Wes Anderson Stands by Bill Murray Amid Misconduct Allegations, Explains Actor’s ‘Asteroid City’ Exit: ‘He’s Really Part of My Family’
variety.comZack Sharf Digital News Director Wes Anderson told IndieWire ahead of “Asteroid City” opening in theaters that Bill Murray is his family and their working relationship will not be affected by various misconduct claims made against the actor, who has starred in a total of nine Anderson movies over the years. “My experience with Bill is so extensive,” Anderson said. “Bill was such a great supporter of me from the very beginning,” Anderson said. “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.” Anderson said reports of Murray’s inappropriate behavior will not impact their working relationship.
Murray helped launch Anderson into the mainstream with his role in “Rushmore,” and he was the title character in “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.” He’s had supporting roles in “The Darjeeling Limited,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Fantastic Mr.
Fox” and more. Murray was originally set to star in “Asteroid City” but had to drop out of the production. The actor’s exit had nothing to do with the accusations against him. “There was some confusion about what happened with Bill,” Anderson said. “He was supposed to play the motel manager who Steve Carell plays, and Bill got COVID four days before he was supposed to start shooting.
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