William James Murray born September 21 1950 is an American actor comedian and writer He is known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas He has frequently collaborated with directors Ivan Reitman Harold Ramis Wes Anderson Sofia Coppola and Jim Jarmusch He has earned numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award two Emmy Awards a Golden Globe Award and two Independent Spirit Awards as well as a nomination for an Academy Award In 2016 Murray was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Murray was born in Evanston Illinois to Lucille 19211988 a mailroom clerk and Edward Joseph Murray II 19211967 a lumber salesman He was raised in Wilmette Illinois a northern suburb of Chicago Murray and his eight siblings grew up in an Irish Catholic family His paternal grandfather was from County Cork while his maternal ancestors were from County Galway Three of his siblings John Murray Joel Murray and Brian DoyleMurray are also actors Murray attended Regis University in Denver Colorado where he studied premed for a year He dropped out after being arrested for marijuana possession In 1973 he moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy He joined the National Lampoon Radio Hour and later appeared in the National Lampoon stage show Lemmings In 1977 Murray joined the cast of Saturday Night Live He quickly became one of the shows most popular cast members known for his deadpan delivery and his ability to improvise He left the show in 1980 to pursue a film career Murrays first major film role was in the 1979 comedy Meatballs He went on to star in a number of successful comedies including Caddyshack 1980 Stripes 1981 Ghostbusters 1984 and Groundhog Day 1993 He has also starred in a number of critically acclaimed dramas such as Lost in Translation 2003 and Broken Flowers 2005 Murray is known for his eccentric and unpredictable behavior He has been known to disappear from sets and film projects and he has often been quoted as saying that he doesnt like to work However he is also known for his generosity and his willingness to help out his fellow actors
Login to comment!
