Yahoo News Bill Murray blames changing tastes for row over joke which shut down film production
The veteran actor Bill Murray has said a poorly judged joke led to him being accused of misconduct, triggering the suspension of his latest production.
The 71-year-old actor broke his silence during an interview with CNBC, admitting that what he thought was funny in his youth was no longer acceptable today.
"I did something I thought was funny and it wasn’t taken that way," he said during the annual shareholders meeting of the Berkshire Hathaway financial conglomerate.
"The movie studio wanted to do the right thing, so they wanted to check it all out, investigate it and so they stopped the production."
Murray admitted he had been brooding about the incident in recent weeks and had hoped he had learned his lesson.
"We're talking about it. I think we're going to make peace with it, I'm very optimistic about that," he added. "It’s been quite an education for me.
"The world is different than it was when I was a little kid.
"What I always thought was funny as a little kid isn’t necessarily the same as what’s funny now. Things change and the times change so it’s important for me to figure it out.
"I think it's a sad dog that can't learn anymore. I think that's a really sad puppy that can't learn anymore. I don't want to be that sad dog and I have no intention of it."
Murray was due to star alongside Seth Rogan in 'Being Mortal' – a film version of Atul Gawande’s nonfiction book about end-of-life care.
It was the directing debut of Aziz Ansari, a Golden Globe-winning comedian. Neither he nor Rogan were the subject of the complaint, which led to filming being abruptly brought to a halt by Searchlight, the production company. The film was half way through production when work was suspended.
'We're trying to make peace with each other'
Murray, the winner of one Bafta, one Golden Globe and two Emmy awards, described the incident as a "difference of opinion" with a woman working on the production. Details of the exchange have not been disclosed.
"As of now, we're talking and we're trying to make peace with each other. I think that's where the real issue is, between our peace," Murray added.
"We're both professionals, we like each other’s work. We like each other, I think, and if we can't really get along and trust each other, there's no point in going further working together or making the movie as well.
"What would make me the happiest would be to put my boots on and for both of us to go back into work and be able to trust each other and work at the work that we’ve both spent a lot of time developing the skill of."
Murray, whose lengthy film career has included starring roles in 'Lost in Translation', 'Ghostbusters' and 'Caddyshack', suggested the incident reflected how humour has evolved over the years with offence being taken at jokes which were once considered acceptable.
The twice-divorced star has forged a reputation for eccentric off-screen behaviour.
Over the years he has gate-crashed a couple’s engagement photoshoot, given an impromptu speech at a stag do and on one occasion changed places with his taxi driver, taking the wheel to enable the man to carry on practising the saxophone.
