Bill Murray Net Worth, Popular Movies, Personal Life, Career Highlights, Awards & Accolades
Bill Murray is an actor known for his comedic appearance in many superhit movies. However, his performance is not just limited to comedies and Murray has also given strong performance in serious movies mostly playing depressed characters. He is the recipient of multiple awards, barely missing out on his Academy Award for Best Actor. Murray is also a successful businessman with multiple investments and a major philanthropist. Get more details about the actor such as Bill Murray’s net worth in 2024, biography, business ventures, interesting facts, etc from this post.
Bill Murray Net Worth 2024
Name | Bill Murray |
Profession | Actor, comedian |
Net worth (2024) | $180 million (est.) |
Bill Murray’s Personal Biography
Bill Murray was born on 21 September 1950, in Evanston, Illinois, to Lucille and Edward Joseph Murray II. His father was a lumber salesman while his mother was a mail-room clerk. Murray has eight siblings, three of whom are actors. When Bill was 17, his father died from complications of diabetes. When he was a teenager, Murray used to work as a golf caddy to fund his high school education. In school, he was the lead singer of a rock band and also participated in school and community theater. In 1970, Murray was arrested at an airport for trying to smuggle cannabis and was convicted and sentenced to probation.
During the late 1970s, Murray dated his SNL fellow cast member Gilda Radner. In 1981, while filming the movie Stripes, Murray married his first wife Margaret Kelly. The couple had two sons together. He entered into an affair with Jennifer Butler while still married to Kelly and as a result got divorced in 1996. In 1997, he married Butler and they have four sons. He again got divorced in 2008 after being accused of domestic violence, infidelity, and addictions to sex, marijuana, and alcohol by Butler.
Full name | William James Murray |
Profession | Actor, comedian |
Years active | 1973 – present |
Age | Born on September 21, 1950 |
Gender | Male |
Place of birth | Evanston, Illinois, US |
Marital status | Married |
Spouse | Jennifer Butler (1997 – 2008) Margaret Kelly (1981 – 1996) |
Children | 6 |
Nationality | American |
Parents | Lucille Murray (mother) Edward Joseph Murray II (father) |
Relatives | Brian Doyle-Murray (brother) Joel Murray (brother) |
Professional Career of Bill Murray
Murray got his career start in the early 1970s with an improvisational comedy troupe. He later moved to New York City to appear as a featured player on “The National Lampoon Radio Hour”. This show led to his first television role as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) in 1975. Murray rose to prominence in 1976 after working with the guerrilla video commune TVTV on several projects. He officially joined the cast of SNL for the second season of the show and remained there for three seasons from 1977 to 1980.
In 1979 Murray landed his first lead role in the movie “Meatballs” and later starred in a series of box-office hits in the coming decade including “Caddyshack”, “Stripes”, “Tootsie”, and others. Murray began working on a film adaptation of the novel “The Razor’s Edge”, which he also co-wrote. To get financing for this movie, Murray agreed to star in the movie “Ghostbusters” which became the highest-grossing film of 1984 and the highest-grossing comedy at the time. The Razor’s Edge on the other hand was a box-office flop. After the failure of the movie, Murray decided to step away from acting to study history and philosophy and spend some time with his family.
After his comeback, Murray starred in the comedy film “What About Bob?” in 1991 which became a box office hit. In 1993 he starred in another comedy “Groundhog Day” which also turned out to be an immense critical success. Murray appeared in several other hits during the 1990s and in 2003 he gave the most memorable performance of his life with the movie “Lost in Translation”. For his role in the movie, the actor earned a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and many others along with a nomination for Academy Award for Best Actor.
Voice Acting
In 2004, Murray gave the voice of Garfield in the film “Garfield: The Movie”, and its sequel “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties” (2006). Apart from this, Murray also provided his voice for Mr. Badger in the 2009 animated film, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”. In 2016, he gave his voice to the character Baloo in the live-action adaptation of the movie “The Jungle Book”. Bill has also given his voice to minor characters in movies “Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle”, “BC Rock”, and “Isle of Dogs”.
Check other Richest Comedians in the World
Business Ventures & Philanthropy
Along with his brothers, Murray co-owns a restaurant Murray Bros. Caddy Shack. He is a co-owner of the New York Yankees single-A affiliate baseball team, the Charleston RiverDogs, and has previously co-owned the Salt Lake Trappers rookie (Pioneer) league baseball team. Murray has also made investments in a number of other minor league teams in the past. Along with his brother Joel Murray, Bill co-owns an apparel brand called William Murray Golf.
In 1987, Bill made a major financial contribution to help build the Nathalie Salmon House, which provides affordable housing for low-income seniors.
Top 10 Movies of Bill Murray
Check out the list of some of the best movies of Bill Murray.
- Lost in Translation (2003)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Groundhog Day (1993)
- Tootsie (1982)
- Rushmore (1998)
- The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
- Scrooged (1988)
- Caddyshack (1980)
- Broken Flowers (2005)
- Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Awards Won By Bill Murray
Here are some of the many awards won by Bill Murray in his acting career.
British Academy Film Awards
- 2004 Best Actor in a Leading Role for Lost in Translation
Golden Globe Awards
- 2004 Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Lost in Translation
Primetime Emmy Award
- 1977 Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for Saturday Night Live
- 2015 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Olive Kitteridge
Independent Spirit Awards
- 1999 Best Supporting Male for Rushmore
- 2004 Best Male Lead for Lost in Translation
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
- 2003 Best Actor for Lost in Translation
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
- 2003 Best Actor for Lost in Translation
- 2020 Best Supporting Actor for On the Rocks
Critics’ Choice Television Awards
- 2014 Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries for Olive Kitteridge
Detroit Film Critics Society Awards
- 2014 Best Ensemble for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
- 2014 Best Ensemble for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Iowa Film Critics Association Awards
- 2003 Best Actor for Lost in Translation
Interesting Facts about Bill Murray
Get here some interesting factors about actor Bill Murray.
- Murray enrolled in a college in Denver, Colorado for pre-medical courses, but soon dropped out.
- He was considered for two roles that went to Harrison Ford and three roles that went to Tom Hanks.
- One of Murray’s sisters is a Dominican nun.
- Murray does not have a publicist, agent, or business manager, which is very unusual for an actor.
- While on the set of Groundhog Day, he was bitten by the groundhog twice.
- Murray has appeared in three films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Tootsie, Lost in Translation, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
- He is a skilled golfer who has appeared at many pro-am golf tournaments.
- In 2012, Murray was inducted into the South Atlantic minor league’s Baseball Hall of Fame.
- He was ranked #82 in Empire (UK) magazine’s list of “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time”.
- Murray has been known for his mood swings and short temper.
Frequently Asked Questions
$180 million (approx.)
She died at the age of 42 from ovarian cancer.
No, Jerry Seinfeld is the richest comedian in the world.