Bill Murray Explains Why He Agreed to Make a ‘Ghostbusters’ Cameo
There’s one reason and one reason only why we’re getting a Ghostbusters remake in 2016 instead of an actual Ghostbusters 3 five years ago. That reason is named Bill Murray and he’s been the not-so-secret sequel roadblock for as long as we can remember. But then he accepted a small role in the new reboot, because he’s Bill Murray and Bill Murray does whatever he wants. Sometimes that means randomly showing up at your birthday party. Sometimes that means popping up in a film franchise that he seemingly had zero desire to revisit. Now, Murray explains his reasons for joining a new Ghostbusters movie he was so vocally against.
Speaking with Vulture, Murray described his positive experience on the set and expressed his desire to not overshadow the new cast:
You know, they were incredibly nice to ask me, and I really enjoyed being there. They have such a jolly group, and they are going to have great success with this project. I didn’t want to overshadow [them] or anything, and I feel really good about it.
However, Murray also made it clear that accepting this part was a tough decision. Although he respects star Melissa McCarthy (“a great hope”) and director Paul Feig (“ real nice fellow”), he agonized over the decision:
I thought about it for a very long time. Like, many, many months. No, that’s not right. I was seriously thinking about this for years, really … It kept eating at me, and I really respect those girls. And then I started to feel like if I didn’t do this movie, maybe somebody would write a bad review or something, thinking there was some sort of disapproval [on my part].
That answer is still a little vague, but you’ve got to respect the logic of his decision. By appearing in the film, and therefore offering his endorsement of the new all-female cast, Murray robs certain critics of their power. Good job, Mr. Murray. The whole world owes you another beer.
Bill Murray will do his best to not overshadow Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones when Ghostbusters opens on July 15, 2016.