When you think of living comedy actors who have made audiences laugh over the past several decades, the first name that may come to mind is Bill Murray. That’s because his name is usually synonymous with humor and goofiness. Murray’s name on a film is typically a stamp of quality on any motion picture he’s a part of, especially for the past few decades.
As Murray continues to be such a big name in showbiz, it seemed like a good idea to analyze some of his best work and the reasons he’s such a smart, gifted comic (and dramatic) actor.
To be honest, Bill Murray is one of our most charismatic and iconic actors and has graced the silver screen with many, many fantastic comedic performances. However, when analyzing his filmography as a whole, it turned out that his two very best films are, indeed, dramatic movies.
Here is a list of the 12 greatest movies that the funnyman/accomplished actor, Bill Murray, has appeared in.
1. Lost in Translation (2003)
There is so much realism in Lost in Translation that it doesn’t seem like a picture that would have appealed to Murray. Sofia Coppola, the film’s director, searched high and low for Murray to play this role and really pushed to get him to appear in the film.
There’s a very distinct reason she wanted him for the role: He’s perfectly suited for it.
A man stuck in Tokyo for work, acting in a commercial, Bob Harris (Murray) becomes the quintessential middle-aged American in Coppola’s beautiful tale of friendship. Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the married young woman who Bob befriends, brings out a consoling quality in Bob as the pair sing karaoke together and, above all else, talk about the complexities of life.
Bob allows Charlotte to see what is missing in her life. Murray captures the earnestness of Bob as well as his imperfections in this challenging and enormously satisfying role. Murray succeeds many times over in such a layered and human part; displaying Bob’s humanity so well while making us understand why Charlotte values her friendship with him so much.
Murray received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his delicate and brilliant work in Lost in Translation.
2. Broken Flowers (2005)
Murray followed up Lost in Translation with another remarkable turn two years later in Jim Jarmusch’s moving character study, Broken Flowers. As a man who discovers he has a teenage son, Murray’s character, Don, allows the actor to play against type in every way possible.
It would have been impossible to think Murray could be as subtle and emotional as he is in his work in Jarmusch’s devastating labyrinth of sadness and confusion. Murray plays against some of the best actresses in Hollywood (Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange and Tilda Swinton) in Broken Flowers and proves he is more than capable of shining beside each and every one of them.
That last shot of Murray in Broken Flowers shows a man worn out by life and by time who is at a crossroads in his journey through life. Murray handles the delicate nature of playing his “every man” type of role here and it is written with remarkable precision.
Murray nailed his characterization and it’s his second best performance of all-time because of the sadness Murray evokes on-screen.
3. Quick Change (1990)
Now, we return to the Murray we all know and love with Quick Change. This gem is a humorous look at a guy named Grimm (Murray) trying to leave New York City once and for all with his two best friends (Geena Davis and Randy Quaid) after staging the perfect bank robbery.
Murray makes us laugh hard as the fed-up Grimm. He starts off the film dressed as a clown to pull off the robbery and ends the film in a suit jacket. There’s a lot of talent on-screen in Quick Change (including the great Jason Robards), but Murray makes the movie so downright enjoyable by playing it “straight” in a comic way.
One can laugh when Grimm has to get exact change for the bus or when Murray pretends to be a victim of his own robbery, but the truth is Murray is just being Murray and letting his natural abilities shine in this film. It’s such a beautifully made comedy that, at just barely 89-minutes in length, it demands many re-watches thanks to Murray’s ability to be hysterically funny.
4. Groundhog Day (1993)
Talk about high-concept comedies. Groundhog Day has been a classic movie for 30+ years and features Murray at his very best. Murray plays Phil, a TV weatherman who gets to unwillingly repeat the same day over and over again.
Of course, Andie MacDowell’s character will fall in love with Phil eventually, but he has to get that personality of his adjusted just to her liking in order to win her over. It’s not just a love story, but also a lesson on how to be your best self. Phil becomes just that and we see him go through a wide range of emotions in this part from being frustrated to being immensely happy.
Murray runs the gamut of expressions in Groundhog Day and this movie’s basic idea of repeating the same day has been attempted in several other movies (even horror films) throughout the years. It may be often imitated, but the success of this comedy could never be duplicated, thanks to funnyman Murray who keeps the audience laughing hard while watching the actor go through his comic paces.
5. What About Bob? (1991)
Murray has never been zanier than in his work in the box-office hit, What About Bob?, where the actor plays opposite Richard Dreyfuss. Murray plays Bob, the energetic patient of a seemingly caring psychiatrist, Dr. Leo (Dreyfuss).
When Bob unknowingly tacks himself on to Leo’s family vacation, hysterical situations ensue as Murray’s character’s on-screen antics play like comic gangbusters. Bob becomes the patient from hell for Dr. Leo because he doesn’t ever seem to go away, but his family ends up just loving him.
Who wouldn’t love Bob, as played by Murray in one of his most flat-out goofy turns? Dreyfuss is the “straight man” to Murray and the two play off each other like a finely tuned comic symphony.
Whenever Dr. Leo gets mad at Bob, he has to please his family by acting nice and watching Dreyfuss go mad over the well-meaning Bob makes for what is, perhaps, the flat-out wildest Murray comedy of all-time.
6. St. Vincent (2014)
In St. Vincent, Murray excels as -who else?- Vincent. This character is from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn and is a veteran who befriends a young kid named Oliver that lives a difficult life with his single mom (Melissa McCarthy).
Murray revels in this part, playing a caring neighbor who changes the life of Oliver and his mother for the better. He shows great range in this role, adding a significant amount of true originality. He makes this part his own and crafts a delicate performance of a guy who has all the qualities of a caring friend or neighbor.
Everything can be summed up about how good Murray is here by the humorous closing credits in which Murray sings along to Bob Dylan’s “Shelter From the Storm.” Murray sings pretty poorly, but he makes his character so likable that we can’t help but sing along with him and respect this character for his good-hearted nature.
We like Vincent well enough, so why not just stick by him from the opening scenes of the movie all the way until the closing ones? This movie doesn’t give us any other choice.
7. Scrooged (1988)
Scrooged, a variation on themes from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, has, arguably, the most watchable Murray performance ever in terms of the way he fluctuates from naughty to nice over the course of the film. As TV executive, Frank Cross, Murray gets to be his good self and his bad self and the result is a charmer that features an all-star cast and touches the heart.
Carol Kane, as the Ghost of Christmas Present, gives Murray a run for his money with her distinct quirkiness, but Murray has so much fun with the challenge of playing off her that the audience can’t help but fall to the side laughing at their interaction.
Murray is at his best when he talks to the audience in Scrooged during the end credits. He asks the women in the audience to sing along to the Annie Lennox song, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” and then he asks the men in the audience to sing. “No, the real men,” he humorously adds.
Then, Murray throws in the nod to Little Shop of Horrors, “Feed Me Seymour,” at the end and we just know Murray is having as much fun as we are.
8. Ghostbusters (1984)
Nobody could have pulled off the role of Dr. Peter Venkman as well as funnyman, Murray, does. As a quarter of the original Ghostbusters team, Murray pulled his weight and then some in the role.
Murray got to have a love interest in the film, Dana Barrett (a perfectly wonderful Sigourney Weaver). Watching Murray crack one-liners and exorcise the possessed Dana’s demons is just so entertaining because of how Murray tackles the role. Peter is smart and has an edge to him that makes this role the most distinct one of all the Ghostbusters present in the movie, including Dan Aykroyd.
Any comedy movie this wild needs an actor like Murray to keep it running efficiently. Without Murray, the other Ghostbusters wouldn’t have been half as good. Murray proves to be a leader in this role and the other actors follow him in such a way that Ghostbusters cannot fail to be on a list of Murray’s best work.
9. Mad Dog and Glory (1993)
Don’t underestimate Murray in serious roles. This supporting part he plays in Mad Dog and Glory as yet another man named Frank is a hint of even greater things to come from the actor. Murray plays opposite Robert De Niro and, boy, oh, boy, do the two play off each other perfectly.
Mad Dog and Glory cast De Niro in a role that Murray could have played and Murray in a role De Niro could have played. It’s that kind of ingenuity that makes the picture so charming. Murray is a gangster with stand-up comedy aspirations while De Niro is on the right side of the law and in love with Frank’s girl (Uma Thurman).
Murray doesn’t have a lot of screen time in this film, but makes an impression that suggests he is genuinely dedicated to the craft of dramatic acting just as much as he is to comedy. This isn’t the real Murray in the role at all. Murray becomes Frank and there are no strings visible.
To see Murray immerse himself in such a clever role as the one he has in Mad Dog and Glory was certainly a treat back then and still is.
10. The Friend (2024)
Bill Murray doesn’t get a lot of time in The Friend, but he makes it all count. Every minute of his screen time in this film is meaningful. He plays Walter, a man who commits suicide and leaves his dog to his friend, Iris (Naomi Watts).
This role is an important one in Murray’s filmography as it reminds us of how the legendary comic actor Robin Williams died. That goodness that was instilled in both Williams and Walter shines through in Murray’s characterization here.
Iris thinks Walter is selfish for what he did. Walter, in an imaginary conversation within the film, humorously says to Iris, “In my defense, I was suicidal.” Murray handles the role so sensitively that it’s a deeply profound movie that it couldn’t have been if Murray isn’t as excellent as he is in the role.
The Friend is the type of heartwarming movie that one cherishes because it shows human beings at their most vulnerable and displays the joys and passions of life that ultimately make it so special. Without Murray, this film couldn’t have done what it sets out to do.
11. Tootsie (1982)
Why should Murray’s performance in Tootsie be included in a list of his best films when he has made so many other memorable films? This is a mostly improvised turn that turned out to be in a movie of the highest caliber.
As Dustin Hoffman’s character’s roommate, Murray is sharp and terrific and, well, unexpected. Murray’s turn as the artist and gambling roommate in Tootsie is a huge surprise.
He is not billed in the credits and has less than 10 minutes of total screen time in the film, but runs away with his scenes by making them so interesting and unique – rambling on dialogue that never feels fake. Tootsie is a remarkable film – one of the very best- and Murray helps make it all possible.
12. Kingpin (1996)
Murray’s crazy and offbeat turn in 1996’s Kingpin is downright hysterical. As Ernie McCracken, the bowler who “does in” Woody Harrelson’s lead character, Roy, Murray delivers a short performance for the record books. With hair falling out of his head, he was a wild guy -wild beyond belief- with Murray doing it up as he never had before on the lanes of the bowling alleys in the film.
The Farrelly Brothers directed Kingpin. They are comedy geniuses, just like Murray, himself.
The Farrelly Brothers know how to make people laugh and utilize Murray to the fullest extent possible. One had to laugh while watching Murray play this role and going buck wild. The Farrelly Brothers (and Murray) gave us no other choice!
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Murray has done so many perfect roles that narrowing down this list is near-impossible. What do you think are Murray’s best performances?
Thomas Duffy
Thomas Duffy is a Critics Choice member who has written film reviews for most of his life, starting at age 11 when he crafted his first full length movie critique on the film, "Roxanne," a Cyrano story featuring Steve Martin. As a result of that review and other movie obsessive writing, Thomas was awarded a creative writing award in sixth grade. Thomas is the proud author of nine books, including two highly acclaimed novels, "To Never Know" and "Social Work." Thomas can be found on X (formerly known as Twitter) or at a New York City movie theater watching the latest hit or independent movie. You can also run into him at Tribeca or at the New York Film Festival.