BILL MURRAY

Murray found fame via the anarchic comedy scene of the 1970s, starting with Chicago improv troupe Second City. From there, via New York’s National Lampoon, he joined TV hit Saturday Night Live, replacing Chevy Chase. A hit with audiences for his unpredictable style, Murray also kept colleagues offbalance with his fearsome reputation – literally so, with a mood that could reportedly quickly turn aggressive.

Murray’s first film lead came in 1979, while still an SNL stalwart, as Tripper Harrison in Meatballs. The next decade saw him become one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed, bankable comedy stars, from a scene-stealing groundskeeper in Caddyshack to (“back off man, I’m…”) a scientist in boxoffice behemoth Ghostbusters. Murray even turned his hand to directing, with his sole credit being 1990’s underrated Quick Change.

Murray fancied himself as a dramatic actor. More ambitious choices included Hunter S. Thompson biopic Where The Buffalo Roam and literature adap The Razor’s Edge. Both bombed, but ultimately paved the way for Murray’s masterpiece. In 1993’s Groundhog Day, he mined existential pain and pathos among the laughs.

The success of Groundhog Day inspired a new generation of filmmakers to build upon Murray’s newfound seriocomic chops. His most frequent collaborator, Wes Anderson, has cast Murray in all but one of his features. Other directors who have Murray on speed-dial are Jim Jarmusch (four films together) and Sofia Coppola (two films and a Christmas special), helping to perfect Murray’s on-screen persona as the saddest of clowns.

Today, Murray (most recently seen in On The Rocks) is widely loved, not least for his refusal to play the Hollywood game. Famously, he only accepts job offers via his voicemail machine, while his habit of turning up in unexpected places is legendary. Murray’s eccentric antics include everything from crashing parties to stealing somebody’s chips, all united by his trademark wisecrack as he walks away: “No one will ever believe you.” SK