History of Bill Murray in Timeline
Bill Murray is an American actor and comedian celebrated for his deadpan comedic style. His career spans a wide range of roles, encompassing both mainstream studio comedies and independent dramatic films. Murray's versatility and unique comedic timing have made him a significant figure in the entertainment industry.
16 hours ago : Bill Murray faces cease and desist, appears with Fox, honored as comedy great.
Bill Murray received a cease and desist letter from The Doobie Brothers, made an appearance with Michael J. Fox, and was lauded as a top comedy actor.
1939: Setting of Hyde Park on Hudson
The movie *Hyde Park on Hudson*, released in 2012, focuses on the 1939 visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to the Roosevelts' home.
1978: Playing 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 .500 batting average.
1978: Confrontation with Chevy Chase
In 1978, prior to a Saturday Night Live broadcast, Bill Murray confronted Chevy Chase, who had returned to guest host. The argument, likely stemming from Chase's desire to reclaim the 'Weekend Update' segment, led to insults and a physical altercation witnessed by fellow SNL cast members. Murray later described it as an 'Oedipal thing' and stated that he and Chase are now friends.
January 25, 1981: Marriage to Margaret Kelly
On January 25, 1981, Bill Murray married Margaret Kelly during the filming of *Stripes*.
1984: Discussed Religious Views
In a 1984 interview, Bill Murray stated that he is a religious person but that Catholicism doesn't have much to do with his life anymore.
1986: Turned Down About Last Night
In 1986, Bill Murray had a "disastrous meeting" with Nick Nolte, which caused both of them to turn down the movie "About Last Night".
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. The founders of Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (HOME) credited Murray for performing "miracles" for them.
1988: Donation to Bob Kerrey's Senate Campaign
In 1988, Bill Murray donated $1,000 to former Governor of Nebraska Bob Kerrey's successful election campaign to the United States Senate.
1996: Divorce from Margaret Kelly
In 1996, Bill Murray divorced Margaret Kelly following an affair.
1997: Marriage to Jennifer Butler
In 1997, Bill Murray married Jennifer Butler.
2000: Supported Ralph Nader for President
During the 2000 presidential campaign, Bill Murray supported Green Party candidate Ralph Nader.
2001: Hilda Award Established
In 2001, the Baseball Reliquary established the annual Hilda Award to recognize distinguished service to the game by a fan, an award Bill Murray would later receive.
2003: Academy Award Nomination
In 2003, Bill Murray was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Sofia Coppola's romance Lost in Translation.
2003: Laura Ziskin's Account of Disagreement
In 2003, film producer Laura Ziskin recalled a disagreement with Bill Murray during the making of What About Bob? where he threatened to throw her across the parking lot and broke her sunglasses. She confirmed it was not common behavior in the movie industry.
2006: Received Hilda Award
In 2006, Bill Murray became the sixth recipient of Baseball Reliquary's annual Hilda Award, which was established in 2001 to recognize distinguished service to baseball by a fan.
July 28, 2007: MC for Crossroads Guitar Festival
On July 28, 2007, Bill Murray was the MC for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, where he dressed in various guises of Clapton.
September 2007: Cubs Clinch NL Central
In late September 2007, Bill Murray, along with other celebrities, was invited to the Chicago Cubs' champagne party in the clubhouse when the team clinched the NL Central title, after helping to "inspire" the team during their playoff run by joking with Aramis Ramírez. Fellow actors John Cusack, Bernie Mac, James Belushi, and former Cubs player Ron Santo were also in attendance.
2007: Cameo in The Darjeeling Limited
In 2007, Bill Murray made a cameo appearance in Wes Anderson's film *The Darjeeling Limited*.
2007: Pulled over for suspected DUI
In 2007, Bill Murray was pulled over by Swedish police on suspicion of driving a golf cart under the influence of alcohol.
May 12, 2008: Butler files for divorce
On May 12, 2008, Jennifer Butler filed for divorce from Bill Murray, accusing him of domestic violence, infidelity, and addictions.
June 13, 2008: Divorce finalized from Jennifer Butler
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, performing a tandem jump with the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights.
2008: Appearances in Get Smart and City of Ember
In 2008, Bill Murray appeared in *Get Smart* and played a significant role in the film *City of Ember*.
2008: Residence in Greenwich Village
In 2008, Bill Murray maintained a residence in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village.
2009: Ghostbusters: The Video Game
In 2009, Bill Murray and Harold Ramis participated in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, despite their prior falling out during the production of Groundhog Day.
2009: Roles in Get Low, Zombieland and Fantastic Mr. Fox
In 2009, Bill Murray starred in the independent film *Get Low*, played himself in the zombie comedy *Zombieland*, and voiced Mr. Badger in the stop-motion film *Fantastic Mr. Fox*.
2009: McG's Allegation Against Murray
In 2009, film director McG alleged that Bill Murray headbutted him during the making of Charlie's Angels, although Murray has denied ever doing so.
2010: MC for Crossroads Guitar Festival
In 2010, Bill Murray served as MC again for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival.
2012: Starring in Hyde Park on Hudson
In 2012, Bill Murray starred as Franklin D. Roosevelt in the historical comedy *Hyde Park on Hudson*, receiving critical praise and a Golden Globe nomination.
2012: Starring in Moonrise Kingdom
In 2012, Bill Murray starred in Wes Anderson's *Moonrise Kingdom*, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and achieved critical and box office success.
2012: Induction into 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 in the league.
2013: End of Greenwich Village residence
In 2013, Bill Murray no longer maintained his residence in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village, after living there since 2008.
February 2014: Reconciliation with Harold Ramis
Bill Murray reconciled with Harold Ramis just before Ramis' death in February 2014, after a falling out during the production of Groundhog Day.
2014: Appearance in The Grand Budapest Hotel
In 2014, Bill Murray made a brief comic appearance in Wes Anderson's film *The Grand Budapest Hotel*, which received numerous Academy Award nominations and wins.
2014: Starring in The Monuments Men and St. Vincent
In 2014, Bill Murray starred in *The Monuments Men* and *St. Vincent*, receiving a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the latter as a grumpy Vietnam War veteran.
2014: Expressed Affection for Traditional Latin Mass
In a 2014 interview, Bill Murray expressed his affection for the Traditional Latin Mass and shared his concerns about some of the changes within the Mass of Paul VI, stating that he felt something was lost by losing the Latin language in the Mass.
2015: Mentioned in 'The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray'
According to Robert Schnakenberg's 2015 book, "The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray", Bill Murray had a "disastrous meeting" with Nick Nolte in 1986 that caused both of them to turn down About Last Night.
2015: Starring in Rock the Kasbah
In 2015, Bill Murray starred as a music manager in Barry Levinson's film *Rock the Kasbah*.
2015: Inducted into Caddie Hall of Fame
In 2015, Bill Murray was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame.
July 15, 2016: Appearance in Ghostbusters reboot
On July 15, 2016, Bill Murray appeared in the *Ghostbusters* reboot as Martin Heiss, a cynical ghost debunker.
2016: Attended Cubs' World Series Victory
In 2016, Bill Murray attended the Chicago Cubs' historic Game Seven victory during the World Series, alongside fellow Cubs fans John Cusack, Eddie Vedder, and Bonnie Hunt.
2016: Voice role in The Jungle Book
In 2016, Bill Murray voiced Baloo in Jon Favreau's *The Jungle Book*, receiving praise for his comic performance and a nomination 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, recognizing his iconic status in American popular culture.
2016: BBC inclusion of Moonrise Kingdom
In 2016, the BBC included the movie *Moonrise Kingdom* in its list of the greatest films of the twenty-first century.
2016: Launch of William Murray Golf apparel brand
On his birthday in 2016, Bill Murray and 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: Release of New Worlds album
In 2017, Bill Murray released a studio album titled *New Worlds*, featuring singing and literary recitations with classical musicians, through Verve Records.
August 2018: Peter Simon's Allegation
In August 2018, photographer Peter Simon alleged that Bill Murray physically harassed him at a Martha's Vineyard restaurant.
2018: Opening of Murray Bros. Caddy Shack in Illinois
In 2018, Bill Murray and his brothers opened a second Murray Bros. Caddy Shack restaurant inside the Crowne Plaza Rosemont Hotel near O'Hare International Airport.
2018: Return to Saturday Night Live and Isle of Dogs
In 2018, Bill Murray portrayed Steve Bannon on *Saturday Night Live* and was part of the cast of Wes Anderson's animated film *Isle of Dogs*.
2018: Praised Trump Tax Cuts
In a 2018 interview, Bill Murray praised the Trump tax cuts, opining that they were a "great thing for the corporations".
2019: MC for Crossroads Guitar Festival
In 2019, Bill Murray served as MC again for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival.
2019: Starring in The Dead Don't Die
In 2019, Bill Murray starred in Jim Jarmusch's zombie-comedy *The Dead Don't Die*.
2019: Dreyfuss's Allegation Against Murray
In 2019, Richard Dreyfuss alleged that Bill Murray screamed at him while intoxicated and threw an ashtray at him during the making of What About Bob?, saying "Everyone hates you! You are tolerated!".
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 COVID-19 pandemic.
May 12, 2020: Cancelled premiere of The French Dispatch
On May 12, 2020, the premiere of *The French Dispatch* at the Cannes Film Festival 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 pulled from the release schedule again.
October 2, 2020: Limited theatrical release of On the Rocks
On October 2, 2020, *On the Rocks*, starring Bill Murray, had a limited theatrical release.
October 16, 2020: Rescheduled release of The French Dispatch
The release of *The French Dispatch* was rescheduled for October 16, 2020, before being pulled from the schedule again.
October 23, 2020: Digital Streaming Release of On the Rocks
On October 23, 2020, *On the Rocks* was released for digital streaming on Apple TV+.
2020: Dreyfuss Forgives Murray
In a 2020 interview, Richard Dreyfuss confirmed that he has forgiven Bill Murray for their disagreements during the making of What About Bob?, although they have not crossed paths since the release of the film.
January 19, 2021: Death of Jennifer Butler
Jennifer Butler, Bill Murray's ex-wife, died on January 19, 2021.
October 2021: Joining cast of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
In October 2021, Bill Murray joined the cast of *Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania*, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
October 22, 2021: Release of The French Dispatch
On October 22, 2021, *The French Dispatch* was released after delays.
2021: Appearance in Ghostbusters: Afterlife
In 2021, Bill Murray appeared in *Ghostbusters: Afterlife*, reprising a role in the Ghostbusters franchise.
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".
October 2022: Allegations from Geena Davis and Seth Green
In October 2022, Geena Davis alleged in her memoir "Dying of Politeness" that Bill Murray harassed and yelled at her during the filming of Quick Change and pressured her during their first meeting. Seth Green also alleged that Murray dangled him over a garbage can when he was nine years old on the set of Saturday Night Live.
2022: Appearance in The Greatest Beer Run Ever
In 2022, Bill Murray appeared in *The Greatest Beer Run Ever*, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival and later on Apple TV+.
2022: Release of New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization
In 2022, Bill Murray recited poetry and sang with cellist Jan Vogler in a recorded production of *New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization*, released in cinemas.
2023: Attended UConn Huskies Games
In 2023, Bill Murray attended several UConn Huskies men's basketball games, including those 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: Sale of St. Paul Saints interest
In 2023, Bill Murray sold his interest in the St. Paul Saints, a Minor League Baseball team.
2025: Murray Confirmed Kissing Incident
In 2025, Bill Murray confirmed the kissing incident on the set of "Being Mortal" where he kissed a female production assistant while wearing a mask, stating that he thought it was funny and had done it before, but acknowledges the impact of the incident.
2025: Murray Acknowledged Throwing Glass
In a 2025 interview, Bill Murray acknowledged throwing a glass during the making of What About Bob?, but denied throwing it at Richard Dreyfuss.
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