to treat people,” said Murray.
He continued, “People think because they employed you they’re allowed to treat you like a dictator, or whatever the worse word for dictator is. And that’s always been a problem for me. Opening the door for someone behind you is as important as designing a building.”
In the interview, the topic of Harvey Weinstein was brought up. The disgraced producer has been the subject of dozens of stories of alleged sexual assault and general inappropriate behavior. Weinstein has also commented on Murray’s rep, saying, “I used to feel guilty about behaving badly, and then I met Bill, and it feels so much better.”
This led Murray to comment on the recent issues with Weinstein. The actor said, “I mean, I don’t know exactly what he’s being accused of yet, but I know some of the people involved in that situation, one very sweet person, and it hurts to hear her speak about it. Really, it hurts … I feel the pain about it and the pain is not over.”
Murray can most recently be seen (heard) in the latest Wes Anderson film, “Isle of Dogs.”
