Murray in the Miley high club
HO-HO-HO! Miley Cyrus, Paul Shaffer, Chris Rock, Sofia Coppola and of course, everyone’s beloved, Bill
Murray, turned out for the premiere of Netflix’s “A Very Murray Christmas,” at the Paris Theatre on Wednesday. According to Murray, Cyrus really steals the show on his holiday variety special, which debuts on the streaming service Friday.
“Miley Cyrus really just blew everyone away,” he said. “I had no idea that she was that good, that talented.”
Fittingly, Murray’s Christmas show was also illuminated by a star named Rudolph.
“Maya Rudolph was really just ... people were texting, ‘You’ve got to come down here and see this,’ ” he said. “What Maya Rudolph did was amazing, really amazing.”
The beloved 62-year-old actor (photo inset) said he gave it his best, too, adding that he wasn’t so bad, if he might say so himself.
“I was really trying to sing,” Murray said. “I was really trying to sing. I mean, I can sing. Paul
Shaffer really had a lot of trust in me that I could do this and I just sang. I really surprised myself. Except for Miley, I think I’m the most surprised. (Aside from) Miley and Maya, I’m the most surprised by myself.”
There was no shortage of holiday cheer at the premiere, which Murray demonstrated by interrupting former David Letterman bandleader Shaffer’s red carpet interview by coming up behind him and nuzzling his neck as he tried to answer questions. Murray told reporters that Shaffer really delivered for him this Christmas.
“Paul was the person I called and said, ‘Would you do this for me?’ and he said, ‘I would love to,’ which really floored me,” said Murray.
“I only had two questions,” said Shaffer, who in unison with Murray repeated those two questions: “What time and what do I wear?”
Murray answered Shaffer’s first question, but didn’t have any wardrobe advice. “I need to tell this fellow what to wear?” Murray asked. “It’s understood he will make his choices. I just said, ‘It’s all you.’”
Murray said that it was also “all” Shaffer who brought out the best in all of the performers, including Jason Schwartzman and Rashida Jones.
“It was an experience for them unlike any other to be in the show,” he said. “Each person did better than they thought they could ever do.”