Bill Murray is an American actor, writer, and director who is most famous for his roles in iconic comedy films throughout the 1980s and 90s. Born in Illinois in 1950, Murray moved to New York City in 1974 after dropping out of his classes at Regis University. He was recruited by John Belushi to be a part of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, replacing popular cast member Chevy Chase, and soon gained nationwide attention as a comedian.
Murray left SNL in 1980, along with creator Lorne Michaels and most of the original cast. He pursued the movie career he had begun the previous year (with his starring role in Meatballs), playing gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in Where the Buffalo Roam. Murray starred in Caddyshack the following year, and in 1984 starred in the now-classic comedy Ghostbusters (directed and produced by Meatballs director Ivan Reitman), roles that secured him a place in popular culture for decades. Murray closed out the 80s with the black comedy Scrooged, a modern update of A Christmas Carol.
The 1990s opened with more critically acclaimed roles for Murray, as he starred in What About Bob? and Groundhog Day, as well as playing a supporting role in Tim Burton’s biopic Ed Wood. Murray then appeared in several panned movies, starring in the parody The Man Who Knew Too Little and playing himself in Space Jam. But in 1998, Murray co-starred in Wes Anderson’s second film Rushmore as Jason Schwartzman’s wealthy older friend, instantly establishing himself as a talented member of the independent cinema community. Murray has since appeared in every Anderson film, including his starring role in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and supporting role in Moonrise Kingdom. Murray also voiced Garfield in Garfield: The Movie and its sequel, played himself in the zombie parody film Zombieland, and proved his mettle as a dramatic actor in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, a starring role for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
Filmography
Saturday Night Live (1977-1980)
Meatballs (1979)
Where the Buffalo Roam (1980)
Caddyshack (1980)
Stripes (1981)
Tootsie (1982)
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Razor’s Edge (1984)
Scrooged (1988)
Ghostbusters II (1989)
What About Bob? (1991)
Groundhog Day (1993)
Rushmore (1998)
Hamlet (2000)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Lost in Translation (2003)
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Zombieland (2009)
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
The Monuments Men (2014)
Pictures
Videos