Thirty-two years after filming on a now-iconic set, Bill Murray says he still bears the mark of a faux pas. Can an apology be enough to make up for what happened back then, when an unexpected voice revives the story on a mischievous note? And what if it hadn’t quite come full circle?
Behind Und täglich grüßt das Murmeltier (Groundhog Day), a cherished crowd-pleasing comedy, things weren’t always light. Bill Murray admits he was rude to Andie MacDowell on set and wants to make amends, decades later. An admission he first broached in 2019 with Collider, now revived by Margaret Qualley who, on Jimmy Fallon, even suggested her mother and the actor might make a couple. Between a beloved film and bruised off-screen ties, the script for a reconciliation is still unwritten.
Tarnished memories on a cult-classic set
Bill Murray, a comedy legend, spoke of an emotional scar that has stayed with him for 32 years. It was during the shoot of the cult classic “Und täglich grüßt das Murmeltier” (Groundhog Day) that he acknowledges he was particularly rude to Andie MacDowell, his on-screen partner. It’s a behavior he deeply regrets today, enough to seek a late yet sincere reconciliation.
A shoot marked by tension
Released in 1993, “Und täglich grüßt das Murmeltier” follows the time loop lived by a grumpy weatherman played by Murray. While audiences remember this classic fondly, what happened behind the scenes was far less serene. According to the actor, the atmosphere sometimes tightened, especially between him and Andie MacDowell, a bright counterpoint to his dark humor, who endured his mood swings and an unkind, curt streak.
Bill Murray: late regrets, candidly owned
In an interview given in 2019, Murray acknowledged his faults for the first time. He says his attitude was unjustifiable and that he never managed to offer an apology directly to MacDowell. Why the long silence? The weight of regret, embarrassment, awkwardness… Today, he says he wants to make amends. But will this attempt at reconciliation come too late?
When threads from the past meet the present
An unexpected twist, Andie MacDowell’s daughter, Margaret Qualley, revived the anecdote with a light touch. Appearing on Jimmy Fallon, she quipped that two figures as iconic as her mother and Murray would make a “cute couple.” An idea that’s as amusing as it is intriguing, especially in light of the memories that bind the former co-stars.
The show, life, and everything still to be written
A singular irony: imagining these two actors, bound by a film about a time loop, trying to rewrite a chapter of their own story. Can apologies awaited for years truly soothe what still hurts? As the shadow of that shoot seems to lift, you can sense what this possible reconciliation might mend, perhaps even inspire. Sometimes, it’s never too late to do the right thing.