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Bill Murray Reflects on Career Regrets, Including Missed Clint Eastwood Collaboration
Veteran actor Bill Murray, known for his iconic roles in Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, and Broken Flowers, recently revealed a professional regret in a new radio interview with Howard Stern: turning down a role in a Clint Eastwood film. In a candid conversation on The Howard Stern Show, Murray, 74, reminisced about a missed opportunity to work with the legendary Eastwood, 94, on a project from the 1980s.
Inspiration from Eastwood’s Films
Murray explained how Eastwood’s action movies of that era, such as Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, initially sparked his interest in collaborating with the celebrated actor and director. “A long time ago I was watching the Clint Eastwood movies of the day… and I thought: ‘His sidekick gets killed, and he avenges, but the sidekick gets like a great part, a great death scene,'” Murray recounted.
Inspired by these roles, Murray reached out to Eastwood, leading to a discussion about a potential project.
The “Service Comedy” Offer and Hesitation
“I was like, ‘I got to call this guy!’ So I called him out of the blue,” Murray continued. Eastwood proposed a collaboration: “‘Would you ever want to do another service comedy?’ Because I just made [military comedy] Stripes and he had this great idea for an enormous Navy thing,” Murray recalled.
However, Murray hesitated at the prospect of another military comedy role. “And when he said, ‘Would you ever want to do another service comedy,’ like jeez, ‘Would I become like Abbott and Costello?’ I had to do like military movies? And I said, ‘Well, God, I guess maybe I shouldn’t.’”
Regretting the Missed Opportunity: Heartbreak Ridge
Murray ultimately declined the offer, which he now believes was for the 1986 film Heartbreak Ridge, directed by and starring Eastwood. Reflecting on his decision, Murray admitted, “But it’s one of the few regrets I have is that I didn’t do it.”
He elaborated on the potential scale and appeal of the project: “Because it was a big-scale thing, and I would have gotten a great – I don’t know if I’d have gotten a great death scene, it was more of a comedy, that one – but it was great”.
Intriguing Project Details
Murray further described the ambitious nature of Eastwood’s concept: “He had access to World War II boats and he could have, like, made a flotilla and stuff, and there was some cool stuff in it.” This vision of a large-scale production clearly resonated with Murray, even in hindsight.
Apology to Eastwood
Upon realizing his mistake, Murray expressed his regret directly to Eastwood. “When I see him, I’m like: ‘I’m sorry, I wish I’d done that Clint, I’m really sorry,’” he shared. However, Murray noted Eastwood’s characteristic resilience, adding, “[But] he’s certainly well over it. He’s a very resilient fella.”