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Bill Murray Biography

bill-murray
  • Born: September 21, 1950 in Wilmette, IL
  • Member of: National Lampoon
  • Genre: World & Reggae

Bill Murray, leading man and versatile comedian, has a long list of hits and high-grossing comedies to his name, which together have placed him 82nd on the U.K.'s Top 100 List of Movie Stars of All Time. Classic comedy feature films in the early '80s, like Stripes, Meatballs, Caddyshack, and Ghostbusters, put Murray on the map and kept him there. Other notable appearances by Murray throughout his career include Phil Conners (a man with a bad case of déjà vu) in Groundhog Day (1993), Bob (a psychotherapist's worst nightmare) in What About Bob? (1991), and Bosley, boss extraordinnaire in the feature film spoof of the '70s TV series Charlie's Angels. In the summer of 2001, he appeared as Frank in the live action and animated feature Osmosis Jones. Murray's ruddy features and oft-noted pock-marked complexion don't seem add up to "what it takes" to be a typical leading man...still he charms the camera and wins over viewers with his sharp, cocky, satirical style. That and a knack for picking winning scripts have secured him a unique niche in Hollywood, winning him many accolades to boot. Take Rushmore, for example. Murray was nominated for and won several awards from film critics, including the Independent Spirit Award, the Lone Star Film & Television Award, and awards from the LAFCA, NYFCC, and the NSFC. Murray began his long-standing comedy career like many of the greats -- at the Second City. (He differs from most in that his talents easily translated to film.) From Chicago, he then joined the live show National Lampoon's Radio Hour in New York; but while John Belushi and Gilda Radner went on to become original cast members of the instantly successful Saturday Night Live, he opted instead to join the promising but short-lived Howard Cossell Variety Hour. He rejoined his friends in the second season of what had become a hit show, where he developed characters like Todd the nerd and Nick, a sleazy lounge singer. The group was nominated for an Emmy in 1979. Murray was born into a large Irish Catholic family whose father was a lumber salesman. He has often worked together with one of his brothers, actor Brian Doyle-Murray, who has had bit parts in numerous movies, including Bedazzled, Stuart Little, As Good As It Gets, and many of Bill Murray's early movies. Bill Murray has been married twice and has four children. ~ Sandy Lawson, Rovi

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