Director Wes Anderson is standing by his longtime collaborator Bill Murray in the wake of recent misconduct claims aimed at the actor.
In April 2022, filming on Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut, “Being Mortal,” was shut down after Murray was reportedly accused of exhibiting inappropriate behavior on set.
Speaking with CNBC following the shutdown, Murray called the incident “a difference of opinion.” He suggested the on-set complaint arose out of a misunderstanding over an intended joke and expressed his hope that the situation would soon be resolved.
An October report by Puck claimed that Murray had kissed and straddled a “much younger” female crew member on the set.
In a recent interview with IndieWire, Anderson said the allegations against Murray, who has appeared in nine of the director’s films, will not affect the duo’s working relationship.
“My experience with Bill is so extensive. Bill was such a great supporter of me from the very beginning,” Anderson said. “I don’t want to speak about somebody else’s experience, but he’s really part of my family. You know, he’s my daughter’s godfather. In fact, he actually baptized her. He’s the one who splashed the water.”
Anderson also shared that Murray was originally slated to have a role in his upcoming film “Asteroid City,” but the “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day” star dropped out after getting sick with COVID-19.
“He was supposed to play the motel manager who Steve Carell plays, and Bill got COVID four days before he was supposed to start shooting,” the “Fantastic Mr. Fox” director said. “The people who Bill was supposed to play scenes with were going to be gone by the time he cleared the COVID protocols and stuff. And in fact, he was quite sick. So Bill missed his part and Steve Carell came in quite suddenly.”
Anderson cited his tight relationships with several actors, such as Murray, as key to making his films unique.
“You know, the people I work with — Owen (Wilson), Bill and Jason (Schwartzman) — these are people I have such a long thing with that when I don’t have them, gosh, I feel they’re missing,” Anderson said.
The incident on the “Being Mortal” set was not the first time Murray has been accused of inappropriate antics.
In 2003, “What About Bob?” producer Laura Ziskin told the Los Angeles Times that Murray “threatened to throw me across the parking lot and then broke my sunglasses and threw them across the parking lot.”
Costume designer Jennifer Butler filed for divorce from Murray in 2008 and accused the comedian of abandonment, infidelity and abuse.
In a statement at the time, Murray’s attorney said he was “deeply saddened by the breakup of his marriage,” adding that he and Butler were “committed to the best interests of their children.”
On a July 2021 episode of the the Times podcast “Asian Enough,” actor Lucy Liu recalled having to defend herself when Murray allegedly began to “hurl insults” at her on the set of “Charlie’s Angels.”
“Some of the language was inexcusable and unacceptable, and I was not going to just sit there and take it,” Liu told “Asian Enough” co-hosts Jen Yamato and Tracy Brown.
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(Los Angeles Times staff writer Christi Carras contributed to this report.)
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