Bill Murray Biography

Born William J. Murray on September 21, 1950 in Wilmette, Illinois, the fifth of nine children, Murray was a self-proclaimed troublemaker, whether it was getting kicked out of Little League or being arrested at age 20 for attempting to smuggle close to nine pounds of marijuana through Chicago's O'Hare Airport. In an attempt to find direction in his life, he joined his older brother, Brian Doyle-Murray, in the cast of Chicago's Second City improvisational comedy troupe.

He eventually relocated to New York City where he took his comedic talents on air in National Lampoon Hour alongside Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and John Belushi. In 1975, both Murray brothers were in an off-Broadway spin-off of the radio show when Bill was spotted by sportscaster Howard Cosell, who recruited him for the cast of his ABC variety program, Saturday Night Live With Howard Cosell. On NBC, a program also named Saturday Night Live was creating a much bigger sensation. A year later producer Lorne Michaels tapped Murray to replace Chevy Chase, who had moved on to pursue a film career.

It was on the set of Saturday Night Live that Murray created the sleazy, insincere comedic character that became his calling card for many films to come. He also earned an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for his work on the show. His first major film role was with the 1979 box office hit Meatballs. This was followed by the biography flop Where the Buffalo Roam, where Murray starred as gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. In 1980, he redeemed himself by going back to his comedic roots with the cult classic Caddyshack. The roll continued with the army farce Stripes in 1981, Tootsie in 1982, and Ghostbusters in 1984 with Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The comedy was one of the decade's biggest hits, spawning a cartoon series, action figures and even a chart-topping theme song.

Murray's next move caught loyal fans off guard. He starred in and co-wrote an adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham novel The Razor's Edge in 1984, which had been a lifelong dream. The hairpin turn from farce to literary drama proved too sharp, and the film was a failure. Murray spent the next several years away from Hollywood, making only a cameo appearance in the 1986 musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors.

He finally made his comeback in 1988 with Scrooged, a darkly comedic version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. While it performed moderately well, it was not the smash many predicted. Nor was 1989's Ghostbusters II. But in 1991, he starred in What About Bob?, which was an unqualified hit followed by the equally acclaimed Groundhog Day in 1993 and Ed Wood in 1994.

In 1998, Murray played what many believed to be his finest role yet in Wes Anderson's Rushmore. As a business tycoon competing with an eccentric 15-year-old for the affections of a first grade teacher, Murray won Best Supporting Actor from both the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics. The film's success helped put the actor back in the forefront, and he drew further exposure that year from his appearance as a sleazy lawyer in the controversial Wild Things.