Bill Murray Improvised 1 of the Funniest ‘Groundhog Day’ Scenes
Bill Murray is one of the world’s most beloved comedic actors. Well-known for his work in movies like Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, and Stripes, Murray has been a force to be reckoned with in comedy for decades. One of Murray’s most enduring comedy classics is 1993’s Groundhog Day. The movie remains popular to this day. Murray’s comic skills are showcased perfectly in Groundhog Day, with the brilliant star even improvising one of the film’s funniest scenes.
‘Groundhog Day’ is one of Bill Murray’s most beloved films
Groundhog Day tells the story of a cynical television weatherman named Phil Connors, played by Murray. After Connors is assigned to cover the annual Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, he finds himself stuck in a time loop. Forced to relive Groundhog Day repeatedly, Phil tries to manipulate his circumstances. Eventually, he realizes he can only break the loop if he positively uses his knowledge of future events.
Groundhog Day became a box-office success right away. Fans loved the profound philosophical messages in the film, as well as the hilarious comedic moments. Murray earned praise for his ability to play the dramatic scenes in addition to the funny ones. Over the years, Groundhog Day has become an essential film in pop culture. Today, some consider it one of the greatest comedies ever.
What scene in ‘Groundhog Day’ did Bill Murray improvise?
Murray’s experience as an improvisational comedian helped him at several points during the filming of Groundhog Day. In fact, Murray improvised one of the film’s funniest scenes. According to a video on the MsMojo YouTube channel, the scenes where Phil encounters his old schoolmate Ned Ryerson during his many loops follow the same general pattern as most of their encounters. Ned enthusiastically greets Phil, and Phil acts less-than-excited to see him.
However, during one of those scenes, rather than act annoyed, as usual, Phil greets Ned by giving him a big embrace and telling him he missed him. He doesn’t let go of Ned, rubbing his back and exclaiming how happy he is to see Ned, which ultimately makes Ned visibly uncomfortable. He escapes the encounter as quickly as he can. The video noted that the hug was an unscripted moment from Murray, and that it played out so well it ultimately remained in the finished film.
Bill Murray reportedly hated ‘Groundhog Day’ at first
Even though Groundhog Day went on to become a comedy classic, Murray didn’t have the best time filming it. Harold Ramis, Murray’s longtime creative collaborator, directed the movie. But for Groundhog Day, Ramis’s vision for the film was different than Murray’s. Reportedly, Murray and Ramis clashed many times during filming, with Murray wanting Ramis to focus more on the philosophical elements of the film and Ramis preferring to highlight the pure comedy. This difference of opinion caused bad blood between Murray and Ramis, which might have also colored Murray’s perception of Groundhog Day.
Additionally, Murray would later admit that waiting for his co-star, Andie MacDowell, to get her hair and makeup done, drove him “nuts.” As Murray once noted, “We were always waiting for Andie MacDowell’s hair. The fact is, Andie MacDowell has the greatest hair you have ever seen, in your life. When she finally would arrive, you had to just give up because that hair was really great, but she did drive me crazy.”
