HollywoodOn: Janet Donovan & Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Brendan Kownacki
It’s been a double win for comedian Bill Murray the past few weeks. First he was honored at The Kennedy Center for the Mark Twain Prize and then his beloved Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in over one hundred years. We think it’s karma. When Murray entered the foyer of The Kennedy Center he tossed out ‘the first ball’ to the delight of his fans and kept telling reporters that he was willing to ditch his own award ceremony if the Chicago Cubs had gone into game 7 in their quest for the World Series.This was Bill Murray at his best….. and he didn’t have to give up his award.
As guests of presenting sponsor Capital One at the performance and after-party, Hollywood on the Potomac enjoyed a night of celebrating Bill Murray and his films through the years, as the house band warmed up the crowd with the theme from Ghostbusters. Kennedy Center Chair David Rubenstein came out to open the night and noted that the evening would be a nice change as “humor not related to political campaigns,” and as the election cycle enters the final stretch, that type of reprieve might be just what we need. Amen to that!
Late night show host Jimmy Kimmel kicked off the evening with his recurring quest to make things awkward by introducing an absentee Bill Cosby. Cosby himself got the Twain Prize in 2009. Kimmel called Bill Murray “the Irish El Chapo” because he’s so hard to locate and described his penchant for randomness as a blessing because some people “live in the moment, and he actually does that.”
Jane Curtin, who has known Murray since his initial days on Saturday Night Live, said he has a “roguish sense of humor” and described him from the onset of his career as a “comedy rebel.”
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver met Bill when they made Ghostbusters in the early 1980s and she said that going anywhere with him, “people used to light up when they saw Bill,” describing that it was like the Mayor of New York walking into a place. He jokingly called her Susan on their first meeting and she says he still does, because with Bill, he does it how he wants to, at any given time.
Director Ivan Reitman, who worked with Murray on Meatballs, Stripes, and Ghostbusters described a specific type of detachment that he exhibited on set…on films like Stripes he would reject preparation sessions and “maybe he practices in the middle of the night” because he nailed every take. Improvisation mixed with pure genius seemed to result in iconic moments and Reitman described it by saying, “Bill creates something new and wonderful on every take.”
Emma Stone touched on Bill’s range and willingness to take on new experiences, like when he filmed “Lost in Translation” in Japan, while Paul Schaffer touched on the musical aspects of Murray’s characters like lounge singer Nick Winters.
Miley Cyrus stunned the crowd with a custom song for the honoree in the style of Frank Sinatra, touched with rock n’ roll, “He did it Bill’s Way,” and what might have been shocking but not surprising, Cyrus had to do a second take after flubbing the lyrics in a storm of profanity, “I fucked it up” because she was “too high” to get the song right the first time. The buttoned-up DC crowd was a bit stunned but Murray was plenty impressed with the song and very encouraging to try it again.
Former late show host David Letterman was self-deprecating but also sentimental as he talked about his time knowing Bill and the 44 appearances he has made on his various talk shows. A clip show recalled how Murray was always willing to get in on the comedy but they truly formed a bond, from nights out at the bar, vacations and even Murray sending along christening robes along for Dave’s son – the connection runs deep.
Brian Murray
When it was time for Bill Murray to finally claim his prize, the most apparent thing was how much he wanted to be a part of the evening from the beginning rather than sitting on the sidelines. Murray couldn’t help but shout out from his balcony seat because Bill Murray is not a sideline player–he participates in anything he does. Bill is known for randomness and engaging with strangers but in front of an audience, armed with jokes is his home. He stumbled around how he tries to tune out social cues and tripped on his own description of how he was coming up speechless at the thought of being honored. Bill was sincere though in saying that his older brother, Brian Doyle Murray, paved the path for him by getting into Second City in Chicago before he did. Bill said his brother “had more guts than anyone I knew and the only reason I’m here is because of the guts of my brother Brian.”
A humble acknowledgment from a legend at the top of his game about the roots he grew from, the funnyman couldn’t avoid being sentimental as he talked about his friends and family, and despite any initial awkwardness he had about accepting the Twain Prize, the honor was sinking in. Murray summed up the experience by describing the trampoline inside of each person that keeps a rhythm and energy that keeps everyone going, and per Murray, if we keep that energy passing from trampoline to trampoline, we’re all going to be just fine.
Guests at the after-party attended by Murray and family members were equally enthusiastic. “I thought Bill Murray is just amazing. He just gave it from the heart. It was the most soulful commentary and it was just really sincere, lovely, and from the heart. It was great,” renown photographer Philip Birmingham told us.
“I love everything about Bill Murray,” NY Rep. Joseph Crowley said. “I like his impromptu-ness, his sense of humor. I think he’s fantastic. You just think about all the people that possibly could have been here, and this is just a small percentage of the great people that he’s been around and has helped make more of them in their own rights. Bill Murray is as Americana as there is. From Cubs, even though I’m a Mets fan, I love the fact that he loves the Cubs the way he does. It’s great. It’s wonderful.” As to whether Crowley is gearing up for a cabinet post, he told us: “I’m getting ready to help do what I can do to help steer the ship of state.”
We asked Brian Murray what it was like growing up in such a large family: “Crowded. Crowded. Very crowded.” As to whether Bill became a comedian as a way to get attention in such a crowded, very crowded family, he responded: “Absolutely.” As to whether he was Bill’s inspiration, he claims that his brother Bill “had it in his genes. I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Maureen Orth, Luke Russert and Bill Murray
Former MSNBC political commentator Luke Russert was there with his author mother Maureen Orth. We asked what he thought the best part of the evening was: “I liked his speech. I thought Bill Murray’s speech was very much from the heart. He talked about his appreciation for Washington, not only as a city but also the sea of government……… the importance of good governance and that we’re all in this together as Americans. I felt that he was perfectly able to illustrate where we are as a country now but also, to be for love and and empathy. Tying all that together in a funny way. It’s pretty hard to do. He did it. It’s fantastic.” Maureen is an old friend of Bill’s and thought the evening was really exciting: “I think the way he talked about Washington was beautiful, and I would also say it’s a great night.”
Joel Murray Photo by Janet Donovan
Hollywood on the Potomac had just interviewed Bill’s brother Joel at the Killing Reagan (he plays Ed Meese) premiere at The Newseum so we were happy to chat with him again. “We all got the tour of the White House yesterday,” said Joel. “I was teary eyed. Also, I realized coming off the stage that I was not with all my friends in Chicago watching that Cub game, but with my 8 siblings who were here to celebrate my brother Bill. I said, ‘I’m going to get on a plane.’ It took me about 2 hours to change my flights and reroute from Seattle …… rather than through Chicago, go all the way to DC, so it worked out.”
