• Flavorwire is part of the Flavorpill network
  • New York
  • Los Angeles
  • San Francisco
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Miami
  • Flavorpill Newsletters:
  • Daily Dose
  • Earplug
  • Artkrush
  • Boldtype
  • ThumbnailThe Top 10 Bookstores in the US »
  • ThumbnailMad Men Characters and Their 90210 Counterparts »
  • ThumbnailPhoto Essay: Pool Hopping in Iceland »

Flavorwire

  •  
FilmBill Murray Ghostbusters Groundhog Day Hamlet The Darjeeling Limited The Limits of Control Zombieland
Why Is Bill Murray So Good at Playing Dead?
2:38 pm Monday Feb 8, 2010 by Andrew Hwang

Over the weekend Bill Murray finally confirmed his involvement in the third installment of Ghostbusters — the film that helped to solidify his post-Caddyshack career back in 1984. He’ll be playing the ghost of Dr. Peter Venkman, per his request. Funny enough, this isn’t the first time that Murray has played dead (or some version of it) on screen. So when did the comedic actor become so morbid?

Groundhog Day (1993)
As an immortal and inexplicably caustic weatherman, Murray foreshadows future success playing the bitter, lovable grouch. According to director Harold Ramis (also of Ghostbusters fame), Phil Connors spends 10 years trapped in Punxsutawney, struggling to permanently off himself.

Hamlet (2000)
As Ophelia’s pontificating dad, Polonius, in Michael Almereyda’s modern-day adaptation of Hamlet, Murray transfers his “haunting” to Julia Stiles. You remember this one, where Ethan Hawke delivers the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy whilst wandering the aisles of a Blockbuster?

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
As a grey-suited businessman trying to catch his train and missing it, Murray serves as the opening gag in Wes Anderson’s most recent live-action flick. Many viewers also saw him as a spiritual stand-in for the brothers’ “late” father.

Zombieland (2009)
As the surprise zombie cameo, Murray leaves his fingerprints everywhere: the amazing wig, the reenactment of Ghostbusters (a la Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone), the glorious hookah. His death itself is even funnier than picturing him walking around, dressed in fake blood, moan-speaking to other dead celebrities.

The Limits of Control (2009)
As “the American” Murray has more profanities living in his mouth than he does teeth in Jim Jarmusch’s latest. His turn as the anti-Bohemian capitalist (or anti-Jarmusch) is hilariously spot-on as he eventually eats his own words, served cold by an equally stone-faced Isaach de Bankole.

Murray has been killed, he’s played dead, and now he’ll be a ghost. What’s next? With all of the 3D hubbub, maybe a Charlie Kaufman-style Being Bill Murray experience?

1 comment
Email to a friendEmail to a friend TwitterTweet FacebookFacebook Digg thisDigg StumbleUponStumbleUpon
  1. Exciting Ghostbusters 3 News: Ivan Reitman to Direct
  2. Liars on “Sisterworld,” Bret Easton Ellis, and Playing Dead
  3. Exclusive: What’s on Mr. Murray Hill’s Christmas Wish List

One Response

Why Is Bill Murray So Good at Playing Dead? « Hot Women News, Gossip, Pictures and more • February 11th, 2010 at 6:00 pm

[...] Why Is Bill Murray So Good at Playing Dead? Tags: caddyshack, dr peter, ethan hawke, groundhog day, hamlet 2000 Share this post! [...]

Post a new comment



Displayed next to your comments.



If you have a website, link to it here.

« Previous Next »
Get your Daily Dose of culture!
    1. This Week in Buzz
    1. 10 Summer Songs That Need To Die
    1. 50 Culturally Relevant Swimming Pools
    1. Daily Dose Pick: Dirty Baby
  • The Followables: 10 Characters from Mad Men
    And the fabulissima @Rebecca_Pryce. Turns out she's a much more interesting char...
    Kiki D’Aqui • Sun Sep 5 at 3:42pm
  • The Top 10 Bookstores in the US
    Skylight booksin Los Angeles is way cooler the Secret Headquarters, which just s...
    The devil lives in LA • Sun Sep 5 at 11:10am
  • The Top 10 Bookstores in the US
    I am a reader, which means essentially that I enjoy reading. But, because of my ...
    Wanda • Sun Sep 5 at 4:00am
  • Daily Dose Pick: Gorillaz
    Welcome Its not actually my practice to post comments, but myself thought myself...
    port printer wireless wp1 ws • Sat Sep 4 at 10:06pm
 

About Flavorpill

Flavorpill covers cultural events, art, books, music, and world news. Join now.

  • About|
  • Advertise|
  • Jobs|
  • Causes

I want to...

  • Suggest an Event »
  • Send Feedback »
  • Report a Bug »

Our Publications

  • New York »
  • San Francisco »
  • Los Angeles »
  • London »
  • Chicago »
  • Miami »
  • Artkrush »
  • Earplug »
  • Boldtype »
  • Activate »
  • Daily Dose »
Get your Daily Dose of culture!