Bill Murray’s Shocking Regret: The War Movie He Turned Down with Clint Eastwood!

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In the lively 1980s, Bill Murray ventured into the realm of dramatic acting for the first time, although not with great success. Following his fame from Saturday Night Live, Caddyshack, Meatballs, and 1981’s Stripes, Murray chose to step out of his comfort zone by taking on a more sophisticated project: an adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham’s 1944 novel, The Razor’s Edge. This film was a commercial flop, earning only half of its production budget and receiving harsh criticism from critics. For many years afterward, Murray avoided leading dramatic roles again. However, there exists another possible timeline where Murray stars in an ’80s blockbuster war movie under the direction of Clint Eastwood.

In the latest films “Riff Raff” and “The Friend,” Murray has been featured. Recently, on Howard Stern’s show on Sirius XM, he recounted an unexpected tale of his near-collaboration with Clint Eastwood. “Years ago, I was watching Clint Eastwood’s films, such as ‘Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,’ and all the movies he made at that time,” Murray said. “I thought, his sidekick usually meets a grim end, but they always have memorable roles and death scenes. So, I decided to reach out to this man.” Murray added:

In a spontaneous conversation, he asked me if I’d consider doing another service-themed comedy, as he had an ambitious Navy concept following the success of Stripes. I hesitated, wondering aloud if I might end up resembling Abbott & Costello, specializing in military movies. I questioned whether it was wise to continue down this path, and now I regret not taking the opportunity. It was a large-scale project that would have given me an exceptional role, although perhaps not a particularly dramatic death scene, more focused on comedy.

He had control of boats used during World War II, and he could have created a fleet with various items. It looks fascinating to me. Whenever I meet him, I can’t help but think, ‘I’m sorry. I wish I had done that.’ To Clint, I offer my sincere apologies.” Murray then displayed his characteristic dry wit by saying, “He’s definitely moved on from it. He’s a very tough and resilient person.

Interestingly enough, I found myself contributing alongside Murray and Eastwood, albeit in a unique manner – we joined forces for a single tune. You can catch a glimpse of this collaboration in the video linked below, as reported by Far Out Magazine.

At the AT&T Pro-Am golf tournament at Pebble Beach in 2012, an unexpected event took place. During a private party attended by famous celebrities and filled with live entertainment, things took a bizarre turn. In a moment reminiscent of the film “Lost in Translation,” Murray decided to liven up the gathering. He approached the microphone and performed a cover of the Looking Glass’ 1972 hit ‘Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)’ with Clint Eastwood by his side.

‘Stripes’ Was Almost a Cheech & Chong Movie

During the same chat with Stern, Murray delved deeper into the topic of his military-themed comedy film, “Stripes”, which was later directed by Ivan Reitman, known for making “Ghostbusters”. The movie featured acting legends like Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, and John Candy. Interestingly, a very different group of actors were initially intended for the roles. According to Stern, Murray clarified that the script was originally meant for Cheech & Chong.

Initially, they were informed that Cheech & Chong declined the project. It was later discovered that their agent refused to let them participate. Interestingly, Cheech & Chong never had a chance to review the script. I believe if they had, they could have found it amusing, given the numerous stoner scenarios it contained. One of these scenes involved a journey to South America where we consume a potion, resulting in a psychedelic experience and nonsensical speech for everyone, as you might imagine. However, such elements were already part of the initial script itself.

Although Cheech & Chong might not appear in “Stripes” anymore, they will feature in the upcoming film blend of documentary and road trip titled “Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie“. You can catch Murray in both “Riff Raff” and “The Friend”. By the way, tune into “The Howard Stern Show“, which airs live on SiriusXM channel 100, every weekday morning starting at 7:00 am ET. The entire show is also accessible through the SiriusXM app. Check out Stern and Murray right here:

(Notes:
00 am ET. to make it clearer “By the way, tune into ‘The Howard Stern Show’, which airs live on SiriusXM channel 100, every weekday morning starting at 7:00 am ET.”
– Added information about the availability of the full show on the app “The full show is also available on the SiriusXM app.”
– Provided a call to action for viewers to watch Stern and Murray “Check out Stern and Murray right here:”
)

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2025-03-27 01:32