Wes Anderson defends Bill Murray as the actor weathers misconduct claims

Wes Anderson (Asteroid City, Fantastic Mr. Fox) is ready to defend his friend and frequent collaborator Bill Murray (Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day) despite the actor’s multiple accusations of harassment. While Geena Davis voiced allegations against Murray in her memoir Dying of Politeness, saying the actor behaved inappropriately on the 1990 film Quick Change set, a formal complaint against the Ghostbuster is making significant waves. In the complaint, a young woman alleges Murray behaved inappropriately on the set of Aziz Ansari’s Being Mortal. When news about the complaint surfaced, Murray blamed the “changing state of comedy” for his offensive actions.

“I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn’t taken that way,” Murray told CNBC when the news broke. “The company, the movie studio, wanted to do the right thing, so they wanted to check it all out, investigate it, and so they stopped the production. But as of now, we’re talking and we’re trying to make peace with each other. I think that’s where the real issue is, between our peace. We’re both professionals. We like each other’s work. We like each other, I think, and if you can’t really get along and trust each other, there’s no point in going further working together or making a movie as well.”

As for Anderson, he says the allegations won’t affect his relationship with Murray. “My experience with Bill is so extensive. Bill was such a great supporter of me from the very beginning,” Anderson told Eric Kohn of Indie Wire. “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 says Murray was supposed to star as a hotel manager in his latest film Asteroid City. Unfortunately, Murray contracted Covid-19 four days before filming. With Murray stuck in isolation, Steve Carell assumed the role. Anderson thought about waiting for Murray to recover, but by the time he would be cleared to return to work, the actors he shares scenes with would have been gone. After Murray recovered, he met Anderson, and the duo drove to France together. “It was a great way to finish but it was the first time I hadn’t had him in a movie in a long time,” Anderson says.

Murray has starred in nine of Anderson’s films, including The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and more. The duo will likely collaborate again, though when that will happen remains uncertain.