History of Bill Murray in Timeline
Bill Murray is an acclaimed American actor and comedian celebrated for his signature deadpan comedic style, evident across diverse roles in both mainstream comedies and independent films. His work has earned him numerous awards, including a BAFTA, two Golden Globes, and two Primetime Emmys, with an Academy Award nomination. In 2016, Murray received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, recognizing his significant contributions to the field.
1939: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit the Roosevelts
In 1939, the Roosevelts hosted King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at their Hyde Park home, an event depicted in the film Hyde Park on Hudson, starring Bill Murray as FDR.
1978: Confrontation with Chevy Chase before SNL
In 1978, Bill Murray confronted Chevy Chase, who had returned to guest host Saturday Night Live, shortly before a broadcast. Murray later described the incident as an 'Oedipal thing'.
1978: Played for the Grays Harbor Loggers
In 1978, Bill Murray played in two at-bats for the Grays Harbor Loggers Minor League Baseball team, achieving a batting average of .500 with one hit.
January 25, 1981: Married Margaret Kelly
On January 25, 1981, Bill Murray married Margaret Kelly during the filming of Stripes.
1984: Statements on Religion
In a 1984 interview, Bill Murray stated that he is a religious person, but it doesn't have much to do with Catholicism anymore, and that he doesn't think about Catholicism as much.
1987: Donated to Nathalie Salmon House
In 1987, Bill Murray donated money to help build the Nathalie Salmon House, which provides affordable housing for low-income seniors. Michael and Lilo Salmon, the founders of Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (HOME), said Murray performed "miracles" for them.
1988: Donated to Bob Kerrey's Senate Campaign
In 1988, Bill Murray donated $1,000 to former Governor of Nebraska Bob Kerrey's successful election to the United States Senate.
1993: Ended Collaboration with Harold Ramis
In 1993, creative differences between Bill Murray and film director and longtime collaborator Harold Ramis led to the end of their fruitful film collaboration.
1996: Divorced Margaret Kelly
In 1996, Bill Murray and Margaret Kelly divorced following Murray's affair with Jennifer Butler.
1997: Married Jennifer Butler
In 1997, Bill Murray married Jennifer Butler.
2000: Supported Ralph Nader
During the 2000 presidential campaign, Bill Murray supported Green Party candidate Ralph Nader.
2001: Hilda Award Established
In 2001, Baseball Reliquary established the annual Hilda Award, which recognizes distinguished service to baseball by a fan. Bill Murray would later receive the award in 2006.
2003: Nominated for Academy Award for Lost in Translation
In 2003, Bill Murray was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Sofia Coppola's romance film, Lost in Translation.
2006: Received Hilda Award
In 2006, Bill Murray became the sixth recipient of Baseball Reliquary's annual Hilda Award, which recognizes distinguished service to baseball by a fan.
July 28, 2007: MC for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival
On July 28, 2007, Bill Murray served as the MC for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, dressing in various guises of Clapton as he appeared through the years.
September 2007: Attended Cubs' clubhouse champagne party
In late September 2007, Bill Murray was invited to the Chicago Cubs' clubhouse champagne party after they clinched the NL Central division. He attended alongside fellow actors John Cusack, Bernie Mac, James Belushi, and former Cubs player Ron Santo.
May 12, 2008: Jennifer Butler filed for divorce
On May 12, 2008, Jennifer Butler filed for divorce from Bill Murray, citing domestic violence, infidelity, and addictions.
June 13, 2008: Divorce from Jennifer Butler finalized
On June 13, 2008, Bill Murray's divorce from Jennifer Butler was finalized.
August 2008: Appeared at Chicago Air & Water Show
In August 2008, Bill Murray appeared at the 50th annual Chicago Air & Water Show. He performed a tandem jump with the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights.
2008: Maintained residence in Greenwich Village
In 2008, Bill Murray began maintaining a residence in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village.
2010: MC for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival
In 2010, Bill Murray served as MC for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival.
2010: Continued to appear in Wes Anderson films since 2010
Since 2010, Bill Murray continued his collaboration with Wes Anderson appearing in films such as Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
2012: Starred in Moonrise Kingdom
In 2012, Bill Murray appeared in Wes Anderson's coming-of-age comedy Moonrise Kingdom, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was both a critical and box office success.
2012: Starred in Hyde Park on Hudson
In 2012, Bill Murray starred as Franklin D. Roosevelt in Roger Michell's historical comedy Hyde Park on Hudson. The film received positive reviews, and Murray earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as the president.
2012: Inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame
In 2012, Bill Murray was inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame for his ownership and investment activities in the league.
2013: Ended residence in Greenwich Village
In 2013, Bill Murray ended his residence in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village.
February 2014: Reconciled with Harold Ramis
In February 2014, Bill Murray reconciled with film director and longtime collaborator Harold Ramis just before Ramis's death. He also honored Ramis at the 86th Academy Awards.
2014: Starred in The Grand Budapest Hotel
In 2014, Bill Murray had a brief role in Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, which premiered at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival and received numerous Academy Award nominations and wins. He won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for his ensemble work.
2014: Starred in The Monuments Men and St. Vincent
In 2014, Bill Murray starred in George Clooney's The Monuments Men, and in St. Vincent as a Vietnam War veteran, receiving a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in St. Vincent.
2014: Expressed Affection for Traditional Latin Mass
In a 2014 interview, Bill Murray expressed affection for the Traditional Latin Mass and expressed concerns about some of the changes within the Mass of Paul VI, stating that he thinks something was lost by losing the Latin.
2015: Starred in Rock the Kasbah and A Very Murray Christmas
In 2015, Bill Murray starred in Rock the Kasbah and A Very Murray Christmas for Netflix, which received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
2015: Inducted into Caddie Hall of Fame
In 2015, Bill Murray was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame.
July 15, 2016: Appeared in Ghostbusters reboot
On July 15, 2016, Bill Murray appeared in the Ghostbusters reboot as Martin Heiss, a cynical ghost debunker.
2016: Voiced Baloo in The Jungle Book
In 2016, Bill Murray voiced Baloo in Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book, receiving praise for his comic performance. The film was financially successful. Murray was also nominated for Favorite Animated Movie Voice at the People's Choice Awards.
2016: Awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
In 2016, Bill Murray was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor by the Kennedy Center.
2016: Attended Cubs' World Series Victory
In 2016, Bill Murray, along with fellow Cubs fans John Cusack, Eddie Vedder, and Bonnie Hunt, attended the Chicago Cubs' historic Game Seven victory during the World Series.
2016: Moonrise Kingdom recognized by the BBC
In 2016, the BBC included the film Moonrise Kingdom in its list of greatest films of the twenty-first century. Bill Murray starred in the film.
2016: Launched William Murray Golf apparel brand
On his birthday in 2016, Bill Murray, along with his brother Joel, launched an apparel brand called William Murray Golf.
2017: Inducted into Irish-American Hall of Fame
In 2017, Bill Murray and fellow actor Martin Sheen were inducted into the Irish-American Hall of Fame.
2017: Released album New Worlds
In 2017, Bill Murray released a studio album entitled New Worlds, featuring singing and literary recitations with classical musicians.
2018: Opened Murray Bros. Caddy Shack location in Illinois
In 2018, Bill Murray and his brothers opened a second location of their restaurant, Murray Bros. Caddy Shack, inside the Crowne Plaza Rosemont Hotel near the O'Hare International Airport.
2018: Played Steve Bannon on SNL and appeared in Isle of Dogs and Zombieland: Double Tap
In 2018, Bill Murray returned to Saturday Night Live as Steve Bannon and was part of the cast of Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs. He also reprised his role in Zombieland: Double Tap.
2018: Praised Trump Tax Cuts
In a 2018 interview, Bill Murray sarcastically praised the Trump tax cuts, opining them to be a "great thing for the corporations".
2019: MC for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival
In 2019, Bill Murray served as MC for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival.
2019: Starred in The Dead Don't Die
In 2019, Bill Murray starred in Jim Jarmusch's zombie-comedy The Dead Don't Die, alongside Adam Driver and Selena Gomez. The film received mixed reviews.
April 3, 2020: The French Dispatch pulled from schedule
On April 3, 2020, The French Dispatch was pulled from the release schedule due to the cancellation of the Cannes Film Festival because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 12, 2020: Original premiere date for The French Dispatch
May 12, 2020 was the original scheduled premiere date for The French Dispatch at the Cannes Film Festival before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 23, 2020: The French Dispatch pulled from schedule again
On July 23, 2020, The French Dispatch was again pulled from the schedule.
October 2, 2020: Theatrical release of On the Rocks
On October 2, 2020, On the Rocks, starring Bill Murray, had a limited theatrical release by A24.
October 16, 2020: Rescheduled release date for The French Dispatch
October 16, 2020, was a rescheduled release date for The French Dispatch before it was ultimately pulled again.
October 23, 2020: Digital streaming release of On the Rocks
On October 23, 2020, On the Rocks, starring Bill Murray, was released for digital streaming on Apple TV+.
January 19, 2021: Death of Jennifer Butler
On January 19, 2021, Jennifer Butler, Bill Murray's ex-wife, passed away.
October 2021: Joined the cast of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
In October 2021, Bill Murray joined the cast of the superhero film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
October 22, 2021: Release of The French Dispatch
The French Dispatch, featuring Bill Murray, premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and was released on October 22, 2021.
2021: Appeared in Ghostbusters: Afterlife
In 2021, Bill Murray appeared in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, reprising his role.
April 2022: Production of Being Mortal Suspended
In April 2022, production of Being Mortal was suspended after Bill Murray was accused of unspecified "inappropriate behavior".
2022: Starred in The Greatest Beer Run Ever
In 2022, Bill Murray appeared in Peter Farrelly's biographical war comedy-drama film The Greatest Beer Run Ever, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival and later on Apple TV+.
2022: Released New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization
In 2022, Bill Murray recited poetry and sang with the cellist Jan Vogler, in a recorded production of New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization, which was released in cinemas.
2023: Attended UConn Huskies games
In 2023, Bill Murray attended several games of the UConn Huskies men's basketball team, including during their championship run in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, as his son Luke is an assistant coach for the team.
2023: Sold interest in the St. Paul Saints
In 2023, Bill Murray sold his interest in the St. Paul Saints, a Minor League Baseball team of the International League.
2024: Starred in The Friend
In 2024, Bill Murray starred opposite Naomi Watts in the comedy The Friend, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.
2025: Murray Elaborated on Being Mortal Incident
In 2025, Bill Murray elaborated on the incident that occurred during the production of Being Mortal, stating that he gave a woman a kiss while wearing a mask, and that he thought it was funny. He also reflected on the incident and its impact.
2025: Reunited with Wes Anderson in The Phoenician Scheme and returned to SNL
In 2025, Bill Murray reunited with Wes Anderson in a minor role in the comedy The Phoenician Scheme and returned to Saturday Night Live for their 50th Anniversary Special where he ranked his favorite "Weekend Update" anchors.
2025: Spoke at special dialogue with theatre scholar Octavian Saiu
In 2025, theatre scholar Octavian Saiu hosted a special dialogue with Bill Murray and Peter Bradshaw.
Mentioned in this timeline
Basketball is a team sport played on a rectangular court...
Home Box Office HBO is an American pay television service...
CBS is a major American commercial broadcast television and radio...
Saturday Night Live SNL is a late-night live sketch comedy...
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole by...
An apple is a widely cultivated edible fruit originating in...
Trending
5 months ago Austin Dillon Returns to Xfinity, Extends Boot Barn Partnership, Triumphs at Charlotte
Stephen Sarkisian is a well-known figure in American football working as a coach at the collegiate level He is currently...
2 months ago Belal Muhammad eyes UFC 319, calls out Du Plessis for potential brawl.
Nancy Pelosi is a prominent American politician best known for serving as the nd Speaker of the House from -...
7 months ago Trump Considered Firing Waltz; Admin Leaked War Plans; NSA Warns Phone Users.
19 hours ago Rimac to potentially acquire Bugatti from Porsche in a Billion Dollar Buyout.
Popular
Candace Owens is an American political commentator and author known...
Charlie Kirk is an American right-wing political activist entrepreneur and...
Paula White-Cain is a prominent American televangelist and key figure...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
William Franklin Graham III commonly known as Franklin Graham is...
Chuck Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New...