EXCLUSIVE: The most important star at Sundance 2025 thus far doesn’t actually have a movie at this 12 months’s competition.
Invoice Murray hit Park Metropolis this morning in an invite-only, low-key look on Principal Road.
In fact, the Groundhog Day star being who he’s, nothing about Murray’s sit-down with Elvis Mitchell at a Park Metropolis restaurant remained low-key for lengthy. “I acquired to watch out as a result of each of the administrators are right here,” Murray stated when requested what he appreciated about two movies he has within the hopper. “I used to be a neighborhood rent,” the Saturday Evening Reside vet added of his roles in two upcoming movies, The Good friend and The Phoenician Scheme.
“I’ve to admit I’ve been lazy,” Murray went on to say of his bent of late towards unbiased films. “I eat what lands in my mouth,” he said to huge laughs from the viewers.
Paying homage to his early profession out of the Chicago Second Metropolis improv world within the Seventies, the agentless Murray said that he discovered so much from these “forward of me within the troughs” to intention to not make “dangerous selections.”
Going for a fast giggle, Murray responded to a SNL-associated query from Mitchell with a “that present’s by no means gonna work.”
“I’m on their lonesome up right here,” the Misplaced in Translation actor quipped with good timing to extra laughs.
Invoice Murray at his invite-only interview with Elvis Mitchell at a Park Metropolis restaurant (Dominic Patten/Deadline)
He gave excessive reward to Invoice Hader. “I’m floored by him, he labored more durable and was extra ready … He did issues that have been all the time making an attempt to be inventive, each single sketch, he confirmed a whole lot of vary. His vitality was all the time there. He by no means dipped, saved the ball bouncing.” Whereas Hader has spoken about his stage concern when doing SNL, Murray stated that he by no means had any jitters on the present. He was all the time over the moon to get a line or two, whether or not it was enjoying cop #2 or garbageman #2.
One among Murray’s favourite movies in his canon? 1991’s What About Bob? “I didn’t see it for 15 years and once I watched it, I stated, ‘Rattling, that was humorous.’”
“Extraordinary premise from Alvin Sargent: a affected person who follows his physician on trip. That was cash within the financial institution. Good thing to go to work every single day,” he stated.
It was Sargent who got here up with the idea. Tom Shulman was answerable for rewrites, however Murray talked about that he by no means did any. Murray would get pages again and say, “These are the identical pages that have been right here weeks and weeks in the past.” Shulman was busy getting paid a ton of cash on the Sean Connery film The Drugs Man.
Murray spoke about assembly Hunter S. Thompson, who challenged him to do an underwater escape act. Murray performed Thompson within the 1980 film The place the Buffalo Roam. “You suppose you’ll be able to escape?” Thompson requested the comedic actor as soon as. “Yeah, I feel I may,” answered Murray. Simply earlier than he was lowered within the garden chair, Murray opted to go within the decrease finish of the pool. “When you’re ever tied to a chair, and also you soar in a pool, should you rise up, even should you’re six toes tall, you received’t stand at six toes.” Murray stated that Thompson “was greater than” an acid-tripping drunk.
