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10 Famous Roles Almost Played by Bill Murray By adamhb [ 1 more lists ]
Bill Murray is an interesting case study -- He's enjoyed an incredibly successful film career that's spanned over three decades, and yet like so many comedic film actors of his generation (such as Steve Martin and Dan Akyroyd), he would never be considered to be your traditional "leading man" type. He's not classically good-looking (unless you're into that Edward James Olmos "I could eat soup out of your pockmarks" kind of thing) and more often than not his onscreen persona is defined by dark sarcasm and misanthropy. But nonetheless, there is definitely something charismatic about Bill Murray, and he brings something unique to all the roles he plays. I couldn't picture anyone nailing Peter Venkman from Ghostbusters or Phil Connors from Groundhog Day quite the way Murray did - with such snarky bravdo and charming dislike for humanity.
That being said, Bill Murray is not right for every role that is out there. He's a very picky actor, and has turned down a slew of projects over the years. Here's a list of films that Murray almost starred in, but either passed on or was passed over for....
[And if you like this list, check out this guide to The Greatest True Bill Murray Stories.]
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Star Wars
Role: Han SoloBUY @ amazon
No joke! Long before Bill Murray's famous Star Wars lounge act on Saturday Night Live, George Lucas was originally considering him for the role of Han Solo in 1977's Episode IV: A New Hope. Wow. This would have been a completely different movie! I can kind of see Murray's cockiness working for the role, but no... no, nevermind, I really can't picture this no matter how hard I try. I will say though that the famous Cantina scene where Han shoots Greedo would have been amazing with Murray in the driver's seat... imagine Murray calling his name a la "Ned Ryerson?" from Groundhog Day before blowing him away. There would have been absolutely no question as to who shot first!
Okay, you know what? I've changed my mind... Bill Murray as Han Solo would have been an awesome casting choice.
Who got the part:
Harrison Ford (who was a carpenter for Lucas at the time he was discovered). Other actors in consideration for the role were Kurt Russell, Al Pacino, Nick Nolte and yes... Christopher Walken. - 2
Batman - Tim Burton
Role: Batman/Bruce WayneBUY @ amazon
During early development of the Warner Bros' 1989 blockbuster, Batman, studio execs were thinking about casting Murray as the title character. Originally, they envisioned the film in a campier tone, similar to that of the 1960's television show starring Adam West. But as the story goes, when Tim Burton signed on to direct the project he decided to use Michael Keaton, an actor he had just previously worked with on Beetlejuice.
Who got the part:
Michael Keaton (and subsequently Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale). Mel Gibson and Alec Baldwin were also supposedly in the running.
According to an interview he did on MTV.com, Murray claims that he is not bitter about losing the part to Keaton. He says, "I would have been a fine Batman. You know, there have been a number of Batmen. I like them... I thought Mike Keaton did a great job as Batman. It's obviously - it's a great role." - 3
Splash - Ron Howard
Role: Allen BauerBUY @ amazon
Producers of the 1984 film Splash offered the leading role of Allen Bauer to Murray, who turned it down so that he could make Ghostbusters (thank goodness!). After John Travolta and Michael Keaton passed on the part as well, producers finally turned to Tom Hanks who accepted.
Personally, I think it's really interesting that Bill Murray was considered for this part, because when you think about it he and Tom Hanks are pretty much polar opposites in every way. Don't get me wrong, they can both be considered "everymen" in some respects, but whereas Hanks is full of boy-like charm, innocence and heart warming optimism, Murray has built a career around adolecent-style mischeif and dark, skeptical smart-assery.
I do wonder though, if Murray had accepted the role of Allen Bauer, would he have played it more like the title character from his subsequent nautical-themed film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou? Because if so, damn that would have been a strange movie!
Who got the part:
Tom Hanks - 4
Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Richard Williams, Robert Zemeckis
Role: Eddie ValiantBUY @ amazon
Okay, here's one I genuinely think Bill Murray would have been great in. The sarcasm, the pessimism, the dark humor. This is a role in which Murray could have easily excelled. Robert Zemeckis and Steven Speilberg had designated him as the front-runner early on in the casting process and were gung ho about bringing him onboard, but the pair had trouble contacting Murray to make an offer and were ultimately forced to move on. After the fact, Murray found out that the role had been all but his to lose and claimed that he would have taken the part if he had only known about it.
I for one would've loved to have seen him play paddy-cake with Jessica Rabbit!
Who got the part:
Bob Hoskins - 5
Forrest Gump - Robert Zemeckis
Role: Forrest GumpBUY @ amazon
Apparently Bill Murray and Chevy Chase were both offered the title role of 1994's Forrest Gump before it made it's way into the hands of Tom Hanks. As I stated earlier, Tom Hanks and Bill Murray just couldn't be more different when it comes to the strengths they bring to a character. No doubt about it, Tom Hank's performance flat out MADE this movie work. The sense of innocence and wonder he brought to the table here are what allowed us to actually care about Forrest, and not just see him as some bumbling, mentally challenged buffoon who stumbles from one contrivance to the next. I think Bill Murray was smart to turn this one down. If anyone but Hanks played that role, it would have come off as mean-spirited and insensitve, and the movie would have fallen apart...
Who got the part:
Tom Hanks. He won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Gump in 1994 - 6
Kindergarten Cop - Ivan Reitman
Role: Detective John KimbleAs the story goes, the director of 1990's Kindergarten Cop, Ivan Reitman, offered the part of John Kimble to Bill Murray before taking it to Arnold Schwazzenegger. Reitman and Murray had worked together previously on several other projects, including Meatballs (1979), Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), and Ghostbusters 2 (1989). But the reunion was not meant to be, and Murray turned down the role.Honestly, the success of Kindergarten Cop is such a mystery to me, I'm not sure whether it would have worked if Bill Murray had signed on. So much of the magic in that film (if you choose to call it that) comes from Schwarzennegger's awkward, thickly-accented delivery. I don't know -- Would lines such as "It's not a tumor!", "I'm a cop you idiot!," and "Who is your daddy, and what does he do?" have been as funny coming out of anyone else's mouth? Why don't you mull that over while listening to this Kindergarten Cop soundboard... Who won the role: Arnold SchwarzenneggerBUY @ amazon - 7
Bad Santa - Terry Zwigoff
Role: Willie StokesIn early 2002, Bill Murray was going through final negotiations to star in Terry Zwigoff's dark comedy Bad Santa, but he had to drop out at the last minute because of scheduling conflicts with another project he was working on - Sophia Coppola's Lost in Translation. Personally I think Murray would have been terrific in Bad Santa, but I understand his choice to branch out and try his hand at a more dramatic role. His decision ultimately turned out to be the right move though, as he won a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, an Independent Spirit award, and was nominated for an Oscar (Sean Penn won) for his portrayal of Bob Harris in Lost in Translation.Who got the part:Billy Bob ThorntonBUY @ amazon - 8
Toy Story - John Lasseter
Role: Buzz LightyearWait, let me get this straight... Bill Murray passed on the opportunity to play Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story, but then thought it would be a good idea to instead play GARFIELD??? Oh man. It really makes me wonder... does he decide his roles based solely on the amount of lasagna he'll be allowed to consume? Because if that's the case this decision makes an awful lot of sense. If it's not the case, this was just simply an awful decision. The good news is, if Bill Murray HAD signed on to voice Buzz, we probably wouldn't have gotten a Toy Story 2 or Toy Story 3 (both of which are even better than the first film in my opinion). Murray is notoriously opposed to making sequels, as evidenced by his gumming up the works on Ghostbusters 3.Who got the part:Tim AllenBUY @ amazon - 9
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Tim Burton
Role: Willy WonkaHere's another character I'd be really curious to see Bill Murray's take on. If anyone could follow in Gene Wilder's footsteps to capture that dark, disdainful and sarcastic tone from the original 1971 film, it would definitely be him. But clearly director Tim Burton had a different vision for his 2005 remake. Instead of casting Murray to play the magically bittersweet confectioner as he was originally considering, Burton chose to use his long-time collaborator and go-to odd-ball, Johnny Depp. Who got the part:Johnny Depp. Interesting bit of trivia... Depp claims that he found inspiration for his portrayal NOT in Michael Jackson as one might expect, but instead he envisioned Wonka as a "very stoned George Bush."BUY @ amazon - 10
Rain Man - Barry Levinson
Role: RaymondContrary to popular belief, Bill Murray was originally up for the part of Raymond "Rain Man" Babbitt, not Charlie Babbitt, according to an account by screenwriter Barry Morrow. And while Murray was being considered for Raymond, Dustin Hoffman was circling the Charlie role. Murray and Hoffman had worked together previously in Sydney Pollack's 1982 film, Tootsie, and Hoffman was apparently very keen on the idea of the two of them playing brothers. But Hoffman ultimately won the Raymond role (converting his affliction from mental retardation to an autistic savant), and Tom Cruise stepped in as Charlie. Personally, I think Bill Murray would have made a great Charlie. But as for Raymond...Definitely not Rain Man. Definitely definitely not.Who won the part:Dustin Hoffman. Jack Nicholson and Robert DeNiro were also offered the role but turned it down.BUY @ amazon
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