Bill Murray’s funniest moments in classic cut-up roles
Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day," a 1992 romantic comedy about a self-centered television weatherman who has only one day to live -- over and over and over again. Credit: Columbia Pictures
Mark Twain once said, “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”
Those words easily apply to comedy veteran Bill Murray, who will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in October. Here are a few of Murray’s funniest forays that prove he’s worthy of this honor.
GROUNDHOG DAY As a TV meteorologist who is forced to relive — over and over — the holiday in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in this 1992 comedy, Murray’s cranky persona was used to full-blown humorous effect.
CADDYSHACK As a gopher-hunting groundskeeper, Murray’s comedic chops were even sharper than the pesky rodent he was trying to snuff out in this 1980 movie hit. The actor improvised many of his bits dealing with attempts to do away with the gopher.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE As Nick The Lounge Singer, from the mid-1970s to early ’80s, one of Murray’s funniest characters was a lounge lizard who really knew how to sell a song, in particular, the theme from “Star Wars.”
GHOSTBUSTERS In the title trio that also included Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, Murray was the standout in this 1984 movie. The scene where he gets covered in green goo after a ghostly encounter and remarks, “He slimed me. I feel so funky”? Priceless.
