“This is not a dress rehearsal; this is your life.” It may sound like a quote from a famous athlete or business influencer but, that is not the case. Instead, this is a quote from a true legend of show business, Bill Murray.
Few actors have influenced culture and become icons to the level that Bill Murray has achieved. So, what does this seventy year old actor have that others simple do not? Everything. Catapulting his career in 1976, Murray joined Saturday Night Live and quickly rose to stardom. It was this from starting point that he would go on to starring in roles in classic films such as Meatballs, Caddyshack, Stripes, the Ghostbusters films, Groundhog Day and eventually into more niche roles such as Lost in Translation and Royal Tenenbaums. Instead of continuing to talk about his acclaimed filmography, let’s instead give a list of some reasons why we consider Bill Murray an Alpha in a world of betas.
- All of his famous lines in Caddyshack were improv.
- His favorite movie that he has been a part of is Lost in Translation.
- In 1982, Murray was the first guest on the Late Show with David Letterman and in 2015, he was also the last guest of the show.
- He once took a 4 year sabbatical from comedy and studied philosophy and history in France.
- Murray owns 4 minor league baseball teams.
- He is widely known for “crashing” random parties and weddings and hanging out with the regular people.
- Murray refuses to use an agent and instead has a 1-800 number setup. He checks his messages infrequently and has missed several high profile opportunities.
- While portraying Hunter S. Thompson in Where the Buffalo Roam, Murray and Thompson would constantly try to one-up each other with daring feats. Murray almost drowned during one of these stunts and Thompson had to dive into a pool and save him.
- Bill Murray once hung out with the Wu-Tang Clan (at SXSW) and they decided to jump behind the bar and serve patrons tequila over the course of the night.
- Maybe the most important aspect of Bill Murray, he clearly does not give a damn what people think or what he is or is not supposed to act like. He is his own man, does what he wants, participates in blockbuster movies and independent movies all the same and seemingly has no problem hanging out with “regular” people. Relative to his peers, a true Alpha.
Links to Our Favorite Bill Murray Movies:
