Bill Murray Breaks Silence Following Allegations of “Inappropriate Behavior” on Movie Set

News came earlier this month that The Walt Disney Company had shut down production on the upcoming Searchlight Productions film Being Mortal, the upcoming movie that has comedian Aziz Ansari in front of and behind the camera. In the aftermath it became clear that whatever incident occurred it had star Bill Murray at the center of it with reports later revealing he’d been accused of “inappropriate behavior;” now the actor has broken his silence on the matter. Speaking with CNBC News during the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, Murray was asked about the event and revealed some details about what occurred. The actor went on to reveal that attempts at mediation are being made and that it’s something he’s been reflecting on ever since it occurred. 

“We had a difference of opinion, I had a difference of opinion with a woman I’m working with,” the actor said. “I did something I thought was funny and it wasn’t taken that way. The company, the movie studio wanted to do the right thing so they wanted to check it all out investigate it and so they stopped the production, but as of now we’re talking and we’re trying to make peace with each other. I think that’s where the real issues is between our peace. We’re both professionals, we like each other’s work we like each other I think, and if we can’t really get along and trust each other there’s no point in going further working together or making a movie as well.”

He continued, ” It’s been quite an education for me I’ve been doing not much else but thinking about it for the last week or two and I feel like if i don’t see– You know the world’s different than it was when i was a little kid, you know what i always thought was funny is a little kid isn’t necessarily the same as what’s funny now. Things changed and the times change so it’s important for me to figure it out and I think the most important thing is that it’s best for the other person (as well).”

Murray concluded that the event has given him a lot of time to consider what occurred and how he might have acted in a way that was hurtful to others, noting that he believes a resolution is on the horizon. The actor added, “I thought about it and they figured it’s not best for the other person, it doesn’t matter what happens for me and that gave me a great deal of comfort and relaxation because your brain doesn’t operate well when you’re in the unknown when you’re thinking like ‘Well, how could I be so….How could I misperceive? How could I be so inaccurate and so insensitive,’ when you think you’re being sensitive to some sensibility that you’ve had for a long time. So we’re talking about it. I think we’re going to make peace with it. I’m very optimistic about that.”

Based on the book by Atul Gawande, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End is a non-fiction title that explores end-of-life and hospice care. It’s unclear how the book has been adapted into a feature film but the movie was previously scheduled to be released in 2023 with the stoppage in production potentially effecting that. Murray and Ansari, who is making his feature directorial debut with the film, are among the cast which also includes Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer.

(Cover photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)