Bill Murray

Bill Murray is the well-known comedic actor who everyone loves to hate. His career may well have been defined by his role in the 1980 cult comedy Caddyshack, but Murray’s film and television credits are vast as an actor, writer, producer, and voice talent. He has gained recognition through his many achievements, including earning the strangely respectable title of #1 Smartass from Comedy Central’s list of the 51 Greatest Smartasses of All Time.

William Murray was the fifth of nine children born to Edward J. Murray II and Lucille Collins in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, and graduated from Layola Academy. He attended Regis University in Denver, Colorado, before leaving to pursue is comedy career full time.

By invitation from his brother Brian Doyle-Murray, Bill Murray went to Second City Chicago, an improvisational comedy troupe, where his natural talent for ad-libbing flourished. In 1975 he began working in radio and by 1977 his career came into full swing when he replaced Chevy Chase as a cast member and writer for Saturday Night Live (SNL). At SNL he made his mark as arguably one of the greatest talents in the show’s history.

Bill Murray’s film career consists of mostly comedic roles, though he’s tried his hand at a few dramas. Many of his films are classic cult comedies including Ghostbusters and What About Bob?. In1991, Groundhog Day, starring Bill and along with Andie MacDowell, was a box-office hit and critically acclaimed. Bu it may have been his role in Caddyshack and his completely improvised Dalai Lama speech for which he is best remembered. Starring alongside other comic giants like Rodney Dangerfield and Chevy Chase, Bill Murray’s Caddyshack role as Carl Spackler, the crazed groundskeeper of the golf course, has been ranked in the top 100 movie characters of all time.

Bill Murray may not tend the greens and rid them of vermin in real life, but he is no stranger to the golf course and has appeared at numerous pro-am tournaments. Murray is also a die-hard fan of Chicago pro-sports teams, including the Chicago Bulls, and attends many home games. Bill Murray has been married twice, first to Margaret Kelley and presently to Jennifer Butler, a costume designer who worked on several of his film’s sets. Murray has continued his family’s legacy of having large families and he has six children of his own.

Though Murray has said he is taking time off from acting, he recently finished working on Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties in 2006 as the voice of Garfield for a second time. Murray reportedly makes it a rule to never work on a third film, leaving his fans wondering if a third Ghostbusters may be too much to hope for. Murray may be accused of having a non-compliant attitude off screen, but his brilliant, often cynical wit and his gift for ad-libbing have earned him a fan following that has spanned over two decades already.

YUDDY