William James Murray was born on September 21, 1950 in Wilmette,
Illinois.
After what seemed an indefinable future, after attending
Jesuit school, Loyola Academy, and Regis College, though he
dropped out, Murray joined the National Lampoon Radio Hour
with fellow members Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and John Belushi.
Eventually the trio would become part of the initial cast
of America's classic "Saturday Night Live" (1975).
Bill Murray's big break however, came via the Canadian camp-comedy,
1979's "Meatballs". It seems, however, that spoof
and satire have always been a partial favorite for Murray,
what with his resume already loaded with comedies and spoofs,
including SNL and 1975's "Shame of the Jungle".
But the comedy would not stop with Meatballs.
Though Murray has dabbled in a slew of genres, including
the serious and the blockbuster, his most notable performances
are in the guise of the witty and wise: "Caddyshack"
(1980), "Stripes" (1981), "Tootsie" (1982),
etc.
In 1984 Murray would opt for a more serious contrast, starring
in the Maugham remake of "The Razor's Edge". The
film however, was met with mixed reviews.
In 1988 Murray would star in "Scrooged", and quickly
follow the performance with the memorable "Ghostbusters
II'' (1989), for which bill also starred in the prequel.
It was in 1990 however, that Murray would step into the shoes
of writer and director, working as a co-partner for both on
the comedic film "Quick Change" (1990). Not looking
back, Murray has continued to charm audiences into laughter
in films like "What About Bob?" (1991), "Mad
Dog and Glory" and "Groundhog Day" (1993),
and 1994's unconventional "Ed Wood".
In 1997 Bill Murray was ranked #82 in Empire (UK) magazine's
"The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. Murray was also the
recipient of the Sons of the Desert Annual Comedy Performer
Award on April 19th, 1997.
Recently, Murray starred in the remarkably subtly witty film
LOST IN TRANSLATION. Though its layers of political
and cultural satire have ruffled a few feathers, when asked
to comment Murray simply stated, "Many people say, 'Do you
think this is offensive to the Japanese? Well, I know the
Japanese are laughing more at the Americanisms than we are
laughing at the Japanese-isms... they love watching the stupidity
of the foreigner in Tokyo. They're not offended at all. They
know that the bowing is funny and that their language is impenetrable
to the rest of the world." With a comment like that its proof
that Murray is both acutely aware and highly selective of
his films. Nevertheless, it seems Bill Murray always backs his decision
with a desire to make people laugh.
Bill Murray's other notable credits include...
