(Credits: Far Out / Harald Krichel)
Mon 22 September 2025 18:45, UK
History has frequently shown that the hardest thing about making a Bill Murray movie can often be Bill Murray, with the actor and comedian harbouring a reputation for being a bit of a nuisance.
That duality has become a key part of his persona, with the Saturday Night Live icon and Ghostbusters legend revered in some circles for his inimitable sardonic and sarcastic style while being reviled in others for being a rampant dickhead who’s made life a misery for a number of collaborators.
To be fair, both are equally true. There’s no denying that Murray is one of the most popular comedic performers of his, or any other generation, and he’s got a string of classic movies to his name to back up his status as one of Hollywood’s masters of the deadpan one-liner.
On the other hand, everyone from Lucy Liu and McG to Harold Ramis and Richard Dreyfuss have been happy to tell anyone willing to listen that he isn’t always the easiest customer to deal with, but if there’s one filmmaker guaranteed not to end up on the receiving end of the ‘Murricane’, then Wes Anderson is probably at the top of the list.
The Academy Award nominee has cited Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, and Sofia Coppola as the only three directors he’d drop everything and run toward if they came calling, so it would make sense that he’s least likely to ruffle feathers on any of their sets. Then again, Anjelica Huston didn’t see Murray’s best side when they worked together on the former’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Maybe the star’s behaviour had something to do with the challenges he faced in front of the camera. While it’s never recommended for an actor to take out their frustrations on their collaborators, Murray did confess that playing the title role was undoubtedly the most difficult and taxing gig of his entire career.
“This is by far the hardest film I’ve ever done,” he told Female. “And the most physically and emotionally demanding, personally and professionally, and the most ambitious.” In fact, Murray admitted that if it wasn’t for Anderson’s presence at the helm, he may not have played Steve Zissou at all.
“I mean, if you read the script and you didn’t know who was in charge, you would be much less confident,” he explained. “I sure as hell wouldn’t leave the country and go over there, just for anybody, because you’ve got to have some faith in who you’re with.” As far as faith in filmmakers goes, Murray doesn’t have any more in anybody else than he does in Anderson.
Viewers watching the ensemble cast follow Murray’s oceanographer as he seeks revenge on a shark that turned a member of his crew into a tasty meal might not have been able to tell that the leading man was pushed to his limit, especially when The Life Aquatic is a typically Anderson-esque vehicle packed with eccentricities, idiosyncracies, and no shortage of whimsy. According to Murray, though, it was an undertaking like no other.
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