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American actor and comedian Bill Murray has been known for not having an agent or manager. The only way he accepts role offers is by responding at random to messages from an unlisted toll-free telephone number which he created. This arrangement has made it difficult for filmmakers to contact Murray and cast him in their films. As a result, Murray has gained a reputation for missing out on a number of opportunities to portray certain characters in films he was considered to appear in. The following is a list of films Murray turned down or missed out on.

List

Notes

^A Murray did a cameo in the film The Jerk (1979) in which he portrayed a "flamboyantly gay decorator" but the scene was cut from the final film.

^B The film Legal Eagles (1986) was initially intended as a two-man vehicle for Murray and Dustin Hoffman. After both actors turned down the project, the character Murray was considered to play was then rewritten as a woman which ended up being portrayed by Debra Winger.

^C According to several sources, Murray was considered to play Charlie Babbitt in the film Rain Man (1988). However, a source from Business Insider claimed that Murray was considered for the part of Raymond Babbitt.

^D After Murray declined to reprise his role in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), the character Jimmy Bosley, portrayed by Bernie Mac, was then created as a replacement for John Bosley.

^E It is known that Murray declined a supporting role in the film The Ice Harvest (2005), but sources differ as to which role he was offered. A source from Vulture.com claimed he was considered for the part of Bill Guerrard whereas a source from Mental Floss claimed he was considered for that of Pete Van Hueten.

^F Robert Downey Jr. claimed that Murray was considered for a part in the film Iron Man (2008) but did not specify which role he was offered to play.

References

1. Kohn, Eric (10 June 2019). "Bill Murray Explains Why He Created a Secret 1-800 Number to Be Reached About Roles". IndieWire. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
2. ^ Yahr, Emily (16 September 2015). "Bill Murray has missed out on a lot of big movies — here's every strange reason why". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
3. ^ The Washington Post (18 September 2015). "Who you gonna call? Bill Murray replaced his agents with a 1-800 number in 2000 and lost major roles". National Post. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
4. ^ Farr, John (6 December 2017). "Bill Murray and the Roles That Got Away". HuffPost. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
5. ^ Evans, Bradford (17 February 2011). "The Lost Roles of Bill Murray". Vulture.com. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
6. ^ Cormier, Roger (4 December 2015). "33 Movies That Almost Starred Bill Murray". Mental Floss. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
7. ^ Locke, Greg W. (August 26, 2011). "The Top 25 Roles Bill Murray Didn't Take". Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
8. ^ Farr, John (19 September 2014). "BILL MURRAY AND THE ROLES THAT GOT AWAY". Best Movies by Farr. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
9. ^ Tanya (19 September 2017). "7 Iconic Roles That Were Almost Played By Bill Murray". Throwbacks. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
10. ^ Guerrasio, Jason (19 September 2015). "7 major movies Bill Murray turned down — or just didn't pick up the phone for". Business Insider. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
11. ^ "5 Great Movies That Bill Murray Missed Out On". Cinema Blend. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
12. ^ Levy, Pat (21 September 2015). "Bill Murray missed out on some great roles by having a 1-800 number instead of an agent". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
13. ^ Evans, Bradford (16 February 2012). "The Lost Roles of Bill Murray, Part Two". Vulture.com. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
14. Solomon, Charles (2006-05-07). "Can We Get Bruce Willis for the Raccoon?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-06.

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