Bill Murray Reflects on Regret of Declining Role with Clint Eastwood

NEW YORK — Bill Murray, 74, expressed regret over turning down an opportunity to star alongside Clint Eastwood in a film during a recent appearance on “The Howard Stern Show” on March 25. In a candid conversation, he shared insights about his feelings related to this missed opportunity that continue to linger decades later.

Murray reminisced about watching Eastwood’s films in their heyday, mentioning titles like “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.” He explained, “I thought: ‘His sidekick gets killed, and he avenges, but the sidekick gets like a great part, a great death scene.'” This admiration prompted him to reach out to Eastwood.

When Murray called, he recalled Eastwood proposing a follow-up to his hit film “Stripes,” asking if he would be interested in another service comedy. Murray joked about the idea, questioning if he would become a comedic duo akin to Abbott and Costello. Ultimately, he hesitated, stating, “I said, ‘Well, God, I guess maybe I shouldn’t.'”

The project in question is believed to be Eastwood’s 1986 dark comedy, “Heartbreak Ridge,” in which Eastwood portrays Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway, who is tasked with training a group of unruly recruits. Murray indicated that his decision not to participate is a lingering regret for him. “But it’s one of the few regrets I have is that I didn’t do it,” he admitted. “Because it was a big-scale thing, and I would have gotten a great […] scene, it was more of a comedy that one – but it was great. He had access to World War II boats and could have made a flotilla and stuff, and there was some cool stuff in it.”

Murray revealed that he still expresses his regret to Eastwood whenever they meet. He said, “When I see him, I’m like: ‘I’m sorry, I wish I’d done that, Clint. I’m really sorry.’ He’s certainly well over it. He’s a very resilient fella.”

In the same interview, Murray paid tribute to his late co-star Gene Hackman, who passed away recently at age 93. Reflecting on their collaboration in the 2001 film “The Royal Tenenbaums,” Murray noted Hackman’s complexity as a performer. “He was a tough nut,” he shared, adding, “But he was really good.”

Murray described working in close quarters with older actors like Hackman as challenging, particularly for young directors. He recalled, “Older, great actors do not give young directors much of a chance. They’re really rough on them, and Gene was really rough on Wes. I used to kind of step in there and just try to defend my friend.”