Rising to fame with the TV show “Saturday Night Live”, the 70-year old American comedian, actor, writer, and producer, Bill Murray, has won millions of viewers with his deadpan delivery. Murray landed into the film industry by chance – he never imagined he could be one of the best comedians in the world until his brother invited him to participate in a comedy group in Chicago at an age of 22. Today, after all the years of hard work, the actor has an enormous net worth of $180 million.
Bill Murray’s Family Background & Education
Originally named William James Murray, the actor was born on 21 September 1950, in Evanston, Illinois. Murray belonged to a large family and had eight siblings out of which three became actors in the future. His mother, Lucille Murray, was a mailroom clerk, while his father, Edward Joseph Murray was a salesman. Seeing his children succeed wasn’t in Edward’s fate and he passed away when Bill was only 17.
Bill attended St. Joseph grade school and Loyola Academy. As his family went through a financial crisis, he worked as a golf caddy to fund his high school education at Jesuit high school.
During high school, Murray took part in several theater productions however, things took a rough turn after that. He went to join pre-medical school, but things didn’t work out and he dropped out to return home. When he was 17, the comedian was caught making a shocking attempt of selling marijuana at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Consequently, he was put on probation instead of going to jail.
Getting into Acting
After the unanticipated incident against the law, Murray was invited by his brother to join the improvisational comedy “The Second City” in Chicago. Meanwhile, he got to study under Del Close, the teacher behind many successful comedians. The events made him realize that acting could be the direction he could go in and so he started.
Series of Successful Movies
In 1977, his first breakthrough came through a series of performances on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” for which he ended up earning his first Emmy Award. Following his success on the show, Murray started taking part in films and filmed his first role in “Meatballs” in 1979. In 1980, he left “Saturday Night Live” and landed the role of “Hunter S. Thompson” in “Where Buffalos Roam”. A series of movies followed in the 1980s including, “Tootsie”, “Stripes”, and “Caddyshack” which earned considerable popularity.
Bill’s First Hiatus
“Ghostbusters”, a movie well-known to both the newer and older generations, was another hit of Murray in the 80s after which he decided to take a break from acting. The hiatus came because of the movie “The Razor’s Edge”, which Murray had co-written and acted in, failing at the box office. Bill took four years off during which he only appeared in cameo roles. He also took the opportunity to study philosophy and history at Sorbonne University in Paris.
1988 marked Murray’s return to the acting field when “Scrooge” was released. In the next year, his earlier hit “Ghostbusters” was renewed for a sequel, “Ghostbusters 2”. In the 90s, Bill’s roles in “Groundhog Day” and “Space Jam” earned him more liking from the audience.
Collaboration with Wes Anderson
In 1998, his first collaboration with Wes Anderson, “Rushmore”, was released. The movie and Bill’s performance, both received amazing reviews. The success of “Rushmore” gave Murray the confidence to work on more dramatic roles. Hence, he ended up collaborating once again with Wes Anderson in “The Royal Tenenbaums”.
Another role that brought in more recognition for him was the romantic comedy, “Lost in Translation”. Murray appeared in “Charlie’s Angels” and also went for voice acting in the “Garfield movies”. In 2004, he partnered with Wes Anderson again for one of the most prominent roles in “The Life of Aquatic”.
He again went on a hiatus returning in 2009 for yet another collaboration with Wes Anderson with the role of “Mr. Badger” in the movie, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”. In 2016, he took up another voice acting role of “Baloo” in “The Jungle Book”. He also lent his voice to other animated movies like “Isle of Dogs”.
Murray’s Private Life
Bill Murray had two marriages. The first one was with Margaret Kelly in 1981 and the couple had two children together before they divorced in 1996. The second marriage was with Jennifer Butler in 1997. Bill and Jennifer had four children together. Unfortunately, this marriage didn’t last long either and they divorced in 2008.
Murray likes to keep things personal. Unlike other celebrities, he doesn’t have any agent or manager. If someone wants to get a hold of him, they must call him or leave a voicemail. He only responds and takes up the opportunities that genuinely interests him. The directors that Murray has worked with over the years include Wes Anderson, James Jarmusch, and Sofia Coppola.
Bill Murray’s Net Worth & How He Earns It in 2020
The American comedian has a massive net worth of $180 million as of 2020. Even though Murray is known for his roles in several movies, the actor works in the movies he wants to no matter what the pay is. Director Wes Anderson revealed that Murray made a salary of $9,000 for the 1998’s “Rushmore” which received considerable critical acclaim.
Movies
Murray’s earnings through his appearances in movies and shows have not been made public. However, all of his movies have grossed in millions. Starting with “Lost in Translation” that has a lifetime grossing of $44 million, the 1981 comedy “Stripes” made $85 million, followed by “Tootsie” that earned $177 million, and the highest-grossing movie is Murray’s classic “Ghostbusters” with a whopping $242 million.
Murray Bros. Restaurants
Bill, along with his siblings, opened a Caddyshack-themed restaurant. The first restaurant was launched in Florida in 2001 at the World Golf Village. The second was set up in Chicago in 2018 in the Crowne Plaza Rosemount Hotel near O’Hare Airport. The restaurant is based around the family’s love for golf.
William Murray Golf
Murray has his own Golf Apparel Brand under the name “William Murray Golf”. The brand offers polo shirts with a starting price of $70. The business was launched in 2016 and it sold out within 24 hours. Bill, along with his five brothers Andy, Brian, Ed, Joel, and John, had grown up caddying at Indiana Hill in Winnetka, Illinois. The purpose of the brand is to promote golf as a fun and light-hearted activity.
Investments in Baseball Teams
The Groundhog Day actor’s love for sports has made him invest in baseball as well. Murray is also reported to co-own several minor baseball teams including the Charleston RiverDogs. He received so much appreciation for his investments that he was inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame in 2012.
Regardless of the actor’s closed personality, he has been close to his family and fans. He is known to have crashed random parties and doing karaoke with total strangers. That’s just how Bill Murray is. He does what he wants and takes up the roles he loves.
The numerous roles that he has done have proved his skills to the audience. Owing to his numerous businesses and his acting roles that are yet to come, Bill Murray’s net worth is expected to keep on increasing in the future.
Disclaimer: All of the information mentioned above has been gathered from the sources mentioned below:
I am Sophia william, author of World Stock Market. I have a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and I have worked as a reporter for several news websites. I have a passion for writing and informing people about the latest news and events happening in the world. I strive to be accurate and unbiased in my reporting, and I hope to provide readers with valuable information that they can use to make informed decisions.
