Charlie’s Angels Behind-The-Scenes Drama: Bill Murray’s Clash With Lucy Liu Turned Violent
He's not as nice as you think he is.
As a comedian who can make you laugh with a straight face, Bill Murray is a goldmine for directors making smart comedies. He miraculously knows how to complicate the seemingly ordinary plots – Groundhog Day, which made him world famous, is the best proof of this. This is why Wes Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Jim Jarmusch, and most importantly, the audience, love and appreciate him.
But as it turns out, not all actors love Bill. On set, Murray can be abrupt and even rude, as was the case between him and Lucy Liu on the set of 2000's Charlie's Angels.
According to Liu, everyone got together to redo a scene, but Murray couldn't be there. She was not directly involved in the creative process – having been one of the last to join the cast, she barely got to vote.
Nevertheless, at one of the rehearsals, Bill found out about the change of the script and got furious. Strange as it may seem, the actor turned his anger on Lucy Liu and didn't shy away from commenting on the her acting talent. Lucy shared the details during an episode of the Asian Enough podcast:
“Some of the language was inexcusable and unacceptable, and I was not going to just sit there and take it. So, yes, I stood up for myself, and I don’t regret it.”
Moreover, Bill addressed the trio of actresses, saying that he understood why Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz got roles in the movie, but he had no idea what Lucy was even doing on the set. Imagine being chewed out by Bill Murray? Traumatizing, at least.
Rumor has it that this upset the actress so much that she threw her fists at Murray and members of the film crew had to calm them down. Not the most expected behavior from a comedian who mostly plays nice people.
Constant conflicts on set and Murray's dissatisfaction with the script led to him not returning for the sequel, and comedian Bernie Mac took his place.
But this is far from the only scandal involving the actor. Comedian Seth Green shocked the public with his memories of working with the movie legend.
According to him, on the set of a comedy program, he argued with Murray, and in retaliation the actor… threw him in the trash can. Green was only nine years old at the time.
Sources: Asian Enough, Entertainment Weekly