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Wes Anderson is known for his whimsical style of films. His distinct visual style, including symmetrical shots, multiple storylines, deadpan humor, and a large ensemble cast, is his trademark, and the auteur employs it in every film of his.
One of Anderson’s most frequent collaborators isGhostbustersstar Bill Murray. The legendary comic actor has been in his films in some capacity sinceRushmore. The actor was accused of inappropriate behavior in 2022 and was widely criticized for his onset misconduct. However, Anderson came to his rescue and stood by the actor.
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Wes Anderson’s Penchant For Repeating Actors In His Films
DirectorWes Andersongained notoriety for his filmsBottle RocketandRushmore, the latter of which is considered on many best comedies list.Rushmorebegan his collaboration with actors Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray, who would become frequent actors in his subsequent films.
Murray has been in every film of Anderson’s sinceRushmore,barring his latest filmAsteroid City. Characterized by large, ensemble casts, Anderson usually repeats his actors and has collaborated with actors such as Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Anjelica Huston, and more.
Talking about his penchant for casting the same actor multiple times, Anderson said toIndieWire,
“You know, the people I work with — Owen [Wilson], Bill, and Jason [Schwartzman] — these are people I have such a long thing with that when I don’t have them, gosh, I feel they’re missing. But at the same time, it’s probably not the worst thing in the world. I always love having new people. It just expands the whole range of it. You know, we have other movies.”
One of his most frequent collaborators is Bill Murray, appearing in nine films of Wes Anderson’s. The actor has not just appeared in a staring role, but also in cameos and voice acting roles. However, theZombielandstar was missing from Anderson’s latest filmAsteroid City.
Also read:“He is a man who is kind”: Bryan Cranston Was Amazed With Director for Granting Him Equal Status With Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson
Why Did Wes Anderson Not Cast Bill Murray InAsteroid City?
In 2022,Bill Murraywas accused of inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct on the sets of Aziz Ansari’s feature film debutBeing Mortal. Filming was suspended after a female production assistant accused Murray of being inappropriate with her and filed a formal complaint.
Murray maintained that his behavior was ‘jestful’ and chalked it up to the ‘changing nature of comedy in today’s world’, and that the victim had misinterpreted his actions. The allegations brought to light the many behavioral incidents, feuds, and harassment allegations against the comedic actor.
Also read:“I had to read the script a few times”: Bryan Cranston Found Working With Auteur Director Extremely Difficult in Movie Starring Scarlett Johansson
However, the actor was defended by his longtime collaborator Wes Anderson, who mentioned that he would be working with Murray again despite the allegations. He also said that his absence fromAsteroid Citywas not the result of the allegations but just of schedule issues.
Anderson came to Murray’s defense in an interview with IndieWire,
“My experience with Bill is so extensive. Bill was such a great supporter of me from the very beginning. I don’t want to speak about somebody else’s experience, but he’s really part of my family. You know, he’s my daughter’s godfather. In fact, he actually baptized her. He’s the one who splashed the water.”
Wes Anderson explained that Bill Murray was supposed to play the character that was eventually played by Steve Carrell inAsteroid City. However, the actor was reportedly struck with COVID-19 four days before the shoot and hence, had to back out.
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Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
