Bill Murray's Candid Response To That Controversial Being Mortal Set Complaint
Bill Murray is a Hollywood legend, with nearly 100 film and TV credits to his name, including "Ghostbusters," "Groundhog Day," and literally every Wes Anderson feature-length film released since 1998 (via IMDb). Murray is still busy, with four films in post-production and one, Aziz Ansari's "Being Mortal," that shut down filming last month after a complaint about the veteran actor's behavior on set (via The New York Times).
According to The New York Times, the film was about three weeks into a 30-day shoot, and neither Ansari nor Seth Rogen, one of the movie's other stars, were involved in the complaint. A letter from Searchlight, the film's production studio, to the cast and crew was sent on April 20 notifying them that, "Late last week, we were made aware of a complaint, and we immediately looked into it. After reviewing the circumstances, it has been decided that production cannot continue at this time." Murray was silent on the work stoppage until a Saturday interview with CNBC's Becky Quick during coverage of the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder's meeting. Here's what he had to say about the incident and its aftermath.
Bill Murray says he wants to learn from the incident
In the five-minute conversation available on YouTube, Bill Murray called the incident a "difference of opinion ... I did something I thought was funny and it wasn't taken that way." He said he is actively working with the actor who made the complaint and acknowledged that there has been an evolution since he was young in what is considered funny and what is inappropriate workplace behavior. "It's been quite an education for me ... Things change, and times change. So it's important for me to figure it out," Murray said.
During the brief interview, Murray also spoke about his desire to grow in step with the world around him, saying, "It's a really sad puppy that can't learn anymore. I don't want to be that sad dog ..." Murray went on to add, "The hard things and the wrong things are where you really learn something." Although appearing hopeful that he and his co-star could work through their differences, Murray stated clearly that her comfort was paramount and would determine whether he returned to complete the film or not. Searchlight is still investigating the incident and has not made any public comment since announcing the shutdown.