Few television series have quite the history of Saturday Night Live. For five decades, the show has provided us with some of the most memorable comedy and most memorable comedians that we’ve ever seen. Will Forte is certainly among the top tier who have found incredible success thanks to the show, but it turns out that he still gets starstruck when meeting the comedians who are even bigger names.

Forte was one of many who attended the massive SNL 50 event that saw some of the biggest names in entertainment, former cast members, former hosts, and more, in attendance. Speaking with EW, Forte admits he still gets starstruck quite regularly, and mentions two specific SNL vets who make him feel that way, Bill Murray and Martin Short. Forte said…

I’m not sure i can blame Will Forte all that much. As somebody who has had the opportunity to meet and talk with celebrities on a not infrequent basis, it never feels like it gets any easier to talk to them. Even people who aren’t necessarily A-list celebrities by most definitions can be intimidating if it’s somebody whose work you respect.

Bill Murray would likely come across to most as intimidating, and while Martin Short might actually be as nice as he appears, if I met him, you can be sure I wouldn’t know what to say.

Of course, Will Forte would have a much easier time starting a conversation, especially at a big SNL party, because he was a big part of the show’s success, too, just like those people he met at the event. Forte said…

Forte says that when he was actually a cast member on Saturday Night Live, he rarely, if ever, had a chance to come to terms with the history and importance of it all because the hectic show schedule made that difficult. It’s only now that he has a chance to come to terms with the fact that he’s part of it, just like the people he has trouble talking to. He continued…

One imagines there are a few current SNL stars who feel about Will Forte that he feels about Bill Murray and Martin Short. I get the impression he won’t mind if they come up and start a conversation

Hollywood is a lot more buttoned up and professional on movie sets these days. Major productions now have lawyers and intimacy coordinators and professional stunt teams. They’ve put the infrastructure in place to try to make the experience of making movies as safe and comfortable as possible, but that was not always the case. Even thirty years ago, the biggest stars in the world were getting thrown into the deep end, like, for example, Bill Murray when he was bitten twice by a groundhog.

Whispers of the former SNL star getting his finger chomped on the set of Groundhog Day have been going around for decades, but Murray just readdressed it and told the full story on Hot Ones. They were filming the scene where Murray drives his car with the groundhog when the animal bit down on his finger, tearing right through his glove. The next day when they reshot it, Murray tried to protect himself, and the exact same thing happened again.

As you can imagine, Murray was not a happy camper, especially after the second bite. He said he confronted the animal trainers and did his best “self-righteous actor” to figure out what was going on, but the response wasn’t what he expected. Apparently the groundhog wasn’t trained at all and was just some random groundhog they’d trapped a few weeks ago. Here’s a portion of his quote…

Can you picture the headlines that would go around social media today? Imagine if Bradley Cooper did a rom-com and suddenly there were stories about him getting attacked by a wild animal in the middle of filming a scene. X would crash from all the people trying to get in snarky comments and share the story. What a news cycle that would be.

Regardless, it’s worth shouting out Groundhog Day for still being relevant enough more than thirty years later for these stories to go around. It’s, of course, cited as the inspiration for so many time loop movies, but it’s also just a great movie that still holds up and is being regularly watched today. It also helps that it’s related to a yearly moment in time.

There’s perhaps no clearer path to long-term pop culture relevance than a beloved piece of art being uniquely associated with a holiday. We love playing seasonal music and watching seasonal movies, and while that’s most common with Christmas, Thanksgiving and the other major holidays, Bill Murray’s classic Groundhog Day proves it works for lesser holidays too.

Murray still has a “nodule” on his hand from where the groundhog bit down. It’s a wild reminder of one of the craziest things to happen to him on set, but it’s probably also a more pleasant reminder of one of his greatest movies. The shoot was difficult and straining for a lot of reasons beyond the groundhog, but it must be touching to know so many people still care about it so many years later.

By all accounts, John Candy was one of the funniest, sweetest and most genuine people to ever walk the Earth. However, like his famous Del Griffith character from the iconic ‘80s movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles, his kindhearted and fun-loving personality could rub some the wrong way, especially if a wild story from Bill Murray is to be believed.

In Colin Hanks’ documentary, John Candy: I Like Me, which was one of the best and most impactful of 2025, Murray told a hilarious story about the time his Stripes co-star drove Hollywood Legend Sydney Pollack. It wasn’t that Candy was being problematic or a jerk on set that drove the iconic director mad, but instead because he was “milking it,” as Murray put it:

So was it a situation where John Candy simply sucked or wasn’t doing what was asked of him? No, not really. As the Saturday Night Live legend continued after being asked by the interviewer, who sounds a lot like producer Ryan Reynolds, Murray simply said he was just milking it. However, he did admit that the stunt was “shamefully irresponsible,” saying:

Though Murray didn’t reveal the play’s title (I can’t find any record of it), it sounded like it had some star power involved. Written by SNL scribe Marilyn Suzanne Miller and directed by the aforementioned Pollack, it was going to star massive actors like Ray Liotta, Kevin Kline and “a handful of others” alongside the two comedians. That said, it’s easy to see why there was a lot of pressure to get it right.

Earlier in the documentary, Bill Murray talked about the importance of finding that balance between having fun and doing the best you can while paying tribute to his late friend and co-star:

Simply put, John Candy committed to doing the best he could throughout his life, both as an actor and a human being. On top of that hilarious story from Bill Murray, the celeb-filled documentary is full of others about Candy being a great actor with incredible chemistry with his co-stars, and also a genuinely supportive person who would do anything for them.

If you haven’t already, go check out John Candy: I Like Me, which is streaming with an Amazon subscription. Heads up, it’s an emotional experience like no other.

Some in the world of Hollywood have reputations of being really wonderful people, and some…do not. Chevy Chase is one star whose reputation, earned or not, isn’t the best. A new CNN documentary that ran on the 2026 TV schedule, I’m Chevy Chase, and You’re Not, took a look at the career of the controversial comedian and the various battles, of both words and fists, that he has had with people like Saturday Night Live's John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Jane Curtin.

Chevy Chase reportedly had many battles with his co-stars. Stories about Chase's time on Community have become legendary. Former SNL cast member Terry Sweeney still doesn't like Chase due to events from their time on the show. However, that was far from the only battle on the set of the NBC sketch comedy show.

John Belushi’s Problem With Chevy Chase reportedly Led To A Fight With Bill Murray

The new documentary reminds one of some fairly famous stories about Chase’s career, which include the fact that he and Bill Murray famously got into a physical altercation backstage on Saturday Night Live. Back in 2008 with Howard Stern, Chase discussed the famous fight, which, according to him, stemmed from jealousy on the part of Belushi. Chase said…

As Chevy Chase tells it, Belushi’s frustration with Chase’s success led to him telling Bill Murray things about Chase that, according to the Fletch star, weren’t true. However, because of this, when Chase came back to host the show, Murray, who joined SNL after Chase left, said some things that led to the two attempting to get into it, though Belushi apparently tried to keep the two apart, and may have gotten the worst of it because of that.

Jane Curtin Has Made Comments About Chase As Well

If the incident with John Belushi and Bill Murray were an isolated incident, that would be one thing, but stories of Chase’s behavior are well known, so much so that SNL performers who claim not to know Chase well don't have the best opinion of him. Appearing on Watch What Happens Live back in 2018, Jane Curtin claimed that she didn’t know Chase well, but wasn’t a huge fan of his behavior, saying…

While Jane Curtin may not have worked with Chevy Chase as long as other members of the SNL cast, eight months is certainly long enough to get to know somebody, assuming you want to get to know them, so the fact that Chase and Curtin did not become friends may in itself say something.

It's not like everybody who ever worked with Chevy Chase disliked him. Garrret Morris told GQ last year that Chase wrote for him during a period when others on the staff were unwilling to do so, citing racism on the part of some at the show. As the new documentary shows, Chevy Chase has both the good and the bad in him, and people's opinions on him clearly vary.

In November 1994, Tim Allen, one of the biggest names on the small screen, kick-started his impressive movie career with his portrayal of Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause. The box office hit, which instantly became one of the best Christmas movies of all time, went on to launch a massive franchise and led to the Home Improvement star becoming an even bigger force in show business. But, that wasn’t always the plan.

As someone who saw it in a theater (RIP, Saint Vincent 6 Theatres) and has long been obsessed with the movie, I was shocked when I learned that Allen wasn’t the first or second choice to lead the beloved holiday classic. After learning some of the names who were approached before the eventual Toy Story staple, I have to wonder, what would this movie be like if these household names took on the role?

Bill Murray Turned It Down, But What Would That Even Be Like?

First up, there’s Bill Murray, who had previously starred in the all-time great ‘80s movie, Scrooged. On the surface, he would have been perfect for the prickly and self-centered Scott Calvin before his big transformation, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. According to The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray by Robert Schnakenberg (via the Washington Post), the Saturday Night Live alum had an “unpleasant experience” in the 1988 Richard Donner adaptation of A Christmas Carol and had “no interest in pursuing another holiday-themed project.”

This version of The Santa Clause certainly would have been different to incorporate Murray’s signature wit and personality. I’m not saying Tim Allen’s character wasn’t sarcastic, but Murray’s take would have undoubtedly been even more sardonic.

Chevy Chase Reportedly Had To Pass On The Santa Clause, Giving Us A Major ‘What-If’

Chevy Chase, who led one of my favorite holiday movies, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, was also reportedly up for the role of Scott when the film was being developed. In a Vulture piece about all the “what-ifs” of the impactful Saturday Night Live alum’s film career, there was a short blurb about Chase turning down an offer because of a scheduling conflict.

Like the case above, I can’t help but think Chase’s version of Scott would have been more sarcastic than Tim Allen’s eventual portrayal. However, I can’t help but think this version, like Clark Griswold, would have been lacking self-awareness, making it an even wilder performance.

Tom Hanks Was Also Considered, And That Has Me Wondering

Tom Hanks would eventually go on to play Santa Claus (and numerous other characters) in The Polar Express, but he could have played St. Nick a decade earlier. During an interview with the Grunt Work podcast (a podcast about all things Home Improvement), director John Pasquin was asked about developing The Santa Clause and the actors who were considered for the part before Tim Allen. One of the biggest names listed was Allen’s eventual Toy Story co-star.

An early ‘90s, pre-consecutive Oscar wins Hanks playing Santa Claus would have been a treat. Would he have taken a more wholesome approach, or would his version of Scott be more akin to his parts in The Burbs and The Money Pit? Loud outbursts, a cup runneth over with sarcasm and manic energy, and that signature laugh would have been an experience.

Though each of these would have been great to see, I’m honestly glad Tim Allen ended up getting the part. It’s just hard to imagine it any other way.

The new documentary film John Candy: I Like Me (available with a Prime Video subscription) is clearly a labor of love for director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds. It’s also clear from watching it how many people who worked with Candy through the years loved the man dearly. That being said, getting everybody interviewed for the new film was no easy feat, according to Ryan Reynolds.

Reynolds recently appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers to talk about the new John Candy documentary. And while he revealed that Hanks handled the bulk of the interviews with Candy’s various friends and co-stars, including Steve Martin, Martin Short, and others, he says he personally handled two of them: Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. While Reynolds may not have done as many interviews, the two he did took a lot of work.

Ryan Reynolds First Conversation With Bill Murray Was Insane

Reynolds had already talked about how difficult it was to get a hold of Bill Murray to even ask him to be part of the film. He had to work to get a phone number and left many messages before Murray finally called him back. The Deadpool star claims he swore at his wife Blake Lively when Murray finally called him back, but he may have buried the lede, as what he says happened on that call is ever crazier. Reynolds said…

Somehow, despite this initial interaction, and Reynolds bad answer regarding spit takes, Bill Murray did agree to be interviewed. The same thing happened with Murray’s Ghostbusters co-star Dan Aykroyd, though he had some very specific requirements.

Ryan Reynolds’ Agreement To Interview Dan Aykroyd May Have Been Crazier

It turns out Bill Murray wasn’t the only person who was difficult to get a hold of. Reynolds tells Seth Myers that tracking down Dan Aykroyd was just as difficult, as it took him a couple of months to even speak with him. When they finally connected, Aykroyd had already worked out the schedule. Reynolds explained…

John Candy was a special person to all his fans, but also to his friends, who clearly enjoyed talking about him. Even if some of them were hard to nail down, it was all worthwhile.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are an A-list celebrity couple if there ever was one. They each have very successful Hollywood careers, but are also well known simply for being married to each other. Most of the time, we can only imagine what it’s like in that relationship, but Ryan Reynolds just dropped an apparent inside scoop, which, maybe unsurprisingly, involves a fair bit of swearing.

Ryan Reynolds was a producer on the new documentary John Candy: I Like Me, about the life of the famous comedic actor. During a recent screening of the film in New Jersey (via The Daily Mail), he spoke a bit about the process of getting all the major stars who were friends and collaborators of John Candy interviewed for the film. Reynolds said that getting a hold of Bill Murray was a particularly difficult task, and when he got the call during an inopportune moment, it apparently resulted in tossing an F-bomb at his wife. Reynolds said…

Apparently, getting the call from Bill Murray wasn’t a big deal just because getting a call from Bill Murray is always worth freaking out about. Reynolds said that getting a hold of Murray was particularly complicated, as he claims he got the actor’s number from “a friend of a friend of a friend” and that Murray’s voicemail claims the number belongs to a Greek shipping company.

Bill Murray has been staying out of the limelight of late. While he appeared in the recent Ghostbusters movies, he doesn't make movies like he used to. It's certainly possible he might not have returned Reynolds' call for any number of reasons.

The documentary was nearing the point where it would be too late to interview Murray, and not having Bill Murray in a documentary about John Candy would have been truly unfortunate. The pair worked together on SCTV at a few points and made one of John Candy's best movies, Stripes, together.

So when the call came from Bill Murray, of course, Ryan Reynolds freaked out a little bit. It was a call that he’d been hoping for, and no gala event is going to be more important than that.

One hopes Blake Lively didn’t take too much offense at being sworn at. There has allegedly been stress in their relationship of late, largely due to the couple's ongoing legal battle. Reynolds tells the story here like a joke, so hopefully that's how it was taken, even if some reports claim that Lively didn't appreciate Reynolds telling the story.

For a while now, we’ve known that famed Canadian Ryan Reynolds was producing a documentary celebrating John Candy’s life and legacy, with Colin Hanks serving as the director, and fans have been keeping eyes and ears out for all the Blues Brothers-infused updates as the project came together. Now, it’s finally locked in a 2025 release date for when fans will be able to stream it via Amazon Prime subscription, and both the streaming giant and Reynolds himself shared the first trailer, seen above.

By all means, it looks like this project was handled with all the compassion and grace one would hope and expect, given how universally beloved Candy was throughout his monumental, if shortened, comedy career. To that end, Ryan Reynolds posted the following message alongside the trailer on Instagram:

Somebody pass me one of John's wigs or fake mustaches from "Who's Harry Crumb?" so I can sop up some of the tears welling in my eyes.

The trailer could have just been a long string of clips from Candy's movies and that probably would have still been enough to make it worthy of watching. But of course Hanks didn't stop there, and the producing team rounded up a ton of A-listers to talk about and honor the Spaceballs and Uncle Buck icon. Here's a shortlist of some of the famous funny faces that pop up in the trailer.

• Bill Murray
• Dave Thomas
• Catherine O'Hara
• Steve Martin
• Dan Aykroyd
• Conan O'Brien
• Macaulay Culkin
• Mel Brooks
• Martin Short
• Tom Hanks

It only makes sense that Tom Hanks would show up in a movie directed by his son, but that's obviously not the only reason. Hanks and Candy first co-starred in Ron Howard's smash hit 1984 comedy Splash, and then reteamed the next year for Nicholas Meyer's Volunteers.

Ahead of its highly anticipated streaming debut, John Candy: I Like Me will first get the honor of debuting at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) for its opening film. I'm eager to see how critics and general audiences react to the screening, and I expect nothing but emotional lauding.

Ryan Reynolds has never been shy about promoting his fandom of John Candy, and even used Deadpool and Wolverine to pay tribute to his classic holiday romp Planes, Traines, and Automobiles by mocking up the in-film book The Canadian Mounted and displaying it at certain times during the Marvel movie. It remains to be seen whether he'll show up on screen during the documentary, or if he kept his role limited to just behind the scenes.

John Candy: I Like Me will be available for fans around the world to stream on Friday, October 10.

Few shows on the 2025 TV schedule are as engaging or talked about as Adolescence is. The bingeable Netflix original series, which follows a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a classmate, took the world by storm earlier in the year. Said buzz was mostly because of the child-related conversations the sparked and the one-shot approach that created an intense and sometimes dizzying effect. More recently, CinemaBlend was able to speak with the show's director, who compared production to Bill Murray's Groundhog Day.

Shortly after receiving a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work on Adolescence (one of 13 the series received) the series received, Philip Barantini and I got together for a chat. During our discussion, we talked about everything from how the show has impacted us as fathers of young children to what it was like filming each episode as a single one-shot. When I asked Barantini what it was like when there was a mistake most of the way through a take, the Enola Holmes 3 director referenced the aforementioned classic Bill Murray comedy:

So what does a 2025 Netflix show about a brutal murder and an iconic ‘90s flick about a weatherman trapped in a time loop have in common? Well, not much in terms of story. It goes without saying that Harold Ramis' 1993 time-bending comedy doesn't contain subject matter nearly as bleak as what's portrayed on Adolescence.

However, my view on that changed when Philip Barantini shared a story about working with child actor Owen Cooper in his portrayal of accused murderer Jamie Miller. Barantini specifically pointed to the show’s third and overall best episode, and that's when the whole “start over and take a different approach” comparison made total sense:

Barantini, who got his start as an actor on shows like Dream Team before joining the Band on Brothers cast, remembered being blown away by the young star during the final take. It was at that point that Cooper, in the moment, made an unplanned change to his character by saying he had a sore throat. If the first-time actor hadn’t pushed for a final take, and the director had played it safe, that incredible moment would have never happened.

Though it seems like there won’t be a continuation of Jamie’s story if Adolescence ever does return, you can check out the first season with a Netflix subscription before the Primetime Emmy Awards take place on Sunday, September 14.

Groundhog Day was one of the best movies of the 1990s. We saw Bill Murray’s Phil Connors trying to woo Andie MacDowell’s Rita Hanson as he repeated the same day over and over. While the two co-stars famously didn’t get along with each other on set, MacDowell’s daughter, Margaret Qualley, tried to set the duo up decades later.

Qualley's followed in her mother's acting footsteps and received praise and nominations for her works in Fosse/Verdon, Maid, and recently got a Cannes standing ovation for her new 2025 movie release, Honey Don’t! But one perk of having a famous parent is when you meet their famous co-stars. Qualley spoke on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon about meeting Bill Murray backstage and how his Piggy Wiggly shirt inspired her to set him up with her mother:

Ooh, look at that! Two former co-stars are living in the same area. What a coincidence. With Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell being residents in the same town, this would be a good chance to catch up, right? Maybe set up a little reunion opportunity for the cast of one of the best rom-coms of all time.

While it’s been widely reported that the Scrooged actor and his Groundhog Day director, Harold Ramis, didn’t get along on-set, he apparently wasn’t the only one. Margaret Qualley got real about why there would be a little snag in setting Murray and MacDowell up that she found out from the actor himself:

So, it appears that The Substance actress heard from her mother about her side of the story regarding the Bill Murray-Andie MacDowell riff decades ago. It’s common for co-stars not to get along during filming, like Charlie Hunnam and Robert Pattinson being at “a real distance” in The Lost City of Z, or Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy having beef on Mad Max: Fury Road. Shooting a movie isn’t easy with stress being brought on to the cast and crew.

Even though Margaret Qualley found out her mother and the Stripes actor didn’t get along, it didn’t stop her from playing matchmaker. Here’s the talented actress’ reasoning why the two stars would still hit it off today:

Imagine what kind of love story that would be! It wouldn’t be the first time that stars have gotten together years later after working together. Ashton Kutcher started dating his That 70’s Show co-star Mila Kunis six years after their sitcom ended. Not to mention, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar fell in love three years after working on I Know What You Did Last Summer. So why not add the Groundhog Day co-stars?

I have no idea if Bill Murray watched Margaret Qualley’s Tonight Show appearance, but if he did, know that the Golden Globe nominee is giving her seal of approval to date her mom. If you’d like to revisit the chemistry the comedy duo had in Groundhog Day, the time-loop comedy movie is available with your Netflix subscription.

One of the greatest Saturday Night Live stars, an undeniably iconic comic actor, and one of Wes Anderson’s most prolific collaborators, Bill Murray is in a league of his own in pretty much every category. With those signature expressions, the wise-cracking sarcasm, and a certain way with words, Murray has long provided audiences with one hilarious line after another.

Murray’s various characters from over the years have also hit people with vicious comebacks so harsh, so biting, so hot, you better call the fire department to put out the flames. Here are 32 times one of his characters came at someone with a vicious comeback.

“This Is One Time Where Television Really Fails To Capture The True Excitement Of A Large Squirrel Predicting The Weather. I, For One, Am Very Grateful To Have Been Here.” (Groundhog Day)

There’s a case to be made for Phil Connors being Bill Murray’s grouchiest, most nihilistic, and most sarcastic character to date, and it gets even easier when you examine his breakdown of the titular holiday in Groundhog Day. The sass, the disdain, the subtle viciousness of his words could cut through bone.

"Weird Name, Good Luck With That" (Ghostbusters: Afterlife)

Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) and other O.G. Ghostbusters returning in Ghostbusters: Afterlife made for one of the most nostalgic moments of 2020s cinema, but it wasn’t all sweetness coming from the wisecracking character. Upon meeting the family of the fallen Egon Spengler, Peter hits them with a hilarious “Weird name” moment that’s just so good.

"Honey, How Many Fingers Does Mrs. Santa Claus Have Here?" (Scrooged)

Scrooged, a movie about the good, the bad, and the ugly of ‘80s yuppie culture (as well as a great spin on A Christmas Carol), sees Bill Murray play Frank Cross, a downright terrible TV executive, brother, boyfriend, boss, and human being. Though he’s undeniably a bad person, Frank does hand out some incredible putdowns, like this one when he’s given a drawing of Santa by a young kid. Brutal!

"Janine, Someone With Your Qualifications Would Have No Trouble Finding A Top-Flight Job In Either The Food Service Or Housekeeping Industries." (Ghostbusters)

The dynamic shared by Janine (Annie Potts) and Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters is one of the movie’s low-key best parts. The verbal sparring between these two is incredible, as is this line the Ghostbuster throws at his secretary (and unsung hero of the movie) when business starts picking up.

"Was I Talking Out Loud? Was I? Sorry. Good Luck." (Kingpin)

Kingpin is one of the best sports movies where the main character actually loses as well as one that features one of Bill Murray’s most unhinged characters in Ernie McCracken. The two-timing, lying, scheming, and opportunistic villain of this great ‘90s sports comedy has no shortage of clever lines, like this one early in the film before turning on Woody Harrelson’s Roy Munson.

"Have You Tried Staples?" (Scrooged)

The scene in Scrooged where Bill Murray’s Frank Cross asks a member of the production crew if he tried using staples to keep a pair of antlers to stay on a mouse’s head is straight-up insane. However, let’s not forget the fact that the guy was trying to glue the props to the rodent’s head before Frank came into the scene.

"Back Off, Man. I'm A Scientist" (Ghostbusters)

Peter Venkman has one outrageous line after another in Ghostbusters, and one of the best can be heard in the early goings of the 1984 comedy. After asking a series of highly inappropriate questions, Venkman tells a librarian to back off in the best possible way. Or is it the worst possible way? You decide.

"You're Not Gonna Get A Green Card With That Attitude, Pal" (Ghostbusters II)

Peter Venkman going back and forth with Peter MacNicol’s Dr. Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II never gets old. This is especially true when the two are going at it in front of the haunted portrait of Vigo the Carpathian, and Venkman utters the “green card” line. Vicious.

"Never In My Wildest Imagination Did I Ever Dream I'd Have Sons Like These" (Rushmore)

When it comes to despicable characters in Wes Anderson movies, none come close to the vindictive and repulsive Herman Blume. Bill Murray’s industrialist and reluctant father character has so many classic moments in the movie, and more times than not, they involve Blume’s sons.

"People Like Blood Sausage, Too. People Are Morons" (Groundhog Day)

Phil Connors calling people “morons” in the best possible way in Groundhog Day takes an already great movie and turns it into the stuff legends are made of. It’s biting comments like this that make Bill Murray’s weatherman such an unforgettable character.

"It's Gonna Be Cold, It's Gonna Be Gray, And It's Gonna Last The Rest Of Your Life" (Groundhog Day)

Phil Connors isn’t one to mince words, and that honestly makes him a decent guy (if you overlook the grouchiness and disdain for most things in life). When giving an outlook on life, er the forecast, he lets out this iconic line in Groundhog Day.

"Do Me A Favor, Will You? Would You Mind Washing Off That Perfume Before You Come Back To Our Table?" (Kingpin)

Ernie McCracken is one of the biggest jerks the sports comedy genre has ever seen (he makes Shooter McGavin look nice by comparison), and that's best seen in Kingpin's diner scene where he absolutely tears into a waitress. Was he wrong? But did he go about the wrong way of calling out the woman's perfume choice? You bet!

"Because I Hate Fathers, And I Never Wanted To Be One" (Life Aquatic)

Steve Zissou pretty much saying that having kids was a mistake in The Life Aquatic is one of those examples of "When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong." It's okay to feel that way, but to tell someone that having them was a mistake was quite a choice.

"Mike, I Really Appreciate You're Doing This, But It Is Just For The Money, Isn't It? It's Not Just So You Can Wear These Little Outfits?" (Tootsie)

Bill Murray’s Jeff Slater, the playwright roommate of Dustin Hoffman’s Michael Dorsey in Tootsie, is one of the most grounded characters in this 1982 classic, but even he says it like it is. The scene where he questions Michael’s obsession with becoming Dorothy Michaels is one of the best examples of that.

"Why Haven't You Learned How To Button A Coat?" (Scrooged)

Claire Phillips (Karen Allen) is on the receiving end of a lot of verbal abuse from Frank Cross in Scrooged. One of the most ridiculous and hilarious, examples of this comes when Bill Murray’s main character gets sarcastic about outerwear.

"Ned [Punches Ned In The Face]?" (Groundhog Day)

The recurring “Phil, Phil. Connors” run-ins with Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky) are some of the best scenes in Groundhog Day, but there’s one that stands out above the rest. In the midst of his downward spiral, Phil lashes out and punches the obnoxious character right in the face.

"’It Is What It Is'? Everyone's Saying That Now. You Know What It Means? You're Screwed, And You Shall Remain Screwed.” (St. Vincent)

When it comes to old curmudgeons, few of Bill Murray’s characters come close to the titular grump in St. Vincent. His response to hearing the common phrase “It is what it is” is admittedly on point, but I’m not the one on the receiving end.

"Try To Make It Sound Like You Wrote It That Way On Purpose." (The French Dispatch)

One of Wes Anderson’s best movies, The French Dispatch, is a series of short films filling out what is to be the final edition of the titular news magazine. In between those longer segments are various scenes with editor Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray). One of the funniest moments comes when Howitzer gives one of his writers a harsh yet honest critique, telling them to make their mistakes seem like they were meant to be there.

"Would You Please... For The Love Of God And Your Own Body... Stop The Hammering?" (Scrooged)

Frank Cross yelling at people in Scrooged isn’t rare, but the time he yelled about hammering on set is something wild. It’s the subtle pauses, the facial expressions, and that exaggerated tone in his voice. It’s perfect.

"There Are Two Types Of People In This World: Those Who Like Neil Diamond, And Those Who Don't." (What About Bob?)

What About Bob? is one of those movies that’s impossible to watch without being on edge, and that’s part of its charm. The other part? Well, Bill Murray’s portrayal of the neurotic, obsessive, and unhinged Bob Wiley. The scene where he shares his classic “Neil Diamond” line is one of those. Talk about a way to put down an ex and the “Sweet Caroline” singer.

"Oh, Creepy! I'm Sorry. You Know, For The First Couple Years, I Felt Responsible. How You Been Otherwise?" (Kingpin)

Ernie McCracken reacting to Roy Munson’s fake hand (he pretty much led to the mangling of his bowling hand) in Kingpin is so hilarious, so genuine, and so over-the-top. While he does admit to his role in the matter, Ernie stops himself short of taking full responsibility.

"She Doesn't Have Any Friends." (Moonrise Kingdom)

Walt Bishop (Bill Murray) putting down his missing daughter (played by Kara Hayward) when the 12-year-old runs away in Moonrise Kingdom is so unnecessary, but we’ll allow it. He’s not wrong in his description of his daughter’s social life, but wow!

"Just Remember, They Can Buy Anything But They Can't Buy Backbone. Don't Let Them Forget It." (Rushmore)

Frank Cross doesn’t miss an opportunity to attack rich kids in Rushmore, including an intense speech where the self-made man says that the wealthy elite can buy anything they want, save for a backbone. Though he is filthy rich in the movie, Frank has a point.

"Don't Cry In My Office." (The French Dispatch)

Arthur Howitzer telling his staff not to cry in his office after it’s learned he’s dying of cancer is honestly one of the most genuine parts of this 2021 Wes Anderson film. Again, the character is being somewhat mean about it all, but he’s not wrong.

"You're Short, Your Bellybutton Sticks Out Too Far, And You're A Terrible Burden On Your Poor Mother." (Ghostbusters II)

Baby Oscar in Ghostbusters II goes through a lot by the time the credits roll. However, being abducted by a ghost so that Vigo the Carpathian can use his body to carry out his evil plans doesn’t compare to being shamed by Peter Venkman. Like, how do you come back from that?

"Yeah, You Get To Treat 'Em Bad On The Way Back Down Too. It's Great, You Get Two Chances To Rough 'Em Up." (Scrooged)

Frank Cross has no time for his family’s critiques of the way he lives in Scrooged. The scene where Frank responds to his brother, basically telling him not to be mean to people, is just so perfect. It’s undeniably mean, but so much fun to watch.

"You Went In There To Get A Date And Came Out With A Dog. That's Bad Even For You." (Garfield: The Movie)

Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) is on the receiving end of some outrageous put-downs by Bill Murray’s titular cat in Garfield: The Movie, but does anything compare to the time the lasagna-loving feline makes fun of his owner for bringing home a dog? Woof!

"I'm Sorry. You Know I Thought You Were Richard Pryor!" (Scrooged)

This Frank Cross line isn’t the meanest thing the character says in Scrooged, but it was just too good to pass up. When Bill Murray’s character thinks the waiter is on fire, he pours a bucket of water on the man before referencing an incident where Richard Pryor caught himself on fire while taking part in an extracurricular activity.

"But I Don't See Any Reason Why I Should Just Sit Here Pretending I'm Not Home, Just Because You're Not That Kind Of Girl. Now, That's Weird." (Tootsie)

Michael Dorsey wears many hats in Tootsie, so many that it starts to make life difficult for his roommate, Jeff. At one point, Jeff comments on all the times he didn’t comment on his best friend’s method acting, eventually saying enough is enough now that he can’t answer a phone because “Dorothy Michaels” shouldn’t have a male roommate.

"What A Lovely Singing Voice You Must Have." (Ghostbusters)

When confronting a possessed Dana (Sigourney Weaver) in Ghostbusters, Peter Venkman attempts to make light of the situation by commenting on Zuul’s demonic voice. It’s not the meanest thing he says in the movie, but it’s so on-brand.

"You Know I'm Not Big On Apologizing. So I'll Just Skip It If It's All The Same To You." (Life Aquatic)

The Life Aquatic has some great characters, and each has some wonderful moments. But let’s be real… Steve Zissou is at the top of that list, especially when he tells Eleanor (Anjelica Huston) that he’s not big on apologies. Sure, he comes around, but this line (and live delivery) is perfect.

"Do You Have Any Regrets?" -"Garfield, Maybe." (Zombieland)

One of the best zombie apocalypse movies (and certainly one of the funniest), Zombieland has one of the best cameos of all time when Bill Murray briefly shows up as himself. There’s one key moment when he’s asked if he has any regrets on his deathbed, and he honestly comes up with the best answer…

When it was released in 1984, Ghostbusters was a smash hit. It was the comedy of the summer, and I still remember the first conversation I had with my next-door neighbor about it and how awesome he thought it was, as I was on my way out the door with my mom to see it for the first time. Kids and adults everywhere were flocking to see the Ivan Reitman-directed movie, which is currently streaming with a Max subscription, and stars Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and Bill Murray, as the titular team ridding New York City of ghosts.

The group of ghost catchers was originally supposed to be different. The role that Murray played, Peter Venkman, was first written with John Belushi in mind. Sadly, Belushi’s death in 1982 meant that he couldn’t be a member of the team. They still found a way to pay tribute to their fallen friend, and they did in the best way possible.

The Ghost “Slimer” Was Meant To Be An Homage To Belushi

In the movie, the second ghost that the Ghostbusters encounter (the first is “The Grey Lady”) is a sloppy, green floating head that Venkman meets in the hallway of a hotel. The head is gobbling food off of a room service tray like a maniac, his appetite insatiable. Belushi was known for his own unquenchable desires for everything, including food, comedy, music, and tragically, drugs, which is what killed him.

That’s before pointing out the obvious, that the late-SNL superstar was represented by a ghost. Dan Aykroyd had intended Ghostbusters to be a follow-up to 1980’s The Blues Brothers and 1981’s Neighbors, both of which he starred in with Belushi, so there was no way Aykroyd wasn’t going to pay respect to his partner in crime.

The Wild Story About How It All Happened

Make-up artist and creature creator Steve Johnson was responsible for creating the floating blob that would eventually be named “Slimer,” and he told the special effects website Bloody Disgusting that Harold Ramis and Aykroyd sent a note at the last minute and told him they wanted the ghost to evoke Belushi. Johnson said,

Using some colorful language, Johnson expressed his frustration at the last-minute note, but no matter, he set forth to do what he had been tasked with. After what sounds like an intense night of design fueled by some chemical help, he came up with the final product. He even adds that the extra-curricular activities made him see the ghost of Belushi himself. It sounds intense, but when the movie was released, Slimer was a hit.

John Belushi Is Gone, But He Lives On Forever

While Ghostbusters was supposed to be another triumph for Belushi and Aykroyd, no one can argue that Bill Murray stepping into the role wasn’t a huge win for the movie. The performance is one of the funniest of Murray’s career, and it’s really hard to imagine the role being played by anyone else. Still, it’s wonderful that everyone involved made sure to include their good friend in the most over-the-top and ridiculous way, just as John Belushi would have wanted it. Slimer has gone on to become an important part of the Ghostbusters franchise, so in a way, Belushi has lived on in our hearts for years.

As Saturday Night Live’s historic S50 continues (along with the developing Morgan Wallen x SNL story), we’ve learned much about the series’ history. Many of the alumni, along with some of SNL's greatest stars, have recounted a range of anecdotes, including Bill Murray. The veteran comedian shared the specific skit that he thought helped his take-off. The revealing but humorous bit included castmate Gilda Radner, the evening’s host, Buck Henry, and himself.

Ahead of the release of Murray’s second ​​2025 movie schedule titled The Friend, he and his co-star Naomi Watts were guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. During the regular After Show interview on YouTube from the Bravo series, Cohen asked the Studio 8H alum if there was a sketch he knew would help elevate his name. The funnyman jumped right in with an answer, noting it was a scene involving himself with a shower microphone and the aforementioned duo above. The trio played on a classic troublesome marital bit but turned casually on its head, he recalled:

The gag sounds like an amusing time (and is available to stream with a Peacock subscription), especially in the earlier days of the iconic late-night series. I can only imagine watching these two goofballs with the guy who adapted The Graduate for the big screen live. The sketch he remembered does have a great premise, and I’m sure audiences of the time locked in to the matter once they realized what was going on. And, regardless if it was the spark, both of those Not Ready For Prime Time Players have become unmistakable names in the comedy world.

The Ghostbusters actor officially joined the sophomore season (after being cut from Season 1 due to budget cuts) and stayed until 1980. As we all know, his career exploded, and he became one of the biggest stars during the thick of his popularity. But along the way, we saw some different sides of the A-Lister, including some scandals on various sets and with a few peers. Murray has been intentionally moving to make amends with the beefs, but in the meantime, showed up for the big SNL reunion show, which was a pretty emotional and nostalgic experience for him.

Still, it’s nice to know that the Groundhog Day star recognizes that his work on Saturday Night Live was instrumental to advancing his career. I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone, specifically fans of the show like me, that the sketch he cited involved Radner, though.

Slimer is one of the most iconic apparitions haunting the Ghostbusters franchise, and part of that timeless is due to the big scene in which Bill Murray's Venkman gets doused with slime. Murray recently shared his memories from the iconic scene, and it's hilarious to hear he wasn't expecting the scene to be as disgusting as it ultimately was. Not something he needed to worry about in Lost in Translation or The Royal Tenenbaums.

The gluttonous green ghoul lived on in the franchise and became the mascot of a popular Hi-C drink flavor, but had Bill Murray not been so completely covered in goop for the first film's iconic scene, such branding decisions might not have happened. As we learned from film reporter Jake Hamilton in a recent interview with the actor, Murray can't take all the credit, confessing he was drastically undersold on just how much slime would be utilized for the sequence. In his words:

Between this and the tremendous weight of the proton packs they had to wear, you'd think Ivan Reitman took some secret pleasure in making life uncomfortable for Bill Murray and the rest of the Ghostbusters cast. The way Murray talks about it, you'd think it was a wonder he signed up for the sequel, though I can't help but feel the actor is leaning into his trademark comedic chops to make the story more entertaining.

That's more evident when he continued the story, in my opinion, in which he hilariously depicted Reitman as someone who was scheming to blindside Bill Murray with an unpleasant experience. Here's more on how it went down, from the actor's perspective:

Whether Ivan Reitman intentionally kept Bill Murray in the dark or not, it played a part in creating what remains the best Ghostbusters movie of the franchise. Unfortunately, the sequel didn't work out as well as Slimer's lasting legacy, and Murray and others were essentially tricked into participating when the script was swapped out at the last minute.

That aside, Slimer remained a big part of Ghostbusters, appearing in the animated series and almost getting his origin story in the 2016 reboot. I am disappointed that never happened because I'd love to see why that little freak exists.

Hopefully, there's a future for Slimer in Ghostbusters going forward because the future is looking bright. CinemaBlend's review of Frozen Empire praised the movie, and it feels like a cast that can keep chugging along for at least another film. I'm sure they might even be able to get Bill Murray for another movie, provided there's no slime involved.

Those looking to stream Ghostbusters can find it right now if they have a Hulu subscription. For those who haven't seen it in a while, I can attest that it still holds up, and the slime scene was worth any discomfort it caused Bill Murray.

Over the last several decades, Bill Murray has put in some tremendous performances in iconic films like Ghostbusters, Stripes and Scrooged. Another famous flick the comedian is known for is the 1993 flick Groundhog Day (one of the 100 best movies of the ‘90s). During the film, Murray’s character shared the screen with the titular animal and, while that was funny to watch, it actually wasn’t so humorous for Murray himself. The actor says the marmot bit him multiple times, but that’s not even the wildest part of this BTS tale.

What Did Bill Murray Say About Being Bitten?

The now-74-year-old actor has shared plenty of excellent anecdotes about his work over the years, but the story he shared on the latest episode of Hot Ones might be the craziest. On this particular episode, host Sean Evans asked the comic about the claims that he was bitten by a groundhog while filming Harold Ramis’ 1993 fantasy comedy. The actor (as seen in the YouTube video) confirmed the chatter by showing Evans exactly where he was bitten and explained just what went down on set all those years ago:

Just the thought of having one of my digits pierced by one of those long teeth is enough to make me wince. Bill Murray is indeed a talented actor (and is even one of many SNL alums with dramatic chops). However, I would imagine that even the best of us would be a little on edge after being bitten by an animal multiple times. So those two situations beg one question: how did the trainers factor into all of this?

There's A Wild Twist To This Groundhog Day Story

Usually, any film that utilizes wild animals to have some kind of wrangler on set. When it comes to Groundhog Day (which was originally much darker), the production team actually looked to a pair of trainers to manage the animal that played the movie’s Punxsutawney Phil. Bill Murray (who was promoting his 2025 movie release Riff Raff on Hot Ones) recalled confronting the trainers after being bitten. It was during that exchange that the pair revealed an unexpected detail:

Honestly, “Who in the hell trained this gopher?” sounds like it could be one of Bill Murray’s greatest quotes from his ‘80s and ‘90s movies. But that’s besides the point. What’s crazy to know is that the creature had only been recently caught — and around the area where filming was taking place, no less. I’d have thought that a more seasoned animal star would be utilized for the film, though that’s not to say that a not-so-wild groundhog wouldn’t have bitten the star, either. As the Rushmore actor said during his interview, “you get what you pay for.”

Bill Murray certainly has experienced his share of occupational hazards throughout his career. What I’m wondering now is what’s more annoying to him – being bitten multiple times by a wild groundhog or having to lug around a proton pack (for Ghostbusters). Regardless, neither sound fun, but it’s fair to say Murray’s efforts weren’t in vain. To see him rubbing shoulders with his furry friend, buy or rent Groundhog Day on one of several platforms.

For many celebrities, attempting Sean Evans’ Hot Ones challenge is a rite of passage. Over 300 celebs have attempted to eat the abnormally spicy wings, including Conan O’Brien, Billie Eilish, and Kristen Bell, to name a few, and some have barely survived. One such person is comedian-turned-actor Pete Davidson, who recently got real about his experience on Hot Ones, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

Back in 2020, in what host Sean Evans called a “Hot Ones classic,” Davidson had gone through the fiery chicken wing gauntlet and almost didn’t make it out the other side. In fact, he revealed his host excused him from the last wing because he was doing so poorly. The Bupkis actor was recently given a chance at redemption in Bill Murray's Hot Ones episode, and he didn’t miss the chance to tell Evans what he had gone through after his first experience answering hot questions while eating hotter wings:

My tummy hurts just thinking about it. And the smell? I don’t even want to know. However, props to Pete Davidson for even returning after his past experience. The episode in question had the SNL alum sweating buckets and tears were streaming down his face. I imagine it wasn't easy to face the wings again.

However, joining his Riff Raff co-star for his final wing, the Dumb Money actor fared much better this time, with only a few silent tears slipping out at the end. But he couldn’t compete with his partner. The Ghostbusters actor had a poker face the entire time, completely unfazed.

There have been some pretty bad reactions to the infamous wings, which range from 1,200 to 2,693,000 on the Scoville scale. For reference, Frank’s Red Hot is 450 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Many guests have found out the hard way just how acidic the sauce really is, specifically Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who, um, didn’t wash his hands well enough before using the bathroom.

While we get to see a range of reactions, from an enthusiastic Lorde to a sobbing Jennifer Lawrence, we rarely understand the toll it takes on the body in the aftermath. Although, I think I would take the No Hard Feelings actress’s immediate violent vomiting over Davidson’s week-long trip of hell on the toilet.

When asked what advice the Dog Man actor had for Murray, the Staten Island native kept it short and simple:

Add a few days off as well, I would need some time to consider my life choices after that. I’m honestly shocked that so many celebrities agree to participate, and I have no idea how Sean Evans eats those wings time and time again with very little reaction.

The good news for the Bodies Bodies Bodies actor? His next appointment to remove his tattoos is probably going to be a cakewalk compared to this. It’s all about perspective!

You can catch Davidson and Murry on the 2025 movie schedule as hitman cousins with a vengeance in the new comedy Riff Raff, now playing in theaters. Meanwhile, send your well wishes their way as they recover from their Hot Ones experience.

Saturday Night Live's abundance of sketches and comedy stars has long fueled debates about best seasons and which stars are missed the most. Fans were reminded of those iconic late performers while watching cast members both past and present take part in the SNL50 anniversary special and its mostly enjoyable companion special The Homecoming Concert. Actor and comedian Bill Murray was obviously involved, and has since revealed how emotional the special made him, and those same moments hit me in similar ways.

Murray joined Sway In The Morning to talk about his now-in-theaters dark comedy Riff Raff, but of course the living legend host Sway Calloway asked about the big Saturday Night Live anniversary event. Perhaps surprisingly, the Groundhog Day star revealed the day was highly emotional, and that he broke down multiple times. But it's no surprise to learn that a why Gilda Radner clip was involving with some of those tears. In his words:

Leave it to one of the original “Not Ready For Prime Time Players” to wreck one of the biggest stars SNL ever produced. And for good cause, seeing as how Murray and Radner worked together for Seasons 2-4 during his three years in the cast. She sadly passed away at 42 from ovarian cancer a decade after his exit, in 1989.

Murray’s career has obviously been monumental post his Studio 8H days, taking him all over the world and working with essentially all of Hollywood. Regardless of all the success and weirdo moments he's brought to the world, there’s a true magic attached to most of SNL's peers after they leave the show, and especially after they leave this mortal coil entirely. Doubly so for those who were attached to the historic sketch show’s earliest years.

Speaking of, the Lost in Translation actor then went on to mention another fallen comedy soldier, John Belushi, who appeared several times in archival footage. But it's the oddly prophetic graveyard-set short that had Murray missing his friend and even just talking about it had him on the verge of weeping all over again. He stated:

It’s not the first time Murray has recalled Belushi's magnetism, and the Blues Brothers vet continues to be missed by many, with his influence still going strong both among new SNL generations and comedic actors in general. And the dark humor that Schiller and the Animal House alum leaned into was just a small taste (or a better word) of how legendary Belushi remains.

And, when thinking about it, it absolutely makes sense for Murray to have that deep pang arise rewatching the short. It makes me miss both Belushi and Radner all the more knowing how much a close personal friend does while making me cherish all my favorite alums and current cast members more.

It’s sweet hearing Murray remembering and cherishing his friends post his tears during the 50th Saturday Night Live anniversary special. The whole thing makes me want to jump back into the old seasons and remember them more, I’ll just have to find a box of tissues first.

Watch all the classics and your favorite Studio 8H cast members with a Peacock subscription. SNL continues Season 50 serving up great upcoming hosts and musical guests, with Lady Gaga serving as both this week. Tune in on the titular night at 11:30 p.m. EST.

A few years ago, Seth Green revealed that he had an upsetting experience while working with Bill Murray as a child actor. When he was on an episode of Saturday Night Live as a nine-year-old, Green says that Murray grabbed him by the ankles and dangled him over a trash can – an event that he says left him horrified and hiding in his dressing room. It's a terrible memory, but he credits advice from the legendary Eddie Murphy for helping him recover from the moment.

Green recently reflected on his encounter with Bill Murray during an interview with ComicBook.com – the actor presently celebrating the 20th anniversary of his Adult Swim series Robot Chicken. Reflecting on what happened, he said that he doesn't wish any negativity toward Murray, and as scary as the encounter was, he recalls the night as being a major turning point in his life. He explained,

Now 51 years old, Seth Green appeared in the 1981/1982 season of Saturday Night Live when Bill Murray was hosting. He was emotionally distraught following his behind-the-scenes encounter with the comedian, but he says that it was cast members Eddie Murphy and Tim Kazurinsky who successfully talked him into being a part of the show:

Since then, of course, Seth Green has continued to have consistent success in the entertainment industry. He earned a lot of fans for his turn as Oz on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and has continued to be a presence on television for decades while also making movies like the Austin Powers trilogy, Idle Hands and the star-ridden Can't Hardly Wait. As a voice actor, he has played Chris Griffin in over 400 episodes of Family Guy to date and was introduced as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Howard The Duck in 2014's Guardians Of The Galaxy (a role he has reprised multiple times in the years since).

And should you like to join Seth Green in celebrating the anniversary of Robot Chicken, which he co-created with Matthew Senreich, all 11 seasons of the stop-motion animated show are available to stream with a Hulu subscription.

Fans have long debated the greatest Saturday Night Live cast members of all time, and the answers have varied. However, someone who’s arguably always somewhere in the discussion is John Belushi, who starred on the show during its first four years on air. Belushi has become something of a myth and even a comedic folk hero since his death at 33 in 1982. He remains revered, and many continue to prop up his legacy. That’s what his buddy, Bill Murray, just did when defending Belushi against a book and biopic centered around him.

An SNL star who has strong dramatic chops, Bill Murray joined the show in 1977. That was two years after John Belushi and the OG cast members began their stints on the show and a couple of years before he departed the series in 1979. In that time, Belushi and Murray became close and, today, the latter seems quite protective of his late friend. Murray has nothing but praise for his comedic comrade and lauds him not just for his work but for opening the door for other talented individuals like himself:

The Animal House icon came up during Bill Murray’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (which can be found on YouTube). Amid the conversation, Rogan and Murray also touched on the controversial 1984 book Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi, which was written by journalist Bob Woodard. Said book also inspired a 1989 biographical film of the same name. Woodard was criticized for the way he tackled Belushi’s life and sought out sources, and Murray didn’t mince words when discussing his work:

The late comedian, who struggled with drug abuse during portions of his life, died at the Chateau Marmont due to a combination of cocaine and heroin. Singer Cathy Smith eventually admitted to giving him the dose. In the years since, much has been said about Belushi’s passing, and it remains a topic of discussion. Despite that, those who knew well continue to talk about more than the late comedian’s personal demons.

Dan Aykroyd has paid tribute to his creative partner and Blues Brothers co-star many times over the years. Just in 2024, Aykroyd praised his colleague’s kindness, remembering him for being “very funny and warm and compassionate.” Still, others have been honest about the complications that came into play when working with the late comedy legend. Fellow SNL OG Jane Curtin admitted to having problems with the 1941 alum but also said that was because “John wasn’t John” due to his drug use.

All in all, these accounts from John Belushi’s friends and colleagues seem to paint a picture of a multi-faceted individual, who wasn’t perfect but was generous and creatively gifted. One would think that Bill Murray and others will continue to keep his friend’s name alive and unsullied as time goes on.

You can check out Mr. Belushi’s greatest sketches by streaming classic SNL episodes with a Peacock subscription. Also, watch new episodes of the show with that membership to check out the current cast as well as Season 50’s hosts and musical guests.

Following yesterday’s tragic loss of the great Gene Hackman, many who knew him (and even more who simply respected his work) have spoken out about the accomplished star. Now Bill Murray, who appeared with Hackman in Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums has lovingly remembered one of the actor’s final performances, which apparently was quite rough on the older star.

The Royal Tenenbaums was one of Gene Hackman’s final roles, but it was also one of Wes Anderson’s early films, the follow-up to his breakout hit Rushmore. Bill Murray, who appeared in both movies and knows Wes Anderson well, told the AP that Hackman wasn’t entirely sold on the young Anderson as a director. This lead to Murray having to run defense to protect his friend. Murray said…

But it seems that Anderson may not have been the only source of frustration for Gene Hackman. Murray says one scene in the movie required over two dozen takes. While Hackman, the consummate professional, did a perfect job every time, the other actor he was playing against kept screwing up. Murray continued…

Murray doesn’t reveal the actor, and it sounds like the setup for the sequence may have been a bit complex, not surprising considering Wes Anderson is known for a unique and precise style. It’s possible that the actor who kept making mistakes was less at fault if the shot was quite difficult. But it does show just how good Hackman was if he was able to nail the performance every time in what was otherwise a tough situation.

It seems that eventually, Hackman may have just gotten tired after doing the scene so many times. According to Murray, Hackman at one point gave a performance that was, while likely just fine, something less than he had been doing. On this take the other actor finally got it right, which angered the star even more…

It sounds like, in the end, Gene Hackman was happy with the final product. If nothing else, Hackman himself received great praise for his performance, which won him a Golden Globe among other accolades.

The circumstances surrounding Hackman's death are currently viewed as "suspicious" according to authorities. CinemaBlend will continue to follow the story.

It’s been a week and I’m still thinking about some of the great moments longtime Saturday Night Live fans got with SNL50. My personal favorite moment of the night (outside of Jenna Ortega getting squished) was probably when Colin Jost and Bill Murray verbally sparred during “Weekend Update,” leading the Season 50 guest star to rank all of the ‘Update’ hosts and joke about the origins of his onscreen partner Danny Aykroyd’s famous “Jane, you ignorant slut” line.

While the big news with “Weekend Update” probably had to do with Colin Jost predicting SNL50 would be a petri dish (it totally was), when Murray took to the stage, he hilariously ranked the majority of the “Update” hosts who have delivered barbs and fake interviews from behind the desk over the years. It was during his little monologue that the “true story” of “Jane, you ignorant slut” came up.

It's a funny bit, but that got me to thinking about how the OG cast actually feels about the oft-repeated phrase, and the “Point/Counterpoint” sketch that accompanied it decades ago.

How Dan Aykroyd And Jane Curtain Feel About ‘Jane, You Ignorant Slut.’

I actually remember reading Live From New York a few years ago, and feeling like not enough time was devoted to the origins of the short-lived but famous “Weekend Update” duo. Aykroyd is often open to speaking about SNL, but he only opened up briefly about the sketch and his time in the chair in the uncensored history book, but this is all we get:

Without context, or in this era of soundbites, “Jane, you ignorant slut” hasn’t aged particularly well. With context it’s still pretty funny: A prim, proper and absolutely accurate Curtain would say something completely reasonably and then Aykroyd would make a point to be argumentative and shoot her down two pegs with the “ignorant slut” line.

It’s meant to make him the buffoon, not her, and she said that when the moments were being written, she thought they were amusing.

The only problem sounds like the catcalls that she got after the line broke big, but from what Curtain told THR that was happening on the streets all the time anyway in the ‘70s. Though she did say in Live From New York there were some early cast members who “didn’t think women were funny” and went on to name them: John Belushi and Chevy Chase.

She found the fact they didn't love doing sketches with women “stunning,” but when it came to her “Weekend Update” chair, she thought the sketch was funny, though the then-common catcalling that came after was less appealing. Plus, it sounds like the fact the line is still synonymous with her name when she is out in public has given her a lot of SNL-adjacent empathy for people like Alec Baldwin who are "so done" with characters.

She revealed separately in the magazine interview that she sees why people sometimes take a step back from certain characters on the show.

At the end of the day, this catchphrase defined the Aykroyd/Curtain era of SNL's "Weekend Update" in the same vein "that's the news...good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow" defined Chevy Chase's run on the show. (Or "Really" defined Seth Meyers; I could go on.) And I'm glad we were reminded of that during SNL50 ... even if Bill Murray wanted to take partial credit.

Bill Murray used to be a staple of Hollywood between the late '70s through to the '90s. He has a slew of fun vintage Murray movie quotes and was one of many SNL stars who made a great return to the late night series. Regardless of his successes then, the actor and comedian has been starring in fewer films over the past couple of decades. He admitted that his lack of films was in part due to his personal lazy choices, as well as the public onslaught of criticisms he faced in 2022, but he's starting to search and take on new characters again.

The Groundhog Day actor opened up about the lethargic period of his career while in conversation with critic Elvis Mitchell (via Variety) at Sundance Film Festival. The 74-year-old, when asked about the lag in his resume, shared that he’s just not been in the game, including not having current representation. Murray said of working in Hollywood:

It makes sense to know that’s why we’ve only seen the Ghostbusters actor in the franchise’s continuing present-day continuation and the MCU’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, along with a sprinkling of other projects. Although not addressed with the veteran comedian, a notable event happened on the now defunct Being Mortal movie that could easily play into his semi-stalled career. The Lost in Translation alum was the reason behind the shutdown of the Aziz Ansari feature, which felt reminiscent of the Liu-Murray Angels confrontation, but in a more pragmatic way.

Murray then went on to share that smaller projects have sparked his interest in pursuing new projects again. He also equated his past habits to that of a bass, saying:

Presumably, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou performer is talking about returning to a Wes Anderson set, The Phoenician Scheme. The newest Anderson flick, which recently wrapped, is slated for a late 2025 movie schedule release. And while fans approve of Frozen Empire, it seems like Murray is prepared to make some risks again or jump into most anything during this stage in his career.

It’ll be interesting to see what Bill Murray will pop up in eventually and just how successful he was in this honest and declarative idea. Time will tell if his lazy ways become a thing of the past and how many leading roles he may snag. Here are some classic streamable Bill Murray movies if you can’t wait for the coming projects. Note that many call for a Netflix subscription or Peacock subscription!

The best Saturday Night Live stars made an impact on the classic sketch comedy series, not just because of their ability to be funny but, more importantly, their ability to act. These comedy icons would go on to prove their versatility by challenging themselves in more serious roles on both the big and small screen, going on to earn widespread praise for their craft. Here, we show our appreciation for these dramatic performances by very funny people, including some that earned these SNL stars Oscar nominations.

Kristen Wiig (The Skeleton Twins)

This one technically counts as a twofer because the eponymous siblings in the 2014 twin movie, The Skeleton Twins, are played by SNL veterans Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Wiig has never given a more absorbing performance than in this movie that gets honest about mental illness as Maggie Dean, who is forced to put her own mental health struggles at bay to care for her gay, suicidal brother, Milo.

Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

Robert Downey Jr. is already better known for his dramatic roles (and playing Iron Man in the Marvel movies) than his brief SNL stint. However, many agree that his career best so far is his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Best Picture Oscar winner, 2023's Oppenheimer, which was his third Academy Award-nominated performance and the first to earn him the gold.

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Laurie Metcalf is one of the better examples of an actor with a largely forgotten SNL stint, considering she only made a couple of appearances on the show during Season 6. She is far better known for playing Jackie on Roseanne and The Conners and for her heartbreaking, Oscar-nominated performance in Greta Gerwig's acclaimed 2017 dramedy, Lady Bird, as the mother of the angsty titular role.

Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)

Director Marc Forster’s 2006 film, Stranger Than Fiction, is still, essentially, a comedy but an undeniably dark one, as it follows an IRS agent named Harold Crick, who can hear the author of his life story foretelling his impending death. The role was one of the first to prove that a goofy actor like Will Ferrell had dramatic chops and his tender performance, one of the strongest of his career, would earn him a Golden Globe nomination.

Will Forte (Nebraska)

Perhaps the best thing outside of SNL to star Will Forte (in addition to the MacGruber movie and his prematurely canceled TV show The Last Man on Earth) is director Alexander Payne's Nebraska. The comedian shows a new rare side of himself in the Oscar-nominated 2013 as a David Grant, who agrees to travel cross-country with his estranged father, Woody (Bruce Dern), to claim a potentially non-existent prize of $1 million.

Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)

While Eddie Murphy scored a radio hit in 1985 with "Party All the Time," the moment that truly convinced the world that he was a musically talented SNL star was his performance in Dreamgirls. He received an Academy Award nomination for playing troubled R&B singer, James “Thunder” Early in the acclaimed 2006 musical.

Abby Elliott (The Bear)

Creator Christopher Storer's acclaimed FX original, The Bear, is often billed as a comedy, especially around awards season. However, real fans of the culinary series know that it is truly one of the most emotionally grasping shows of its time and Abby Elliott (daughter of fellow SNL vet Chris Elliott) has contributed to some of its strongest moments as Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto.

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

While he is still beloved for comedies like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, both critics and audiences agree that one of Adam Sandler's best movies is the intense 2019 thriller Uncut Gems. Many believed he deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance in the acclaimed A24 movie from Josh and Benny Safdie as self-destructive Manhattan jeweler Howard Rattner.

Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back)

It was not until years after her one-season stint on SNL that Sarah Silverman became one of the biggest names in comedy with her sharp stand-up and roles in popular funny movies. However, she had never received wider and stronger critical acclaim before playing vastly against type in the 2015 drama I Smile Back as a troubled woman struggling to hide her depression and self-destructive tendencies from her husband and young children.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

Many would call Bill Murray (who was part of SNL's Not Ready for Primetime Players) losing Best Actor for one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation, at the 2004 Academy Awards one of the biggest Oscar blunders in history. His performance in writer and director Sofia Coppola’s sophomore effort as a lonely veteran actor striking up an unlikely bond with a young woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) in Tokyo is a masterclass in raw honesty and charm.

Chris Rock (Fargo)

No one was more surprised to see Noah Hawley offer Chris Rock one of the lead roles in the fourth season of his hit anthology TV show, Fargo, than the former SNL star himself. Rock – who went on to play a cop in a Saw movie called Spiral and starred in the Oscar-nominated biopic, Rustin – really turned heads with his commanding performance as Loy Cannon, who leads his 1950s-ear, Kansas City crime family with an iron fist.

Bill Hader (Barry)

When he created Barry with Alec Berg, Bill Hader knew people would think the idea of him playing a contract killer who falls in love with acting is pretty funny. That must have motivated the former SNL favorite to prove that he could bring himself to some disturbingly bleak places with his two-time Emmy-winning performance in the title role of the hit HBO series.

Kate McKinnon (Bombshell)

We genuinely believe that one of the most essential reasons why Bombshell is one of Kate McKinnon's best movies is the dynamic SNL star's performance. Her role as Fox News employee Jess Carr – a composite character based on real people involved with the real-life events that inspired the 2019 docudrama – could be written off as comic relief but she does show some real gravitas in its more somber moments.

Dan Aykroyd (Driving Miss Daisy)

Some of Dan Aykroyd's most notable cinematic efforts are actually movies based on SNL characters, namely The Blues Brothers and Coneheads. However, he would earn praise and an Academy Award nomination for his moving turn as Boolie Werthan in 1989’s beloved period drama, Driving Miss Daisy.

Andy Samberg (Lee)

When appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Andy Samberg acknowledged that a movie like Lee – the 2024 biopic about World War II photographer Lee Miller, played by Kate Winslet – is unlike anything the Lonely Island member has done before. However, not only is the SNL vet a dead ringer for Miller's colleague, David Scherman, but he excels in his emotionally heavy portrayal of the man.

Maya Rudolph (Away We Go)

Director Sam Mendes' Away We Go is a sweet, tender-hearted dramedy about a couple (played by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) traveling the country in search of a worthy home for their soon-to-be-born child. Carrying most of the emotional weight in the film is Rudolph, resulting in one of her most wonderfully down-to-earth performances from one of SNL's goofiest female performers.

Molly Shannon (A Good Person)

Writer and director Zach Braff's A Good Person – following a young woman (played by Florence Pugh) and her post-accident road to recovery with help from her would-be father-in-law (played by Morgan Freeman) – is led to by heavy-hitting Oscar darlings. Yet, some say the heart and soul of the 2023 dramedy is Molly Shannon's performance as the mother of Pugh's character, for which she gives her most acclaimed, heartfelt dramatic performance yet.

Jay Pharoah (Unsane)

Jay Pharoah only departed from SNL a couple of years breaking into dramatic acting with director Steven Soderbergh's Unsane. The comedian and talented impressionist is electrifying in the mind-bending psychological thriller as a mental hospital patient who befriends Sawyer (Claire Foy), who claims she has been admitted against her will.

Jenny Slate (Obvious Child)

Arguably the most memorable moment from Jenny Slate's one-season SNL stint is when she accidentally dropped the F-bomb during her first show (which she confirmed had nothing to do with her exit, by the way). Years after her time at Studio 8H, the comedian amazed critics with her beautiful and heartbreaking performance in the 2014 romantic dramedy Obvious Child, in which she plays a stand-up comic dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.

Casey Wilson (Gone Girl)

Some might say that a sign of a great actor is the ability to convey all that an audience needs to know just in one's silent expressions. For proof, see Casey Wilson's performance as Amy Dunne's "friend" Noelle Hawthorne in David Fincher's Gone Girl, in which you rarely, if ever, hear her speak but are thoroughly captivated by her body language.

Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone)

In 1984, the same year that Anthony Michael Hall became a teen idol with roles in hilarious, high school movies The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, he became the youngest SNL cast member, coming on at just 17 years old. Years later, he fully reinvented himself as a serious actor as the star of USA's series adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone, in which he plays a man who wakes from a coma with the ability to see the future.

Christopher Guest (The Long Riders)

Christopher Guest joined the SNL cast in 1984, around the same time his career as the most trusted mockumentarian began as one of the writers and stars of This is Spinal Tap. He had shown Hollywood his more serious side years earlier by starring in The Long Riders – a fact-based Western noted for casting real-life siblings as real-life outlaw siblings, such as Guest and his brother, Nicholas, as Charley and Robert Ford.

Jane Curtin (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

After SNL, Jane Curtin went on to play many great comedic roles – such as her two-time Emmy-winning role on Kate & Allie and an acclaimed stint on 3rd Rock from the Sun – but did not have quite many opportunities to show her more serious side. That would change in 2018 when the one-time "Weekend Update" anchor starred in the biopic Can You Ever Forgive Me? as Marjorie, who works as the agent for author Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy).

Michael McKean (Better Call Saul)

Interestingly, Michael McKean was already an established comedy actor and had even hosted SNL before he joined as a cast member in the early 1990s. However, his reputation as a dramatic actor was never fully realized before his Emmy-nominated turn on Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad prequel series Better Call Saul as Chuck, the delusional older brother of Jimmy McGill (former SNL writer Bob Odenkirk).

Joan Cusack (Arlington Road)

Joan Cusack became the first SNL star to earn two Academy Award nominations but both were for comedic roles, namely from 1988's Working Girl and In & Out from 1997. One might argue she deserved similar recognition for her work in 1999's Arlington Road as Cheryl Lang, who, along with her husband (played by Tim Robbins), is suspected of domestic terrorism by their neighbor, a professor (played by Jeff Bridges).

Billy Crystal (Before)

With the exception of, perhaps, the tearjerker ending of When Harry Met Sally..., it is hard to imagine Billy Crystal in a role that doesn't require him to be his signature goofy self. Thus, the comedic genius shocked audiences when he served as the star and showrunner of Apple TV+'s dark thriller Before, in which he plays a widowed child psychiatrist whose newest patient exhibits signs of psychopathy.

Janeane Garofalo (Cop Land)

Janeane Garofalo's time at SNL is largely forgotten but, luckily, did not affect her reputation as one of the smartest and most dynamic comedic actors in the 1990s. She further proved her versatility in 1997 as Deputy Sheriff Cindy Betts in James Mangold's acclaimed crime thriller, Cop Land.

Chevy Chase (Law & Order)

Chevy Chase's bread and butter on and off SNL was playing smarmy jerks. However, he really upped the ante in 2006 for his guest star appearance on Law & Order as an anti-Semitic murder suspect.

Tina Fey (A Haunting In Venice)

In addition to being the Agatha Christie surrogate in Kenneth Branagh's third Agatha Christie adaptation, you could call Tina Fey's clever writer Ariadne Oliver the comic relief of A Haunting in Venice. However, the former SNL star and one-time head writer plays the role in the 2023 mystery thriller with an earnestness that is perfectly suitable for its story and tone.

Jim Belushi (The Principal)

Jim Belushi's stint at SNL was unavoidably a constant source of comparison to his older brother, John Belushi. Luckily, he went on to have a relatively successful run with more dramatic roles, such as a man who takes a job at an anarchic high school in 1987's The Principal.

Rob Riggle (12 Strong)

Rob Riggle's brief time at SNL led to a stint on The Daily Show and scene-stealing turns in comedies like Stepbrothers and 21 Jump Street but his best role might be from 2018's 12 Strong. As he told Stephen Colbert on Late Show, he was uniquely qualified to star in the fact-based military drama, not only because he is a former U.S. Marine but because the person he is portraying, Lt. Colonel Bowers, is his actual former boss.

Randy Quaid (The Last Detail)

One of the few people to become an Academy Award nominee before becoming an SNL cast member is Randy Quaid. He earned the honor from his performance in 1973's The Last Detail as a dishonorable discharged Naval officer who is shown one last good time by his superiors (played by Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) before facing jail time.

Sometimes when actors work together they become lifelong friends. There have been more marriages than one can count that came about after two stars met on set. However, not every relationship between actors is wonderful, and some of them can get downright ugly. One of the most famous stories of actors clashing involves Lucy Liu and Bill Murray on the set of Charlie’s Angels.

According to most versions of the story, Bill Murray once insulted Lucy Liu’s acting ability when the two appeared in the first Charlie’s Angels film in 2000. Some versions of the story claim Liu took swings at Murray, at the very least it led to shouting and swearing. Liu was the least known of the three female leads, alongside Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz, which might have put her in a position where it was harder for her to defend herself. But the actress tells The Guardian that it was never even a consideration to stay quiet. Liu explained…

According to Shaun Obanion, who was a production assistant on the film, the issues started when Bill Murray allegedly rewrote pages of the script, without even informing director McG or Drew Barrymore, who was also a producer of the film. When Lucy Liu called him out for his behavior, Murray insulted her for being a “TV” actress. In 2000 Lucy Liu was best known for her role in the ensemble of Ally McBeal.

Liu, who recently appeared in the Dwayne Johnson Christmas movie Red One, admits that if she were the sort of person who stayed quiet, her career likely would have been easier than it has been. However, as an Asian American actress has felt that her career has always had difficulties. Liu continued…

Bill Murray has seen other accusations of bad behavior on set throughout his career. Geena Davis has also accused Murray of being inappropriate, though the Charlie’s Angels story may be the most widely known. While we may not have a clear view of the details, multiple sources, including co-star Drew Barrymore confirmed that the altercation took place and that Liu was more than willing and able to stand up for herself against the one who was arguably the biggest star on the set.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was one of the earlier 2024 movie release schedule entries and, while it received received icy reviews from critics, it was great to see the series' veterans back in action. Among their ranks was franchise OG Ernie Hudson, who has played Winston Zeddemore (the best member of the team) since the original 1984 film. Just recently, Hudson recounted how Bill Murray helped him return for the sequels, and he did so in a sweet way.

During Rhode Island Comic Con, Ernie Hudson opened up about his relationship with his co-stars -- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis. The 78-year-old star specifically shouted out Murray for his support over the years. Via People, Hudson recalled how when his own status with the franchise seemed in doubt, the Scrooged actor made a major declaration:

It takes a lot of guts to stand up for anyone under a number of circumstances. However, for the Groundhog's Day star to advocate for his co-star before a studio in that way speaks volumes. It’s heartwarming to hear that he had genuine love and admiration for his co-star and that the love remains today. The entertainment industry itself can be tough, so it's especially great whenever actors support fellow actors.

The seemingly ageless Ernie Hudson has long been vocal about his frustrations with the initial handling of Winston. In a previous interview, Hudson admitted to not feeling included alongside his fellow stars. Though, during this recent interview, he specified that his three castmates were open and inclusive while working on what's now considered one of the best '80s movies:

You can see the love amongst the squad on the screen, and it's even better knowing it’s the same way off camera. As far as a 40-year-old franchise goes, that’s pretty special to hold your co-stars in the same regard all these years later. On top of that, I think I speak for fans when I say I'm happy that Ernie Hudson remained with the franchise, and I'm thankful that Bill Murray played a role in that.

If you’d like to watch Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, you can do so using a Netflix subscription. You should also keep an eye out for news on the upcoming Ghostbusters animated series that was greenlit back in 2022.

When a performer says goodbye to the Saturday Night Live cast, it does not necessarily mean forever. Often, the sketch comedy TV show will invite an esteemed alum to appear in an episode either as a special guest or as a headliner, sometimes resulting in a hall-of-fame hosting gig. The following are some of our favorite times a former SNL star made a grand impression when they came back to Studio 8H.

Eddie Murphy

After leaving SNL in 1984, Eddie Murphy came back to host (actually his second time, having hosted while still on the cast in 1982) for an episode later that year, on which he debuted, arguably, his best SNL sketch, "White Like Me." After being honored at the 40th anniversary special, the Academy Award nominee came back to host a third time, resulting in one of the most acclaimed episodes of Season 45.

Ben Stiller

You might have forgotten that Ben Stiller was a cast member since he only lasted four episodes in 1989, which he acknowledged when he first came back to host in 1998 after becoming a bigger name in comedy. He would return to host again 2011 in, followed by a series of recurring appearances as Donald Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, in 2018.

Norm Macdonald

Famously, Norm Macdonald was fired from the SNL cast in 1998 for, as the NBC executives at the time claimed, not being funny. Just a year and a half later, he came back to host an episode, during which he joked in his monologue that he had not gotten any funnier but the show had gotten "really bad" since his exit.

Robert Downey Jr.

Before becoming one of the most beloved A-list actors in Hollywood, Robert Downey Jr. was one of the most heavily criticized cast members from one of the most heavily criticized seasons of SNL from 1985 to 1986. He only came back to host once in 1996, during which he proved was the supremely talented performer we know and love and, eventually, became the first former SNL cast member to win an Oscar for Oppenheimer in 2024.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus would not become a comedy icon until after her three-year stint at Studio 8H from 1982 to 1985 when she joined the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes. In 2006, fresh off her Emmy win for The New Adventures of Old Christine, she became the first female former SNL cast member to return as a host, which she would follow with two more gigs.

Jimmy Fallon

After a successful six years at SNL from 1998 to 2004, Jimmy Fallon would return for three hosting gigs and countless cameos. Each time the late-night TV host comes back to Studio 8H tends to be a celebrated affair, especially because there is a good chance that his friend, Justin Timberlake, will show up to participate in a new edition of "The Barry Gibb Talk Show" or some other sketch.

John Mulaney

While he was never part of the SNL cast, John Mulaney would perform a few funny segments on "Weekend Update" during his five years on the writing staff. He would later become one of the biggest names in stand-up comedy and such a beloved host that he joined the Five-Timers Club within only four years.

Dan Aykroyd

Sometimes, for a cast veteran, the key to a memorable hosting gig is to wait an exceptionally long time to come back as an SNL host, much like Dan Aykroyd did. The legendary, Canadian-American comedy star, known for sketches like “The Coneheads” and “Super Bass-o-Matic ‘76” from his tenure as a Not Ready for Primetime Player, headlined an episode in 2003, more than two decades after leaving the show.

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman is actually one of several SNL cast members who only lasted one season but still ended up becoming a huge success in the end. Two decades after she was let go from the series, the acclaimed comedian hosted a funny episode from Season 40.

Martin Short

It is hard to believe that a performer like Martin Short was only an SNL cast member for one season but he has, luckily, continued to demonstrate his dynamic comedic talents through memorable hosting gigs. His first hosting gig from 1986 was shared with his Three Amigos co-stars, Chevy Chase and Steve Martin – the latter of which he would co-host with again in 2022.

Adam Sandler

Surprisingly, despite making a couple of cameos over the years, Adam Sandler would not host SNL until 2019, which resulted in an instant favorite episode in which he sang two memorable songs. The former "SNL Bad Boy's" first tune (including a Chris Rock appearance) was during his monologue and discussed how he was fired after four seasons in 1995 and the other was a tribute to Chris Farley.

Kate McKinnon

After 10 wonderful years at SNL, the great Kate McKinnon would return a year and a half later to host the last episode of 2023, which proved to be a very successful episode, and not just because it featured cameos by Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and her Barbie director, Greta Gerwig. Also, in Season 49, she would also come back for one more appearance as alien abduction victim Colleen Rafferty to make host Ryan Gosling laugh uncontrollably once again.

Chevy Chase

Only two weeks after his final episode as an SNL cast member, Chevy Chase made a hilarious, self-mocking cameo in the cold open as himself, performing music for tips outside of 30 Rock. He would continue to return for more cameos and eventually became the first host to join the Five-Timers Club before the idea of it had been suggested by Tom Hanks.

Billy Crystal

In a unique twist on this topic, Billy Crystal was actually meant to appear on the very first episode of SNL in 1975 but was ultimately cut for time, as depicted in the 2024 movie Saturday Night. As his notoriety increased, the comedian was asked to host twice in 1984 before being hired later that year as a cast member, during which he lit up the screen with his impersonation of Fernando Lamas and other notable characters.

Tina Fey

Having served as both "Weekend Update" host and head writer near the end of her nine-year tenure, Tina Fey was a true SNL MVP but some of her most memorable moments on the show occurred after her 2006 exit. Prior to her Five-Timers Club induction, the 30 Rock creator and star made numerous appearances as Sarah Palin that earned rave reviews.

Dana Carvey

A key element to SNL's new golden era from 1986 to 1993 was Dana Carvey and his wonderful talent for impressions, which he would continue to lend to Studio 8H in the years since his exit. The Wayne's World star is one of the most frequent returning cast members, especially in Season 50 as President Joe Biden.

David Spade

Many of David Spade's funniest quotes originate from his six years on SNL in the early-to-mid-1990s. His blunt, sarcastic, and sometimes unapologetically brutal delivery of mockery at other celebrities' expense would serve him well in his hosting gigs – the first of which included a cold open featuring Brad Pitt as his therapist.

Kristen Wiig

The final episode of SNL's 37th Season was the final episode for a few notable cast members but it ended with a grand send-off purely dedicated to Kristen Wiig's esteemed seven years, which included some hilarious quotes. It was not long before the Oscar nominee was asked to bring back her famous characters as a host and her Season 49 episode saw her induction into the Five-Timers Club.

Chris Farley

After becoming one of SNL's most esteemed icons during his five-season run and proving to be a box office draw with movies like Tommy Boy, Chris Farley was at the height of his fame when he came back to host two years after leaving. However, his October 1997 episode is now remembered more somberly because, only two months later, he would pass away from a drug overdose at the age of 33.

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph proved herself as an all-time great during her seven years on SNL in the 2000s. She would return for multiple hosting gigs and an innumerable amount of special guest appearances, most notably as her Emmy-winning portrayal of Kamala Harris.

Pete Davidson

For his clever "Weekend Update" commentaries, fascinating personal life, and title as the youngest SNL cast member on record, Pete Davidson was one of the series' most talked about performers when he left at the end of Season 47. He was initially meant to return as a host for the following season but, due to the Writers' Strike, he instead returned for the Season 49 premiere, which featured a viral pre-filmed bit poking fun at his post-SNL career inspired by Barbie's "I'm Just Ken."

Tracy Morgan

Impersonations of the likes of Al Sharpton and Oprah Winfrey and hilarious original characters like Brian Fellow and Astronaut Jones made Tracy Morgan a force to be reckoned with during his seven years on SNL. As a result, each of the 30 Rock cast member's returns to the Studio 8H stage as a host or guest have been warm celebrations of his best moments as a cast member.

Paul Shaffer

Starting off as a member of Studio 8H's house band, Paul Shaffer later made history as the first person to drop the F-bomb on SNL during his 1979-1980 stint on the cast. Of course, he bounced back from the incident without issue and would make cameos on the show and host an episode from 1987 after being David Letterman's bandleader greatly increased his notoriety.

Damon Wayans

One of the most infamous SNL cast firings is that of Damon Wayans, who changed the nature of a character on the fly in the middle of a broadcast in 1986. The comedian would find even greater success as a member of the In Living Color cast and, in 1995, was asked to come back as a host.

Phil Hartman

It is easy to understand why some argue that Phil Hartman is the greatest SNL cast member of all time and why, just two years after his exit, he was asked to host twice in 1996. We have no doubt we would have seen more of the Emmy winner gracing the Studio 8H stage again if not for his untimely murder in 1998 at the age of 49.

Chris Rock

The first "Bad Boy of SNL" to return as a host was Chris Rock in 1996, which was three years after his departure. At that point, the comedian had found decent subsequent success by making appearances on the show's biggest competitor at the time, In Living Color.

Jason Sudeikis

While he would make several post-exit guest appearances, Jason Sudeikis' first time hosting in 2021 was eight years after he left the show, which was actually a year later than he had intended. The gig was a big moment, given his Emmy-winning success on Ted Lasso at the time and his heartfelt opening monologue celebrating his time as a writer-turned-cast member.

Will Ferrell

Despite a hiccup or two in his early days on the cast, Will Ferrell became one of the most beloved SNL cast members of the 90s and early 2000s. His many appearances since, including five hosting gigs, have resulted in some of the show's most celebrated moments in recent years.

Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler's impeccable skills of impersonation and arsenal of uproarious characters made her seven years on SNL a one-of-a-kind era. Her many notable appearances since include co-hosting with her friend and one-time "Weekend Update" co-anchor Tina Fey in 2015 and making cameoing as Leslie Knope alongside her fellow former Parks and Recreation cast member, Aubrey Plaza, in 2023.

Darrell Hammond

One of the all-time longest-standing SNL cast members is Darrell Hammond with 14 seasons but his time at Studio 8H would not stop there after all. In addition to making special appearances – most notably in "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketches as Sean Connery – the actor would succeed Don Pardo as the show's announcer when Pardo passed away in 2014.

Molly Shannon

Three-time Emmy nominee Molly Shannon is the driving force behind one of the most iconic SNL characters to earn their own movie, Mary Katherine Gallagher. The misfit Catholic high school student is just one character she has brought back for her numerous appearances on the show since leaving in 2001, including two hosting gigs.

Bill Murray

After Chevy Chase left in 1976, stepping in to join the Not Ready for Primetime Players was Bill Murray, who hilariously acknowledged his struggle to make an impression on SNL early on in a famous sketch. Of course, the Oscar nominee would quickly achieve wild notoriety in the 1980s, which made his subsequent five hosting gigs and additional cameos much-celebrated occasions.

As the Saturday Night release date approaches this October, writer/director Jason Reitman showed the movie to the world for the first time at the 51st Telluride Film Festival last month. The world premiere was an especially sweet moment for one of the latest upcoming 2024 movies because he got Bill Murray on stage to help present the movie. As it turns out, there’s a sweet story behind how it happened.

Bill Murray Made A Surprise Appearance At The Premiere Of Saturday Night

If you wanted to see how Jason Reitman and Bill Murray presented Saturday Night while at the Colorado film festival, you can take a look below. Check out this TikTok via Variety editor Clayton Davis:

Jason Reitman had some sweet things to say about his time as a Saturday Night Live writer before talking about the making of the movie that embodies the chaotic nature of the sketch show’s first time on the air. Then, he introduced Bill Murray, who very kindly said his three seasons on the show was his “greatest work experience” before showing a lot of love to Reitman and his late father Ivan Reitman, with whom he made Ghostbusters, Stripes and Meatballs.

The Sweet Way The Saturday Night Premiere Moment Came About

So how did Jason Reitman nab Bill Murray for the premiere moment? As it happens, Murray was already at the festival for his drama The Friend. Here’s what happened, per Reitman:

While speaking to Deadline, Reitman shared that the moment actually happened on accident given the two Ghostbusters: Afterlife collaborators were both at the festival at the same time. Reitman also said this:

While Bill Murray is not portrayed in the movie given that he didn’t join until Season 2, his buddy Dan Aykroyd is portrayed by Dylan O’Brien, along with Lorne Michaels, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, John Belushi and more being portrayed in the film. As Reitman continued:

Reitman also shared with the publication that the premiere was a tough moment for him because he realized that it's the last script of his his father read and the first movie of his he’ll never see. Ivan Reitman died at the age of 75 back in 2022 just months after he saw his son bring back Ghostbusters with 2021’s Afterlife. Amidst the bittersweet emotions Jason Reitman was feeling that night, what an amazing moment to be introduced by Bill Murray!

You can look forward to reliving the first night of SNL when Saturday Night hits theaters on October 11.

My son loves video games. I know that might sound like a weird way to start off an article about Ghostbusters, but I assure you, it definitely correlates with their latest movie. 

Because it wasn't until I bought my son Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered for his Switch that he became a diehard Ghostbusters fan. For example, that year, our whole family dressed up as Ghostbusters for Halloween because of his obsession, and I don’t know how many times he would go out in our backyard with his Proton Pack and pretend to bust ghosts (And why not? Busting feels good!) 

So, when Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (which we gave a pretty good review) came out in theaters, I was pumped, since it would be my son’s first big screen Ghostbusters experience. Unfortunately, my car broke down the day that I had bought tickets, so we didn’t get to see it in theaters. However, we were able to finally check it out with our Netflix subscription, and he loved it just as much as I hoped he would. So, here’s what he loved the most about it. 

Oh, and spoilers up ahead if you haven’t seen it yet. 

Tiny Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men Were A Major Highlight For Him 

If there is any character that is just as (if not more) recognizable than the Ghostbusters themselves, it’s probably the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. How could he not be? Even with his gargantuan size in the first movie, he was just so cute and adorable that you wanted to give him a great big hug. 

In fact, my son knew who he was way before they even fought him in Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered, because he would see his costume in Spirit Halloween stores year after year. He’s just such an iconic character, and definitely one of the reasons why I think the original film is often considered the best in the franchise (even though, if you ask me, Ghostbusters II is the preferable movie). 

And so, my son absolutely adored all of the mini Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men found in this film. Yes, we got them in Afterlife as well, but to be honest, I didn’t show my son that movie since I find it to be the least in the spirit of the team that I know he loves, so he still hasn’t seen it yet.

But, he loved their little antics in Frozen Empire, as they were constantly causing mischief, and all sorts of problems, just like the Minions in the Despicable Me movies. 

Every time they came back on the screen, my son just had a big goofy grin on his face, and when they reappeared in the mid-credit scene, he turned to me and said, “They were the best part of the whole movie.” Honestly, I can’t blame him. They certainly were a highlight.

The Villain Was Really Cool, Albeit, A Little Scary  

One thing my son loves about the franchise is that it’s scary, but not too scary (Scary enough, though, to make our 50 best horror movies list!). In this way, he didn’t get any nightmares when he battled any of the enemies in the video game, some of which appeared in the movies. 

That said, most of the game leans heavily into the comedy, rather than the horror, and so my son wasn’t really ready for the tall, intimidating villain, Garraka, who appears in this movie. 

Now, Garraka is kind of creepy, but my son, who I’ve taken to see Godzilla, doesn’t get scared too easily. So, when he first made his appearance in the film, with his emaciated look, and sharp nails, my son said, “Well, that’s creepy.” But, he also thought the character was (excuse the pun) really cool as he froze New York City. 

My son also liked that, unlike some of the other Ghostbusters villains, who seemed to be a bit chatty (like Vigo), Garraka didn’t really say much at all, and my son enjoyed that he could communicate with other ghosts through his spherical chamber. 

So, yes, the villain was another highlight for my son as well, who absolutely adored this flick.

He Was Happy To See The Older Ghostbusters, And Wished The Movie Was More About Them 

One cool thing about the video game is that it includes the voices of all of the Ghostbusters, including Harold Ramis in his final role as Egon! In this way, before we got Afterlife, a lot of fans considered the 2009 game to be the official third film, as it followed the events of Ghostbusters II. 

So, my son doesn’t connect with any of the new team. He doesn’t care about McKenna Grace, or Paul Rudd, or Finn Wolfhard. In fact, when the movie started, he said, “Where are the real Ghostbusters?” 

Of course I told him, “These are the real Ghostbusters. They’re just new,” but he adamantly shook his head. He wanted to know where Ray, Peter, Egon, and Winston (his and my favorite Ghostbuster) were, and since I knew they would appear later in the movie (except for Egon, who I had to break the news to him had died in real life), I told him, “They’re coming.”

And so, he was happy when Dan Aykroyd appeared as Ray in his little occult shop, and overjoyed when Ernie Hudson showed up (and, funnily, only mildly amused when Bill Murray showed up, since Venkman is his least favorite Ghostbuster).

I was actually surprised that he was also happy when Annie Potts and William Atherton appeared as Janine and Walter, respectively. They’re also in the game, and he liked that they were in the movie, as well. In truth, he wished the whole film was just the original cast, and as good as the new members are, I’m sure he’s not the only one. 

He Was Also, Of Course, Happy To See Slimer  

If the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man and the Ghostbusters are the most popular characters in the series, then Slimer is probably a good call for the third most popular character, and my son was happy to see him in the movie, also.

The loveable, hungry ghost doesn’t really play a major role in the story, and is instead just there to give Finn Wolfhard’s character something to do, as he tries to trap the popular apparition. But, my son knew Slimer was coming as soon as he saw the pile of empty wrappers on the floor. “Slimer’s in there,” he told me, pointing to the screen. I asked him how he knew that, and he said, “Just look at all the food. Slimer loves to eat.” 

Yes, Slimer indeed loves to eat, and he was hidden in the pile of wrappers. his presence is just another example of how this movie gives the fans what they want. Speaking of which… 

In The End, He Thought The Story Moved At A Good Pace, And That It Was Never Boring  

I know a lot of people enjoyed Afterlife, but honestly, I didn’t care for it at all. I feel it’s my least favorite Ghostbusters movie, and that’s why I was reluctant to start my son off with it. It’s less of a comedy, and much more somber, which doesn’t really fit the mood or the tone of the others. 

But, thankfully, Frozen Empire feels more like a return to form. No, it’s not perfect, and it has its nagging issues, but overall, it’s a good movie that moves at a quick pace, and my son was never bored. In fact, I was doing laundry while the two of us were watching the flick on the couch, and I occasionally had to pause the film just to check if I needed to put my clothes in the drier. This prompted my son to say, “You keep stopping at all the good parts!” 

I guess I was, but, that’s only because most of the movie was “good parts,” and he was always engaged. 

So, in the end, he loved it, and I thought it was pretty good, too.

What did you think? Have you checked out Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire on Netflix yet? (It’s also on Prime to rent or buy.) 

Even the biggest and brightest stars of Hollywood have movies that they’d rather not mention being a part of in polite company. And the list you’re about to read has some of the most infamous examples of those types of projects making silver screen history…just not in the way one would have expected.

Tom Hanks - The Bonfire Of The Vanities

While we’ve seen Tom Hanks’ comments on why The Bonfire of the Vanities didn’t work, the movie’s infamy as a box office dud is something he probably doesn’t address all that often. And who could blame him, as the public considered America’s Dad to be the worst casting choice to lead a satire about the amorality of late ‘80s/early ‘90s stockbrokers.

Jamie Lee Curtis - Virus

The film adaptation of Dark Horse Comics’ Virus is uncompromisingly bad, no matter if you’re familiar with the book or not. But the most entertaining thing to come out of it was the fact that star Jamie Lee Curtis has taken every chance to roast this picture with the most cutting of remarks. It’s truly one of the best cases of entertainers who have trashed their own movies.

Michael Caine - Jaws: The Revenge

This is an example of using class and wit to politely stuff a movie like Jaws: The Revenge into the trash bin of life. Actor Michael Caine’s remarks about never seeing the film, but loving its payday, is something that always hits like the best line at a cocktail party celebrating the movies we love to loathe.

Emily Blunt - Gulliver’s Travels

History almost gave us an Iron Man 2 with Emily Blunt playing the role of Black Widow. And then contractual obligations forced Ms. Blunt to pass, in favor of starring in the Jack Black vehicle Gulliver’s Travels. So yeah, maybe it’s best not to mention this one to this star of A Quiet Place, no matter how much you think she might laugh.

Dennis Quaid - Jaws 3-D

All legendary actors have the gigs that make them, and the ones that they took so early in their career that they’d rather not think about them. Dennis Quaid’s role in Jaws 3-D more than likely falls into the latter bucket, as it’s one of the two Jaws sequels that failed to make the cut with even the franchise’s most devoted fans.

Viola Davis - The Help

Academy Award winner Viola Davis scored a nomination for her role in Tate Taylor’s film adaptation of The Help. Despite her performance’s excellence, Davis still maintains her opinion of regretting having taken part in the movie’s production, and the resulting product. 

Bill Murray - Garfield

No cinematic icon is immune to trickery, especially a trickster like Bill Murray. With his infamous Garfield casting story seeing the comedy legend mistake the movie’s writer for one of the Coen Bros, you can kind of see why he’d use his Zombieland cameo in 2009 to poke fun at the film being his only life’s regret.

Mariah Carey - Glitter

Glitter wasn’t enough of a disaster to kill Mariah Carey’s acting career, and to her credit, she went on to deliver some amazing performances in films like Lee Daniels’ Precious. But whoo-boy, does this musical drama still sting to think about from time to time? 

Elijah Wood - North

While there’s an interesting selection of beloved films Roger Ebert absolutely hated, North is one of the flops that the legendary film critic rightfully roasted. Though it definitely wasn’t Elijah Wood’s fault, it’s probably best if you don’t approach him about this one without some sort of care. 

Jennifer Lopez - Gigli

As a legendary turkey in the world of infamously bad movies, even Gigli’s director Martin Brest has pointed thoughts about that epic fail. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s colossal dud of a rom-com has more than earned its place on the bad side of history, and one could bet that even its mere mention would inspire the most withering side eye from J.Lo herself. 

George Clooney - Batman & Robin

If there’s a constant in George Clooney’s career as an entertainer, it’s his regret over Batman and Robin. Stepping in after Val Kilmer bolted on Joel Schumacher’s second Gotham-based tentpole, you can bet the ER heartthrob wishes he could use a time machine to go back and prevent this experience from ever happening. 

Renee Zellweger - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

Out of the Oscar-winning pair of Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, it’s a safe bet that Ms. Zellweger would be the one who’d want to keep Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation off the table of discussion. Then again, she might be a bit more relaxed on the subject since so much time has passed. 

Robert Downey Jr. - The Shaggy Dog

Early on in his mid-Aughts comeback, Robert Downey Jr. diversified his acting portfolio with everything from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang to Good Night, and Good Luck. And mixed in with the lot was his role as the antagonist in Tim Allen’s remake of The Shaggy Dog. Downey would probably talk about the movie if asked, but one has to wonder what he’d say? 

Emma Watson - The Circle

For someone like Emma Watson, an actor who chooses their projects with a level of mindfulness and message in mind, The Circle must have seemed like a good choice. But the eventual public reaction to the film may have caused the Harry Potter vet to think twice even before approaching source material with names as storied as author Dave Eggers and director James Ponsoldt attached. 

Eddie Murphy - The Adventures of Pluto Nash

The Adventures of Pluto Naash is a habitual punching bag when folks choose to talk about the most infamous disasters in movie history. And thanks to that distinction, even the very open Eddie Murphy wouldn’t be mistaken for keeping this sci-fi/comedy flameout away from the conversation. 

Lucy Liu - Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever is an infamous movie without even taking into account that it somehow managed to snag the star power of Lucy Liu into its clutches. Admittedly, so few people remember this one that it doesn’t feel like she’d have to be on guard for random fans mentioning its existence. 

Matt Damon - The Great Wall

You might think that the “white savior” worries of Matt Damon’s character in The Great Wall are the reason he might not want to talk about this massive box office dud. But the fact of the matter is, he’d probably politely decline any discussion on the matter because it was a thundering failure that didn’t really win him any new fans.

Jennifer Lawrence - Dark Phoenix

How much did Jennifer Lawrence distance herself from the X-Men movies by time she made Dark Phoenix? Well, not only was her time in makeup severely reduced/scaled back in quality, but she died quite early in the final X-Men prequel from the Fox days. Maybe that's part of why the two-part structure was abandoned prior to its release. 

Sylvester Stallone - Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot

It’s the movie so bad that Arnold Schwarzenegger tricked Sylvester Stallone into starring in it. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is still a punch line for the Rocky franchise star/director, even decades after the film was released and tanked. One has to wonder how awkward some of those Planet Hollywood openings were, thanks to this awkward piece of history existing.

Lily Collins - Rules Don’t Apply

Actor Lily Collins is a talent that has the old Hollywood look down to a tee and isn’t afraid to show it. That confidence is probably what got her cast in Warren Beatty’s misguided rom-com Rules Don’t Apply, and to be fair, she and co-star Alden Ehrenreich are two of the only bright spots in this mostly forgettable throwback. 

Eddie Redmayne - Jupiter Ascending

If anyone is ready to admit Eddie Redmayne’s Jupiter Ascending performance is bad, it’s the man himself. While some might be inclined to give him more credit for his work in the Wachowski’s far-flung space opera, Redmayne’s criticisms of his role do come with some important caveats. 

Jennifer Hudson - Sandy Wexler

Adam Sandler is a talent who’s able to draw a wide range of actors into his orbit, and his Netflix movie Sandy Wexler was no exception. Playing a talent agent who knows a good client when he sees one, Jennifer Hudson is one of the people he rightfully tries to fast-track to fame. By no means does that proper judgment mean that this movie is something she, or most viewers, would even remember.

Hugh Jackman - Pan

Some flops crash and burn with very little trace of the wreckage. Others, like the Hugh Jackman starring Peter Pan adaptation Pan, collapse under ill-fated ambitions that don’t end up adding up in the end. But at least we got Jackman’s Captain Hook singing “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” in a totally bonkers musical number.

Pedro Pascal - Wonder Woman 1984

Pedro Pascal is almost universally recognized as one of, if not the best part of Wonder Woman 1984. That still feels like a far cry from something The Mandalorian star would even want to discuss, as its infamy is something that still echoes pretty strongly so close to its initial execution.

Dame Judi Dench - Cats

You can always count on an acting talent as iconic as Dame Judi Dench to tell it like it is. And whether it was reacting to her Razzie award nomination or the final look of her character in 2019’s Cats, she certainly hasn’t left any of her thoughts to the imagination. 

Daisy Ridley - Chaos Walking

One would probably think that Daisy Ridley would merely not want to remember Chaos Walking because of its unsuccessful bid for box office success. However, the protracted production and crazy amounts of reshoots and edits have probably ensured that the Star Wars vet has actually forgotten the ins and outs of this failed YA franchise.

Ben Kingsley - A Sound of Thunder

You don’t get to be an actor as legendary as Ben Kingsley without logging some seriously wild projects like A Sound of Thunder on your resume. This 2005 sci-fi disaster is so ill-regarded that its Game Boy video game adaptation is seen as a more favorable experience. That’s both terribly unique and just plain old terrible. 

Brendan Fraser - Monkeybone

Brendan Fraser is a lovable actor who knows how, and when, to get goofy. It’s just a shame that a project like Monkeybone never understood how to use those skills to its advantage, saddling The Mummy star with a movie that he more than likely hasn’t thought about for some time. 

Scarlett Johansson - Ghost In The Shell

There are some who might defend the live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson. Considering how much the movie has been rejected by even the source anime’s fans, and the kerfluffle that came from her casting as Major Mira Killian being seen as a bit of whitewashing, this project is probably one that the Marvel veteran would reasonably remain silent on.

Keanu Reeves - 47 Ronin

It’s not Keanu Reeves’ fault that 47 Ronin was a stinker for the ages. Although if one were to mention the movie to him in passing, he’d probably just smile and laugh, charmingly admitting defeat in that particular case of cinematic disaster. 

Will Smith - Gemini Man

What’s worse than a movie failing with one Will Smith in the starring role? Apparently, a technologically advanced picture like Gemini Man, which saw Smith playing against a CGI de-aged younger version of himself. Finally, a movie that rivals Wild Wild West for infamy on Mr. Smith’s resume.

Jack Nicholson - How Do You Know?

Jack Nicholson has been comfortably retired ever since making 2010’s How Do You Know? One has to wonder if he’d be equally as comfortable if he were to be prompted to remember the experience and the fallout that came from its release into theaters. 

As you can see, even the most talented of actors have their potential sore spots in conversation. Maybe they're not as shy about discussing these films as we'd think, and you can get a good story out of the deal. In any case, if there was a class of losers that the best and brightest of Hollywood wished they could forget, this is more than a formidable crop of titles that would fit that bill for good reason.

Many of comedy’s most esteemed legends were once part of the Saturday Night Live cast, but that does not necessarily mean that NBC’s long-running series marked the beginning of their career. Some Studio 8H veterans first cut their teeth as part of The Second City — a Chicago-based improv troupe that also served as a jumping-off point for the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and more. As for the many SNL stars who performed with Second City, we have them listed for you below.

Dan Aykroyd

Famous for co-creating the Blues Brothers and the Festrunk Brothers (arguably his single best SNL sketch), Not-Ready-For-Primetime Player Dan Aykroyd is also a veteran of Second City. In fact, the future Ghostbusters star and writer performed with the troupe in both his native Canada and Chicago.

Amy Poehler

Second City was actually just one of a few places where Amy Poehler studied improvisational comedy in the early 1990s before becoming an SNL all-star. The future Parks and Recreation cast member also trained at iO (then called ImprovOlympic) and was a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade.

Martin Short

Some of Martin Short’s funniest characters from his one-season stint on SNL actually originated from his time at Second City and on the troupe’s own sketch comedy series, SCTV. The most notable example would have to be childish pop culture obsessive, Ed Grimley.

Tina Fey

The dynamic power duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler first came to be when they performed at Second City together. Before becoming SNL’s first female head-writer, Fey also made history as a member of Second City’s first gender-equal cast.

Bill Murray

Before Bill Murray became Chevy Chase’s replacement Not-Ready-For-Primetime Player, he practiced improv at Second City. He recalled to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show that he started at the same time as John Candy and described his first-day performance as “pretty bad.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Despite her subsequent success in the Seinfeld cast, leading Veep, and other accomplishments, there are still many people who are not aware or have forgotten that Julia Louis-Dreyfus was on SNL. Even fewer people probably know about her early days studying improv at the Second City.

Rachel Dratch

During an interview with Today, Rachel Dratch — known best for playing Debbie Downer on SNL — discussed her days as part of Second City. She said — while noting how every Second City performer probably feels this way — that she believes she was part of a “golden age” for the troupe’s touring company, during which future icons like Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert were involved.

Cecily Strong

One of the few SNL stars who lasted at least 10 years on the show, Cecily Strong developed her impeccable comedic skills as part of Second City. The Emmy winner spoke to The Chicago Tribune about touring with the troupe on a cruise line of all places.

Chris Farley

Bob Odenkirk was the writer of the iconic SNL sketch in which Chris Farley first performed as motivational speaker Matt Foley at Studio 8H. However, the late comedic first introduced his character at Second City, which is where he was first discovered by SNL creator Lorne Michaels.

John Belushi

Before John Belushi made history on SNL, his rise in the comedy world began at Second City. It was at the company’s Chicago club where Belushi met Dan Aykroyd, starting a legendary partnership that led to the creation of, arguably, the best SNL-inspired movie, The Blues Brothers.

Bill Hader

Bill Hader’s experience with show business dates back to when he worked as a production assistant on the set of movies like the Arnold Schwarzenegger-led Collateral Damage, as he told Conan O’Brien once. However, it was his days performing with Second City that really paved the way for the star and co-creator of Barry to eventually join SNL.

Tim Meadows

Tim Meadows’ Second City stint began in 1989, when he began writing and performing revues like The Gods Must Be Lazy. Two years later, he began what would be a record-breaking run on SNL at the time, lasting 10 seasons, during which he made Leon “The Ladies Man” Phelps a household name.

Gilda Radner

Even before debuting on SNL (then called NBC’s Saturday Night), Gilda Radner became acquainted with fellow Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players like Dan Aykroyd as part of The Second City. It was there that she created Emily Litella, who went on to become an all-time great “Weekend Update” guest for her tendency to misunderstand the topic she was editorializing.

Mike Myers

Many of Mike Myers’ best characters who are most often associated with SNL were actually first introduced during his time with The Second City. The Canadian-born comic debuted Wayne Campbell and German talk show host Dieter as part of the troupe, specifically.

Jason Sudeikis

Jason Sudeikis actually had a fair amount of experience with improv even before he joined Second City, having trained at Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre and iO and forming J.T.S Brown early on. The future Emmy-winning Ted Lasso cast member was even a founding member of Second City’s Las Vegas branch before becoming an SNL writer in 2003 and, eventually, joining the cast.

Vanessa Bayer

As part of The Second City Touring Company, Vanessa Bayer performed in productions like Jewsical: The Musical and Girls’ Night Out: Uncensored. Soon after, she was on SNL impersonating Miley Cyrus, playing Jacob, the Bar Mitzvah Boy, and other memorable performances that eventually earned her an Emmy nomination the year she left Studio 8H.

Mary Gross

The versatile Mary Gross had a very successful run at Second City, having won a Joseph Jefferson award for her performance in the company’s revue of Well, I’m Off to the Thirty Years’ War in 1981. That same year, she joined the SNL cast, alongside fellow Second Citizen Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tim Kazurinksy, and would later star alongside other veterans in Christopher Guest’s music movie favorite, A Mighty Wind.

Tim Robinson

Tim Robinson would actually find even greater success following his SNL exit as the star of his Netflix sketch comedy series, I Think You Should Leave. His pre-SNL career involved a stint at Second City when he was just a teenager, according to Vulture.

Aidy Bryant

Aidy Bryant’s time with The Second City started when she enrolled in Columbia College’s comedy studies program, which allowed her to train full-time with the company. She would perform with Second City Theatricals on Norwegian Cruise Line alongside Cecily Strong before they both were cast on SNL in 2012.

David Koechner

After studying under iO co-founder Del Close, David Koechner — also known from the Anchorman movies and despicable The Office character, Todd Packer — joined The Second City and performed in revues in Rolling Meadows, IL. Alongside fellow future SNL performers Nancy Carell and Rachel Dratch, he performed in the company’s very first long-form improv show, “Lois Kaz.”

Alex Moffat

As a Chicago native, Alex Moffat has quite a bit of experience with the city’s improv scene, having been a part of iO, Annoyance Theatre, and, of course, The Second City. In 2016, he joined SNL and became best known for impersonating the likes of Tucker Carlson and Eric Trump during this six-year stint.

Jim Belushi

Jim Belushi followed in the footsteps of his older brother, John, by performing on SNL from 1983 to 1985, but similarities between their careers do not stop at Studio 8H. While John was a Not-Ready-For-Primetime Player, the future According to Jim star performed with Chicago’s Second City group from 1977 to 1980.

Mike O’Brien

Some might call Mike O’Brien an actor SNL never quite figured out how to use in sketches, save his funny pre-taped fake biopics, like The Jay-Z Story. Despite this, his Studio 8H stint is predated by plenty of improv studies in Chicago, including training at Second City and performing in a mainstage production of “America: All Better.”

Robin Duke

Robin Duke is one of the few SNL alums who had previously starred on The Second City’s SCTV. Her best-known work from Studio 8H is, just about, the perpetually annoying Wendy Whiner.

Chris Redd

There is actually a bit of a gap between Chris Redd’s time as a Mainstage understudy at The Second City (with which he toured both the United States and Europe) and his 2017 SNL debut. After leaving Second City, he had roles on TV shows like Empire and appeared in The Lonely Island’s 2016 mockumentary, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

Brian Doyle-Murray

Bill Murray’s older brother, Brian Doyle-Murray, is an alum of both the Toronto and Chicago branches of The Second City, having served in the troupe in the early 1970s. In the early 1980s, he was a featured player on SNL, most notably as a “Weekend Update” host. 

Tony Rosato

Tony Rosato is probably best known for playing bumbling kitchen chef Marcello on SCTV. The late, Italian-born comedian never quite achieved an SNL moment as memorable, having joined the cast during the much-maligned first season without Lorne Michaels as EP.

Horatio Sanz

Horatio Sanz became a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade with other comedians he met while taking classes at The Second City. Some of those same comedians wound up sharing the stage with him on SNL, during which he appeared in multiple sketches that did not go according to plan, sometimes due to his own laughter.

Peter Aykroyd

Peter Aykroyd briefly became an SNL cast member in 1980 after his older brother, Dan, left the show. The late Emmy-winning writer and actor also had a stint at The Second City in common with his sibling.

Jerry Minor

While living in Detroit, Jerry Minor started writing and performing with other local sketch comedy groups before getting into improv at The Second City’s mainstage. In 2000, he was cast on SNL for what would be one season, during which he, most notably, played Grand Master Rap and impersonated notable figures like Al Sharpton.

Tim Kazurinsky

Tim Kazurinsky might be better known for his time at The Second City in the 1970s than his SNL stint in the early 1980s. In fact, he might even be better known for writing movies like About Last Night and starring in the likes of Police Academy than both.

Nancy Carell

It was while they were both performing for The Second City where a woman then known as Nancy Walls met her future husband, Steve Carell. However, between the two of them, she was one who became an SNL cast member for a year in 1995.

While a spot on SNL is something most aspiring comedians long for, it is still an amazing honor to have The Second City as their first gig.

The Parks and Rec cast by itself is legendary. Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Rob Lowe, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott and more served as regulars on the series for years, and to this day their characters are beloved. However, what made this show even more special was its constant stream of guest stars played by living legends. Everyone from Bill Murray to Michelle Obama to Ben Schwartz appeared on the NBC classic, and today, we’re here to talk about them. 

Paul Rudd

Now, I know we love Paul Rudd for his movies, but we also need to appreciate his brilliant work as Bobby Newport on Parks and Rec. During Season 4, the actor joined the cast to play the man running against Leslie Knope for a city council position. Overall, Bobby is childish, not smart and spoiled, and Rudd plays this silly idiot brilliantly. 

Bill Murray

Obviously, Bill Murray’s funniest roles include iconic characters like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day and Dr. Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters. However, his guest spot on Parks and Rec was unexpected and incredibly memorable. I write this because, for one episode in Season 7, the Saturday Night Live legend played Walter Gunderson, the dead mayor of Pawnee. 

Kathryn Hahn

Playing the cutthroat campaign manager Jen Barkley, Kathryn Hahn made a glorious (and a smidge evil) impact on Parks and Rec. She played a cutthroat manager who worked for Bobby Newport at first, and across ten episodes she popped in from time to time to both help and harm Leslie’s political career. 

Ben Schwartz 

Arguably, Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is one of the best recurring guest stars in Parks and Rec history. The rich boy who is friends with Tom is ridiculous, scammy and he’s constantly trying to flirt with everyone and sing whenever he can. While he’s 100% the worst, he’s also totally not “the WORRRRRRSSSSSTTTT,” if you know what I mean.  

Jenny Slate

In a stroke of perfect casting, Jenny Slate popped into Parks and Rec to play Jean-Ralphio’s sister Mona Lisa Saperstein. The siblings truly are the most chaotic duo, however, they’re also the two of the funniest extra side characters the sitcom has to offer. Just don’t fall for it when they ask for “money please!”

Henry Winkler

After getting to know Jean-Ralphio and Mona Lisa, we meet their father, Lu Saperstein in Season 6. Played brilliantly by Henry Winkler, the patriarch of the Saperstein family is a successful doctor who is willing to go to any financial length to help his kids. 

Sam Elliott

In the later seasons of the show, we met the Eagleton Parks Department. Ironically, each member of that crew matched up with a member of the Parks and Rec cast, and when it came to picking someone to play Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson’s counterpart, they cast Sam Elliott as Ron Dunn. While they both have legendary mustaches and an appreciation for the outdoors, that’s where the similarities stop, and seeing Ron and Anti-Ron go head-to-head was hilarious. 

Joe Biden

Leslie loves her politicians and had a massive crush on then-Vice President Joe Biden. As an engagement gift, Ben decided to give her the perfect present and prove that he’s the ideal man, by coordinating a meet and greet between Leslie and Joe Biden.

Patton Oswalt

When Leslie tries to change Pawnee’s charter to get rid of some silly laws – like throwing a Ted into a lake – Garth Blundin makes his disapproval clear. Patton Oswalt plays the historian, and he challenges Amy Poehler’s character to a filibuster and a day of living like a colonial person. Ultimately, he and Leslie find common ground, and he joins forces with her to help preserve the laws…he also volunteers to get thrown in the lake.

Michelle Obama

As Leslie tries to figure out if she should take a job at the National Parks Department and leave Pawnee, Michelle Obama comes in to tell her about why she should take it. Let’s just say if I met the First Lady, I think I’d be just as star-struck as Leslie Knope. How could you not stumble over your words if you casually bumped into the First Lady of the United States?

Bo Burnham

Some of the funniest stand-up on Netflix comes from Bo Burnham, and in his special Make Happy, he sings a “Country Song” that pokes fun at the cliches in the genre and how some artists are masters at pandering to their audiences. On Parks and Rec, he worked with that idea as well by playing country singer Chipp McCapp who Leslie and Andy tried to hire for a performance at the Unity Concert. His songs like “Beautiful Like My Mom (Support the Troops)” were truly hilarious, and they complimented the stand-up comedian's sense of humor very well. 

John McCain

Parks and Rec knows how to do a political cameo, and one of the best ones came when Leslie didn’t even realize she’d just met John McCain in a coat closet. She was so distraught over interacting with #4 and #26 on Leslie’s list of amazing women, that she didn’t even notice she was speaking with the senator. 

Megan Mullally

You know chaos mode has been activated when Ron’s second ex-wife Tammy II enters the chat. She’s constantly trying to simultaneously take Ron down and get back together with her, and his efforts to avoid it are truly hilarious. However, what really makes this dynamic duo so hysterical and one of the best recurring inside jokes on Parks and Rec is the fact that Tammy II is played by Nick Offerman’s real-life wife Megan Mullally. 

Will Forte

Amy Poehler and Will Forte were both in some of SNL’s best casts, and it was such a treat to see them reunite on Parks and Rec. In his episode, Forte played Kelly, a man who really wants to get the Twilight books put in Pawnee’s town time capsule. When Leslie refuses and then agrees, it starts an outcry over what can and can’t go in the capsule via a chaotic town meeting. 

Jon Hamm

According to Leslie, Jon Hamm’s Ed is the “most incompetent person I’ve ever worked with.” He worked for our leading lady when she was at the National Parks Department, and he was swiftly fired by her not long after we met him. 

John Cena

In an epic episode of Andy’s show, the Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show, Burt Macklin, FBI, arrested John Cena – who was wearing so much of his own WWE merch – and took him to the dunk tank. Talk about a dream come true for Andy and viewers.

Keegan-Michael Key

There’s no question that all our hearts grew a few sizes when Donna married Keegan-Michael Key’s Joe. The comedian played the “Treat yo’ self’ queen’s boyfriend-turned-husband in Seasons 6 and 7, and it’s safe to say that we all adored this music teacher. 

Bradley Whitford

Considering Parks and Rec is a show about government and Rob Lowe is one of its stars, it made perfect sense for a West Wing cast member to pop into the sitcom. It was done perfectly too, because the team brought in Josh himself, as Bradley Whitford played Councilman Pillner, the man Leslie replaces on City Council and a model boat enthusiast. 

J.K. Simmons

Remember Ice Town? Well, Ben’s hometown of Partridge and J.K. Simmons’ Mayor Stice sure do. And that became clear as day when an episode of Parks went back to Adam Scott’s character’s hometown so he could get a key to the city, which ended up just being melted water in a box…because Ice Town. 

Patricia Clarkson

While Megan Mullally’s Tammy II is truly unhinged and chaotic, Tammy I is cold, calculated, and manipulative. She’s played by Patricia Clarkson, and she really adds to the hilarious chaos that is Ron Swanson’s love life. 

Andy Samberg

Back when Andy Samberg was still on Saturday Night Live and before he led his own sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he guest starred on Parks and Rec as the incredibly loud Park Ranger Carl. During Season 2, Leslie worked with Carl on a few issues of Parks security, and let's just say that she “might not be so confident, when [she has to] walk a mile in [Carl’s]  size sevens.” 

Rachel Dratch

In the final season of Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler’s Saturday Night Live co-star Rachel Dratch appeared as Roz Pinwheel, the nanny of Leslie and Ben’s triplets. While a small role, it was such a nice (and funny) nod to the two comedians' time together on the legendary sketch comedy show.

Nick Kroll

If you were looking to get humiliated on the radio look no further than "The Douche." This hilarious and terrible radio host was played by the mastermind behind one of the best animated shows, Big Mouth, Nick Kroll, and anytime he showed up to host a radio spot on the series, you knew something wild was about to go down.

Chelsea Peretti

While Leslie ran for City Council, April filled in for her one time, and during one of her seminars Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Chelsea Peretti showed up as one of the attendees, Zelda. Fun fact: before Peretti was part of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast, she actually wrote two episodes of Parks and Rec, which helps explain her lil cameo in the series. 

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell was quite literally the perfect person to play Leslie Knope’s Eagleton councilwoman counterpart, Ingrid de Forest. It turns out, Bell was born to thrive on a comedy like this, because after Parks and Rec, she went on to lead the cast of The Good Place, which was Michael Schur’s next show after Parks.  

Dax Shepard

When Tom decides to become Andy’s manager as he works on Johnny Karate, they have a run-in with Hank Muntak, a TV executive in Pawnee who is played by Dax Shepard. Before this guest spot, the actor had spent a lot of time on NBC as one of the stars of Parenthood, these days you can find him hosting his podcast Armchair Expert. 

Will Arnett

Before Leslie meets and falls in love with Ben, she goes on some wildly terrible dates, including one with MRI technician Chris. At the time, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett were actually married (they’re divorced now), making this blind date even funnier because they were a real-life couple too. 

Sean Hayes

Bobby Wood was Indianapolis’ best talk show host, and he was played by Sean Hayes. As television appearances tend to go for Leslie and co. her interview with him didn’t exactly go well, and both comedic actors were so funny in the moment. 

Fred Armisen

You can always count on Fred Armisen to play the wildest goofy guys, and he did exactly that on Parks and Recreation. In the episode “Sister City,” the SNL vet appeared as Raul Alejandro Bastilla Pedro de Veloso de Maldonado, the Venezuelan officer who came to represent his city on a trip to Pawnee. 

Tatiana Maslany

Tom Haverford’s love life was always a funny point of interest on Parks and Rec, especially because it was only brought up occasionally. For instance, in Season 6, he had a short-lived relationship with Tatiana Maslany’s Nadia Stasky, a doctor who eventually left Pawnee and moved to Rwanda.  

Parker Posey

Indie darling Parker Posey came on to Parks and Rec to play Lindsay Carlisle Shay. The character was Leslie’s counterpart from Eagleton, meaning she was the Deputy Parks Director in Pawnee’s fancy rival town. The twist here was that Lindsay was actually Leslie’s friend and went behind her back a long time ago to take the job in Eagleton. 

Jason Schwartzman

Jason Schwartzman’s role in Parks and Rec presented an interesting issue for Pawnee when he decided to turn his video rental store into an adult store. Watching Leslie flounder as she figured out how to help the character played by the Asteroid City star was so funny, and the character of Dennis was perfect for Schwartzman.  

Honestly, the guest stars from Parks and Rec are next level. From comedy geniuses to beloved dramatic actors, so many notable names took a quick trip to Pawnee, Indiana and I love that for them, this wonderful show and us. 

As the 2024 movie schedule moves forward, there’s still plenty of time to bust some ghosts in theaters. The recently released Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues the 40-year-old franchise originated by Ivan Reitman’s original classic. As a result, it also feels like the prime time to give some advice to the next generation of ghostbusters and seekers of the paranormal. And that’s just what cast members like Bill Murray and Paul Rudd did during a premiere event that’s going viral on TikTok. 

Through interviews on the red carpet of Frozen Empire, both of the two aforementioned actors were being helpful mentors for a potential future Ghostbuster of the world. And, as you’ll see below, there’s even appearances by co-stars Patton Oswalt and Ernie Hudson that only further liven things up. Check out the stars being incredibly sweet and giving out advice to one lucky kid:

There’s quite a bit to unpack from watching this video of well-meaning wisdom, which honestly seems warmer than the critical reactions to Frozen Empire. Both Paul Rudd and Bill Murray are obviously the bigger jokesters of this group, providing some fun stories about spectral encounters they’ve engaged in. And, in those particular instances, there’s an importance on kindness and polite reaction that’s voiced in their recollections. 

Meanwhile, I find it hard to believe that Patton Oswalt is actively avoided by ghosts. Given that he's someone who has literally helped publish three years worth of a Halloween-themed short story collection known as “The Ghost Box,” I’m not ready to believe that the supernatural doesn’t interact with the Ratatouille legend. Unless supernatural entities are prone to being starstruck; in which case I can totally see that. 

But perhaps the most awesome chat in this reel has to be the one between the young reporter from Recess Therapy and franchise OG Ernie Hudson. Despite Hudson’s complicated Ghostbusters history, the man is extremely gracious about both his past and present experiences with the series, and he’s not afraid to speak at length on either. So to see him tell the young man in front of him that he looks like a future Ghostbuster is extremely heartwarming, especially after 2021's Afterlife gave Winston Zeddemore the character upgrade he so richly deserved.

While we wait to see if a third Ghostbusters legacy-quel gets the greenlight, future applicants for the world of paranormal investigation definitely do need to apply. And, with the Frozen Empire cast dishing out this advice, the crucial first steps are just waiting to be taken by any and all aspiring heroes. (Also, any friendly ghost up for a friendly chat, please contact Patton Oswalt, as the dude’s a good hang.) 

You can head to a theater near you to see what this legacy franchise has up its sleeve this time around, but feel free to check out our Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire review if you want more of a taste of what to expect. Also, if you have a Hulu subscription with the Live TV add-on, you can also revisit Afterlife, as it's currently showing and streaming through FX. 

As much as we like to see Hollywood as a dream factory, some projects can be total nightmares. Maybe people realize that fact during production, or maybe it’s a big case of hindsight providing 20/20 vision; but eventually there comes a time when an entertainer decides that their own movie is the enemy. For one reason or another, the list we’re about to share with you is a bunch of cases where that sort of takedown was warranted by the talent that had to endure making them in the first place. 

Jamie Lee Curtis - Virus

No matter how many times the 1999 sci-fi horror movie Virus comes up, it seems that Jamie Lee Curtis has a colorful variety of responses that detail just how flat-out horrible the finished product was. And depending on which interview you read, the language can get just as cheeky, so reader discretion is definitely advised. 

Michael Caine - Jaws: The Revenge

If you ever want a lesson in destroying a cinematic turkey with great wit and class, look up Michael Caine’s remarks on Jaws: The Revenge. Simultaneously admitting he’d never watched the film, but loved the personal enrichment that came from it, it’s one of the best moments of Sir Michael’s legendary charm at work.

Charlize Theron - Reindeer Games

How bad is the perennial punchline Reindeer Games? Well, if you ask Charlize Theron like Esquire did back in 2008, the Ben Affleck co-starring film is "a bad, bad, bad movie." So that question's pretty much asked and answered. 

George Clooney - Batman and Robin

George Clooney’s continued Batman regrets will never stop being entertaining. Playing that very DC hero in 1997’s Batman & Robin, the infamously campy Joel Schumacher picture holds a very special place in the ER veteran’s heart; and it’s one of intensely self-deprecating comedy. 

Katherine Heigl - Knocked Up

The story about Katherine Heigl and her apparent lack of love for Knocked Up is one that’s circulated pretty much since Judd Apatow’s 2008 comedy mega-hit landed. However, it seems that years after the star seemed to slam her own movie, Heigl’s 2016 comments on the matter painted a different picture.

Christopher Plummer - The Sound of Music

How an actor like the late great Christopher Plummer could grow to despise a musical like The Sound of Music is still a mystery. Well, it’s puzzling in the sense that his apparent criticism of its sentimental and emotional nature feels a bit rough. Despite his misgivings, the Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation remains one of Christopher Plummer’s best roles. 

Sally Field - The Amazing Spider-Man

Comic book movies aren’t for everyone, and The Amazing Spider-Man’s Sally Field admitted just that when talking about her role as Andrew Garfield’s Aunt May. Field’s reason for taking the role as a favor to her friend, late producer Laura Ziskin, is still sweet. But digging into Sally’s comments about the Marvel role, it would seem that there isn’t enough money in the Multiverse to bring the Academy Award winner back for any hypothetical follow-ups.

Edward Norton - The Italian Job

One of the most infamous stories of modern movie feuds, Edward Norton’s reluctance to play the villain in The Italian Job remake came down to two words: contractual obligations. As Observer covered in the lead-up to the movie’s production, Norton fulfilled his duties; but did so while taking every chance to put the project down. 

Jessica Alba - Fantastic Four

When your director tells you that CGI tears are better than the actual waterworks you’re providing on set, to say things are problematic is a bit of an understatement. That’s the scenario that Jessica Alba faced on Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which she revealed to Elle Magazine (via Today) as the reason she almost quit acting. 

Bill Murray - Garfield: The Movie

Confusion is something that even a legendary comedian like Bill Murray can admit to falling into from time to time. It just so happens that one of those times saw the legacy cast member of Ghostbusters accidentally assume one of The Coen Bros. wrote Garfield: The Movie. Thankfully for Murray, he only had to make one sequel before the franchise shifted gears to another iteration.

Jennifer Lawrence - Passengers

When Adele tells you to skip a movie like Passengers, that’s a sign you should take to heart. Unfortunately, Jennifer Lawrence ignored this advice, and what resulted was a movie that is as questionable as it is baffling. On the plus side, hearing Ms. Lawrence trash that movie means that the project is technically a valuable source of entertainment.

Channing Tatum - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

We’ve all kind of known that Channing Tatum despises G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; and rightfully so. But just how horrible was the man’s opinion of this past franchise starter? Well, not only did he pass on this project seven times, but when G.I. Joe: Retaliation came about, Tatum requested to be killed off in that very sequel. 

Viola Davis - The Help

Despite the contemporary hoopla that saw The Help become an Academy Awards darling at 2012’s Oscars, Viola Davis’ opinion on the movie is far from golden. Indeed, the project has become more and more scrutinized as time goes on, and Davis’ upset with the movie has only developed more nuance over time. 

Ryan Reynolds - Green Lantern

Even if you knew nothing about Ryan Reynolds starring in the much-maligned Green Lantern adaptation, his dislike for the picture is legendary. Especially when part of Deadpool 2’s wild time travel-correcting ending saw the Marvel anti-hero icing his reality-bound actor before even getting to make the film. 

Halle Berry - Catwoman

The downside to Halle Berry being in Catwoman is that she, unfortunately, had to actually make the movie. However, the upside to this painful experience is that Berry’s quips and jabs at her unfortunate DC Comics entry continue to show her impeccable sense of humor. 

Oscar Isaac - X-Men: Apocalypse

While Oscar Isaac doesn’t outright disown his X-Men movie, he does express serious regret for taking on the titular role in X-Men: Apocalypse. Though if you were cast to act up against James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, only to have your abilities hampered by an abundance of prosthetics, you’d probably be pretty steamed too. 

Dame Judi Dench - Cats

Not many actors would consider a Razzie nomination entertaining, or even valid. But then again, Cats' Dame Judi Dench isn't "most actors." Proud to have not seen the film, or read its reviews, the famed performer laughed off her own nomination, and even compared her character's final look to a bunch of foxes engaged in some not-so-family-friendly activity. 

Matt Damon - The Bourne Ultimatum

For as much cultural cache as the Jason Bourne movies still have in the world, it’s kind of astounding that the subpar reaction to some of the sequels doesn’t seem to have dampened that pedigree. That’s an especially good question after Matt Damon’s trashing of The Bourne Ultimatum script somehow didn’t prevent the worst sin that franchise has committed, 2016’s Jason Bourne. 

Megan Fox - Transformers

Megan Fox’s relationship with the Transformers franchise saw her putting the Hasbro toy franchise on blast after the release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. More specifically, her comments comparing Michael Bay to Hitler allegedly helped distance her even further from the series that she apparently has no particular love for. 

Matthew Goode - Leap Year

In remarks to The Telegraph about his role in the rom-com Leap Year, Matthew Goode fully admitted that the Amy Adams starring vehicle wasn’t exactly ideal for his tastes. Taking a page out of Michael Caine’s proverbial book on silver linings, Goode did admit that one of the reasons he did enjoy being part of the project was the fact that he could go home easily on the weekends. 

Kate Winslet - Titanic

While the world fell in love with Kate Winslet after her role in Titanic, the actor herself didn’t exactly love watching herself put in, what she feels, was a performance full of errors. Even in a legacy interview with CNN, Winslet criticized everything, even her American accent.  

Mark Wahlberg - Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights was a star making performance for Mark Wahlberg, and to this day it’s a role that’s aged well on his resume. And yet, Wahlberg has asked God to forgive him for making the Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece, regarding it the biggest mistake of his career. 

Michelle Pfeiffer - Grease 2

Allegedly, Michelle Pfeiffer was cited to have chalked up her experience with Grease 2 as a case of being young and not knowing how to pick a good script. While those stories persist, Pfieffer has apparently started to set the record straight, attributing her supposed Grease sequel bashing to misreported remarks that grew a life of their own.

Sir Alec Guinness - Star Wars

While Sir Alec Guinness’ reaction to watching Star Wars was one of being refreshed, his outlook on taking the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn’t as rosy. Actually making George Lucas’ sci-fi opus was a different story, with Guinness’ on-set feelings seeing the legendary actor less than pleased in the middle of production.

Miriam Margolyes - The Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter fans have been a frequent source of discussion for actor Miriam Margolyes. The performer who brought Madame Sprout to live in the film adaptation of the series not only has no personal connection with the franchise but she’s also shared some thoughts on adult Potter fans that have kicked up more dirt than one of her Herbology classes.

Sylvester Stallone - Stop, Or My Mom Will Shoot!

The widely reported story of how Sylvester Stallone became the action lead in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! is thanks to his feud with action star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Apparently, Arnie tricked him into thinking he wanted the movie, which led Stallone to lobby for the part, and win it. His enduring torment can still be heard to this day, and Sly has even suggested the film as a form of interrogation enhancement. Yikes.

Dakota Johnson - Madame Web

Madame Web seems to be an experience that barely anyone enjoyed, even the actors who starred in the movie. Dakota Johnson’s skewering of the finished product, while extremely erudite and empathetic towards herself and the rest of the cast, cuts to the core problems that some feel superhero movies have possessed since day one. 

Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Out of all the Harry Potter movies Daniel Radcliffe has fronted, the one that comes in as his least favorite is the sixth entry, The Half Blood Prince. Radcliffe called his own performance “one-note,” especially when compared to his own personal favorite: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Jennifer Aniston - Leprechaun

Jennifer Aniston’s performance in Leprechaun makes her cringe to this day. So much so that in a 2019 interview on The Howard Stern Show, she mentioned that she tried and failed to stop her then-boyfriend Justin Theroux from watching the film; much to her dismay. 

Brad Pitt - The Devil’s Own

“20 pages of dog…” You can fill that phrase in for yourself, but Brad Pitt’s Newsweek interview about 1997’s The Devil’s Own said all that needed to be said about the actor’s feelings for the Harrison Ford co-starring drama. 

Sandra Bullock - Speed 2: Cruise Control

Some experience will stick with you, no matter how hard you try. Sandra Bullock’s no-sequel rule was an echo of such a trauma, thanks to her displeasure with Speed 2: Cruise Control. Admittedly, her concerns about a large cruise ship not being as perceptively speedy as a city bus were part of the equation as well, and can you blame her? 

Robert Pattinson - Twilight

Robert Pattinson’s hate affair with the Twilight Saga is as well-documented as the memes that have committed the franchise’s dialogue to memory. Thankfully, the man didn’t develop an aversion to bats, otherwise The Batman wouldn’t have happened; which is probably one of the best things that actually came out of Twilight when you think about it.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed this trip in the trenches with stars who had to tell it like it is. Judging by some of the movies mentioned here, it might be safe to say that for the most part, these reactions were spot on. But if you’re ever wondering why a movie you're fond of might be slammed by an actor or entertainer involved, keep these tales of woe in mind, and try not to take it too personally.

While winter frost is giving way over to springtime sun here in the real world, fictional New York City is about to go through a cold front like no other in Sony’s latest specter-vexing horror comedy sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. The titular squad is facing a lineup of supernatural threats that falls more in line with the influential animated series, with the Afterlife characters more formally teaming up with the O.G. squad, including Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman. Along with the familiar quips, fans can possibly expect to see a more pained expression on the actor’s face while lugging around those iconic proton packs.

For the sake of realism in a movie filled with CGI, it’s understandable that franchise directors Ivan Reitman, Paul Feig, Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan didn’t want to have the actors wearing proton packs made purely out of foam or other light materials, so that there was some weight behind their movements. But as Bill Murray described it when the cast guested on CBS This Morning, the packs were a major lowlight of the return. 

To be sure, his answer to Gayle King started off positively enough after she asked him his thoughts about the sequel compared to how he felt the first time around. In his words:

When asked to clarify what he meant by the "pain" side of it, Bill Murray didnt' exactly hesitate before namechecking the proton backs as a source of foul feelings. He continued:

Just as telling as Bill Murray actually speaking the words is Dan Aykroyd’s reaction to his comments, with the Ray Stantz portrayer sitting on the couch with his lips pinched in a tight smile, nodding ever so slightly in agreement. 

I remember having the proton pack and blaster toy as a kid, and even that small-scale version was pretty miserable for a child’s back, with the hard and unforgiving plastic grinding on the shoulder blades as the bottom kept smacking my tailbone. So I can only imagine that the fully loaded versions would be even more hard-angled and hefty, especially for the actors who haven’t really needed to get regularly decked out with the packs since the second film.

As miserable and torturous as it may have been for Bill Murray, I can’t help but feel like the fandom will make it feel like it was worth the effort. The new movie looks massive, with even more returning O.G. stars like Annie Potts, whose Janine suits up along with the others, as well as the return of Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd, whose comments about driving the Ecto-1 have me pumped about seeing it all on the big screen. Check out the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire trailer below, which also works in the non-corporeal return of the Librarian Ghost.

Without any padded proton packs to be found, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hits theaters on Friday, March 22, with lots of other upcoming horror movies to get spooked by throughout the 2024 movie schedule.

It has been over 20 years since the release of Lost In Translation, and it is widely considered to be one of the best films of the 2000s. The critically-acclaimed 2003 Sofia Coppola-directed film stars Bill Murray as Bob, an aging American actor who finds his star power to be dimming, so he ends up traveling to Japan to participate in commercials. At the hotel he’s staying at, he meets Charlotte, played by Scarlett Johansson, who has accompanied her photographer husband on a trip.

The two lonely individuals spend time together throughout their trip and form an unlikely friendship. The film has remained a favorite of many and is accepted as one of Sofia Coppola’s best directing feats. However, some have gotten stuck on the ending, with many questioning what Murray’s character may have said in the last scene. 

What Happens At The End Of Lost In Translation

After developing a bond with Charlotte throughout his stay in Japan, the time comes when Bob’s commercial duties in Tokyo come to an end and he must depart. On his way to the airport in a taxi, he sees Charlotte walking down the street. He asks the car to pull over and he approaches her in the street. They embrace and he whispers something to her that is inaudible to audiences. We only hear Charlotte say “Okay” after Bob has finished speaking. They share a quick kiss and say goodbye before going their separate ways. 

The moment is incredibly sweet, and while there is a significant age difference between our lead actors, their bond is undeniable and special. The way Johannson plays the scene is perfect, and probably should’ve earned the Marriage Story actress an Oscar nomination. The whisper itself feels so intimate and personal even though it is done on a public walkway. People have also had theories over the years about what Murray said in the moment that prompted the kiss from Johannson’s character. This has led to the Lost In Translation ending being one of the most widely-debated cliffhanger endings.

What People Think Bill Murray Whispered

While the sound is unintelligible, fans have tried different audio tricks with technology to try and figure out what Murray may have said to the Charlotte character. One viral YouTube clip that played around with the audio insists that Murray said: “I have to be leaving but I won’t let that come between us. Okay?” This is accepted by some, but even with the audio changed, it’s really hard to decipher if the remixed Lost In Translation audio reveals anything at all. Also, Johansson herself seemed to debunk this in an interview with Yahoo! where she said:

However, I think the best answer to the age-old mystery is the answer given by filmmaker Coppola herself, who claims that nothing was said at all. She explained to Far Out Magazine in 2022 that the scene was shot on the last day of filming Lost In Translation, and the original plan was to add in words in post-production before ending up deciding to just keep in the unintelligible whispering. The director explained:

There may not have been actual impactful words said by an actor in the scene, but within the context of the movie, whatever Bob says to Charlotte means the world to her, and leads to a beautiful moment between the characters. I’d like to think he said something about how much their shared experience meant to him, or how he will always remember her. Maybe he asked her to reconnect with him when she returned to America.

We will truly never know, but it is somehow fitting that possibly the most important line in the film remains “Lost In Translation.”

Few upcoming 2024 movies have me excited to hit the theater more than Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the star-studded follow-up to Ghostbusters: Afterlife that will welcome back even more familiar faces than the prior sequel did. And the latest full-length preview builds upon all the awesomeness of the first trailer, while also teasing a few more surprises that are on the way. And that includes a returning “character” that I absolutely didn’t expect to see again: the librarian ghost. 

The trailer, which can be viewed above, features roughly 400 characters of both the human and ectoplasmic variety — a rough numerical estimation — and I can’t wait to see most of them again. (Here’s glaring at you, Walter Peck, although I’m obviously pumped as all get out to see William Atherton’s scruffy face back in the Ghostbusters universe.) 

But while we knew Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon and the other Afterlife stars would be back alongside the O.G. vets like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, I somehow didn’t anticipate more returning faves from the spiritual realm. How naive of me. Now please join me in whispering a hearty welcome back to the Ghost of Eleanor Twitty, otherwise known as The Gray Lady, otherwise known as the Librarian Ghost.

One might be inclined to think this is just a shot pulled from the first movie, but the actual look of the effects makes it clear this is new footage. Not to mention the shot of older Ray Stantz freaking out down one of the book aisles. 

You know who also looks like they could have been pulled out of the first movie and into this sequel without any time passing? Annie Potts' Janine. 

Okay, I guess it's obvious the Ghostbusters' dutiful assistant aged as much as anyone, but the blue glasses and short hair are a timeless combo. Plus she's seen in full uniform in the trailer, which is an awesome upgrade.

The trailer also brings back everyone's favorite clan of Stay Puff mini-mallows, who are as adorable as ever, and the franchise's sloppiest ghoul also makes a slishy-sloshy return as well, much to the disgust of Wolfhard's Trevor Spengler. 

In the new movie, which was inspired heavily by the animated series, the Spengler family will be uprooting from Oklahoma and making the journey to New York City, where they'll get acquainted with the iconic firehouse while helping the original Ghostbusters with their top-secret research lab. But their latest efforts may not be enough to combat the latest evil force threatening the world at large, which aims to bring the planet into a second Ice Age. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will hit theaters on Friday, March 22, so have your proton-pack-shaped popcorn buckets (not very handy) ready to go. Check out all the upcoming horror movies to sate your fear hunger until then.

How many times have you watched an incredible acting performance and looked up to see how many awards it won only to find out that the Oscar went to someone else that year? It’s shocking how many times this has happened over the years for some of the greatest actors and actresses of all time. Here are 32 times an incredible performance didn’t win an Academy Award for one reason or another.

Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

Though he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson’s name wasn’t called at the 67th Academy Awards. This is nothing against Martin Landau’s performance from Ed Wood, but Jackson’s foul-mouthed and righteous hitman is an all-time great character that should have been recognized.

Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver)

Robert De Niro received an Oscar nomination for his career-defining portrayal of Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese’s 1977 psychological thriller, Taxi Driver, but the unhinged and memorable performance wasn’t enough to win Best Actor. It’s hard to be mad, as Peter Finch’s Academy Award-winning turn in Network is the stuff of legend.

Harrison Ford (Witness)

One of the best actors without an Oscar, Harrison Ford has only one Academy Award nomination to his name, the 1985 crime thriller, Witness. Though not Ford’s most iconic character, his take on Philadelphia detective John Book as he goes to great lengths to protect a young boy is nothing short of amazing.

Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)

Morgan Freeman gave the performance of a lifetime as Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding in The Shawshank Redemption. If the movie would have come out any other time besides 1994, a year dominated by Forrest Gump, there’s a good chance the aging prisoner and accomplished smuggler would have earned Freeman an Oscar.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

Bill Murray’s portrayal of cynical, washed-up actor Bob Harris in Lost in Translation will forever be one of the comedian’s most beloved roles. While Sean Penn’s performance in Mystic River is more than deserving of an Oscar, it’s a shame the iconic comedian didn’t get properly recognized for a once-in-a-decade showing.

Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)

Whoopi Goldberg showed off a more dramatic side with her lauded portrayal of Celie Harris-Johnson in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of The Color Purple. It’s absurd that the emotional, dynamic, and powerful performance didn’t win Goldberg a much-deserved Oscar, which went to Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful, instead.

Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List)

Schindler’s List features one of the best Ralph Fiennes performances with his portrayal of Nazi work camp commandant Amon Goeth in Steven Spielberg’s 1993-defining film. And while the movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Fiennes’ unforgettable turn was not among them. Instead, he lost out to Tommy Lee Jones from The Fugitive.

Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)

If you’re looking for one of the best New York City movies, Tootsie has you covered. If you’re looking for a movie featuring an acting performance that should have won an Oscar but didn’t, Sydney Pollack’s 1982 comedy has you covered there as well. Seriously, how Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Michael Dorsey wasn't awarded is something we just don’t get.

Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)

Denzel Washington eventually won a Best Actor Oscar for his unforgettable turn in Training Day, but the actor was robbed nearly a decade earlier after not winning the big prize for his take on the titular Civil Rights leader in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X.

Florence Pugh (Little Women)

Florence Pugh was already a rising star at the time of Little Women’s release, but her portrayal of Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age drama took her to new heights. Though she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, Pugh lost out to Laura Dern from Marriage Story.

Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained)

Here’s something wild to think about – Jamie Foxx not only didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in Django Unchained, he wasn’t even nominated for Best Actor. Admittedly, it was a stacked list of actors – Daniel Day-Lewis, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Denzel Washington – but not even being named is just something.

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

The Wrestler felt like Mickey Rourke’s big redemption arc, more so than the character he portrayed in Darren Aronofsky’s great wrestling movie. Despite pushing himself to the breaking point from both a physical and emotional standpoint, Rourke lost out to Sean Penn’s take on Harvey Milk in Milk.

Michael Keaton (Birdman)

Michael Keaton gave the performance of a lifetime in the 2014 mind-bending drama film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), one that seemed to channel the actor’s past in such a way it felt like an autobiography. However, stealing the show as Riggan Thomson, a.k.a., Birdman, wasn’t enough, as the prize went to The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne instead.

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Saoirse Ronan has been nominated for an Oscar on four separate occasions, but not a single win, which is something. One of the performances that deserved an Academy Award the most was that of Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. The portrayal of a confused high school senior on the verge of entering the next stage in her life lost out to Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Tim Curry (Clue)

Tim Curry’s portrayal of Wadsworth in Clue, a butler or undercover FBI agent depending on which ending you watch, is a role that is beloved by fans of the classic murder mystery comedy. However, it wasn’t recognized at the Academy Awards or other ceremonies, which is the real crime.

Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

Rosamund Pike’s take on Amy Elliott-Dunne earned the sole Academy Award nomination for David Fincher’s Gone Girl, a nod that was more than deserved. However, the incredibly nuanced and dynamic performance failed to win the Best Actress Oscar, which went to Still Alice’s Julianne Moore instead.

Jimmy Stewart (Rear Window)

Jimmy Stewart is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors of all time and his portrayal of L. B. "Jeff" Jefferies in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is one of the his top-tier performances. However, his take on an injured photographer who uncovers a murder mystery didn’t even get a nod at the Academy Awards.

Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

Kate Winslet gave one of her most powerful and unique performances in the 2004 sci-fi dramedy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Her take on Clementine Kruczynski, a woman who had all memories of her ex-boyfriend wiped from her brain, was rich, beautiful, and iconic, but just wasn’t enough to win Best Actress.

Al Pacino (The Godfather)

Al Pacino put himself on the map with his portrayal of reluctant crime boss Michael Corleone in The Godfather. The gradual evolution of the character over the course of the film’s three-hour runtime should have been enough for an Oscar, but like co-stars James Caan and Robert Duvall, who were also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, he didn’t get the win.

Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard)

Gloria Swanson’s "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." line from Sunset Boulevard is one of the most iconic quotes in all of Hollywood and part of an Oscar-worthy performance. While Swanson was nominated for her take on aging film star Norma Desmond, she didn’t take home the top prize.

Jack Nicholson (The Shining)

Though considered one of Jack Nicholson’s best roles, his portrayal of Jack Torrance in The Shining didn’t result in an Oscar win. In fact, Nicholson wasn’t even nominated for the unforgettable performance. 

John Cazale (The Godfather Part II)

John Cazale’s Fredo Corleone in The Godfather Part II is one of cinema’s great tragic figures as well as one of the late actor’s best characters. What’s even more of a travesty is the fact that the late actor didn’t even receive an Oscar nomination for his efforts. Tragically, Cazale would never receive an Academy Award nomination prior to his shocking death in 1978.

Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It?)

Angela Bassett received her first Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Go to Do with It?, but the miraculous turn as one of American music’s most famous and influential figures didn’t earn her a Best Actress win. 

Edward Norton (American History X)

Reformed neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard is one of Edward Norton’s most controversial and complex characters of his career, and the American History X performance earned him a Best Actor nod at the 71st Academy Awards. However, Roberto Benigni from Life Is Beautiful ran away with the top acting prize.

Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca)

Somehow, Ingrid Bergman, who was astonishing as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca, not only didn’t win Best Actress at the 16th Academy Awards, she wasn’t even nominated for her iconic portrayal of a woman caught between two men and two different lives in the 1943 black-and-white classic.

Paul Giamatti (Sideways)

In a perfect world, Paul Giamatti would have won the Oscar for Best Actor in Alexander Payne’s Sideways, but alas, that is not the reality in which we live. Miles Raymond is one of Giamiatti’s best characters and carried the movie about two friends on a wine trip they’ll never forget.

Henry Fonda (12 Angry Men)

An amazing courtroom drama, 12 Angry Men is still arguably one of the best movies of all time. While its star, Henry Fonda, received a Best Picture nomination as a producer, his dynamic and rich portrayal of a juror who insisted on getting things right didn’t earn him an acting nod, which is a real miscarriage of justice.

John Goodman (The Big Lebowski)

You can add John Goodman to the list of great actors who have never received an Oscar nomination, which just doesn’t make sense. It’s especially maddening when you consider his legendary portrayal of Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski, a character loosely based on John Milius, per Far Out Magazine.

Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line)

Joaquin Phoenix has since won an Oscar, but his portrayal of Johnny Cash in James Mangold’s 2005 biographical drama, Walk the Line, was more than deserving of the top acting prize at the Academy Awards. What’s interesting is the fact that Phoenix was beat by his future The Master co-star, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won for his take on Truman Capote in Bennett Miller’s Capote.

Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream)

A little more 25 years after winning an Academy Award for Best Actress thanks to her outstanding performance in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Ellen Burstyn had another shot at capturing an Oscar with her turn as Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream. Her take on a woman battling unchecked depression, anxiety, and a diet of weight loss pills gave audiences one of the most incredible and sympathetic characters of the early 21st century. Unfortunately, this also happened to be the same year Erin Brockovich was released. 

Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood)

There Will Be Blood is remembered more than a half-decade after its release because of the Academy Award-winning performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, but one of the three-time Oscar winner’s castmates was also deserving of recognition. Paul Dano’s Eli Sunday (he also played the smaller part of Eli’s twin brother, Paul) is one of the more fascinating characters of modern cinema, and he should have received an Oscar for his troubles. Dynamic is an understatement for this overzealous, petty, and temperamental preacher.

Robert Shaw (Jaws)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster, Jaws, won three Academy Awards – Best Filming Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound – but Robert Shaw, who acted his tail off as the boat captain, Quint, wasn’t recognized. This shameful act by the Academy, especially after watching the USS Indianapolis monologue, still stings nearly 50 years after the fact. That scene alone deserved a Best Supporting Actor nomination and win.

Many of these actors won an Academy Award either before or after these movies and performances we just covered, but it’s just wild to think about how some of these roles didn’t take home the big prize at the Oscars.

A lot of great speeches come from sports movies, but that's not the only genre that can make us want to run through walls. Some speeches are so good it has us rooting for the bad guys. Most are by the good guys though, and we'll follow those good guys anywhere. Here is our list of the most inspiring speeches in film history. 

Independence Day - President Witmore

President Thomas J. Whitmore's (Bill Pullman) speech in Independence Day has become one of the most iconic film moments of the last 50 years. While the movie can be polarizing, some people can't get enough of it, others hope to never see it again. Still, it's hard to find anyone who truly hates the speech and that moment in the film. If you ever find yourself fighting against annihilation by a bunch of E.T.s, this is the speech for you. 

The Hunt For Red October - Captain Ramius

If you thought you could never get fired up about the Soviet Union picking a fight on the United States during the Cold War, check it out. When Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) tells his crew that the salad days of the Cold War are not behind them, and the United States will "tremble again - at the sound of our silence," it makes you want to stand up and fight for communism. At least for a brief moment. 

Any Given Sunday (Coach D'Amato)

It's used at almost every professional football game in America, almost every Sunday, because in Any Given Sunday, Coach D'Amato implores his team and the rest of us to claw for every inch we can. It might not be Pacino's most award-winning role, but that scene... that scene is some of his finest and most enduring work. 

Gladiator (Maximus)

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius." If those words don't immediately fire you up, it's time to check for a pulse. Audiences spend most of Gladiator waiting for Maximus (Russell Crowe) to finally get his revenge on that conniving Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) and finally we get it. Maximus will have his vengeance, in this life or the next.

Friday Night Lights (Coach Gaines)

In Friday Night Lights, Coach Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) tells us how to be perfect. It has nothing to do with the final score, or winning. It's about how we treat each other and ourselves. It's about telling the truth and not letting anyone down. Live in the moment, "with joy in your heart." That's what makes us perfect. The swelling music by Explosions in the Sky only adds to the drama of the moment. 

While he doesn't say "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose," (that comes from the TV show), he does mention his clear eyes and his full heart and afterward, none of us lose. 

Henry V (Henry V)

It's not just one of the most inspiring speeches in film history, it's one of the most famous speeches in human history. When William Shakespeare wrote the words to the famous St. Crispin's Day Speech in Henry V, he could not have known that it would be used for centuries afterward to inspire men. For we few, we lucky few, we can watch the speech brilliantly delivered by Kenneth Branagh in one of his finest roles, in his film version from 1989. 

Animal House (Bluto)

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" Of course it wasn't! Bluto (John Belushi) does a lot to inspire the brothers of the Delta house in Animal House but nothing more so than his speech after "Wormer dropped the big one" and suspended the fraternity. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, the men of Delta are inspired to have the best time of their lives, and Wormer? He's a dead man! Marmalard? Dead! Niedermeyer...

Gone With The Wind (Scarlett O'Hara)

Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is not the most sympathetic movie character of all time. In fact, she ranks close to the bottom in that category, but you can't deny the power of her speech just before the end of the first part of the movie. Her family's plantation, Tara, is in shambles, her mother is dead, and her father has lost his mind. When all hope is lost, she promises herself she will fix it, and she will "never be hungry again."

Barbie (Gloria)

It's truly a show-stopping moment in Barbie when Gloria (America Ferrera) lays out what it's like to be a woman in today's world. The entire essence of the movie's message is summed up in that brilliant speech. It makes everyone want to jump up on their feet and applaud. It's a moment that will forever live in cinema history. 

Good Will Hunting (Sean Maguire)

It's not just the words that matter. It takes a special actor to deliver a speech like Sean Maguire's in Good Will Hunting. Thankfully there was the great Robin Williams. In a speech that is meant to devastate and inspire Will (Matt Damon), Williams tells him everything he is doing wrong but manages to show him how he can fix it, and open up an entirely new world for himself. It's cutting and loving. And brilliant. "Your move, chief."

Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King (Aragorn)

Like so many other battle scenes in movies, Aragorn's (Viggo Mortensen) speech at the Black Gates in Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King has us willing to fight to the death with our fellow soldiers. There is nothing like a leader riding back and forth on horse inspiring his troops. 

Braveheart (William Wallace)

Always remember, that no matter how badly you are treated by a tyrannical English king, he can never take your freedom! William Wallace (Mel Gibson) brilliantly reminds us of that in Braveheart. While it's easy to mock the poor history telling in the movie (and we argue if it was really one of the best movies of 1995), you can never say that the speech Wallace gives before the biggest battle in the movie won't have you ready to take on the entire British Empire. 

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Elizabeth)

Speeches made by leaders to inspire men in battle aren't unique in movies. What makes the speech unique in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is that the speech is made by a woman. Elizabeth's (Keira Knightly) speech isn't a lot different than a lot of its ilk, but it's more inspiring to hear it from a woman because we've never heard that before. So hoist the colors! 

Stripes (John Winger)

John Winger (Bill Murray) is the biggest misfit in a platoon filled with them in Stripes. He's the least likely to inspire the rest with a razzle-dazzle speech firing them up, yet that's exactly what he does before their graduation from boot camp. Bill Murray has some of the best lines in movie history, and this speech is near the top of them. 

Miracle (Herb Brooks)

"Great moments are born from great opportunity." That is something we can all stand to remember. In Miracle, Herb Brooks inspires his rag-tag team of college kids to defeat maybe the greatest hockey team ever assembled in the Soviet National Team at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The movie is based on a true story and while it's impossible to know exactly with the real Brooks said, if it was anywhere close to what Russell delivers, it's no surprise we all believe in miracles today. 

Rocky IV (Rocky Balboa)

The Cold War inspired a lot of movies, even sports movies like Rocky IV. Early in the Rocky series, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) wasn't a man of many words, but at the end of Rocky IV, he finds some of the most inspiring words of the whole series, imploring all of us to get along, despite our differences. 

Swingers (Trent)

What's a good friend if not someone to pep you up when you're feeling low? That's exactly who Trent (Vince Vaughn) is to Mike (Jon Favreau) in Swingers. Not only does he take him to Vegas for a night of fun, on the way home, after the trip doesn't pep Mike up as much as it should, Trent explains exactly why Mike is so money, and he doesn't even know it. 

Network (Howard Beale)

It's scary just how much a movie like Network, released almost 50 years ago is still so relevant. We don't need Howard Beale (Peter Finch) to tell us just how bad things are, we just need to him to inspire us to go to the window, open the window and yell to the world that we're not going to take it anymore! 

The Goonies (Mikey)

"The Goonies never say die!" When all seems lost in the Goonies quest to rescue their neighborhood from developers, Mikey (Sean Astin) reminds them all exactly how far they've come in the quest for One-Eyed Willie's gold. We don't get a lot of inspirational speeches from kids, but when we do, we love them. 

Clueless (Cher)

When Cher (Alicia Silverstone) compares her garden party to a refugee crisis, your inclination is to think she's an airhead. But like so many before and after her, there is kind of a subtle brilliance to her thought process. She takes what she knows and uses that to find the emotion we should all feel for her side of the argument. 

Milk (Harvey Milk)

Milk, based on the true story of Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), is inspiring in and of itself, but Milk's speech on the steps of San Fransisco City Hall at the Gay Pride Rally is a masterpiece. 

Troy (Achilles)

In another classic example of a military leader inspiring his troops, Achilles' (Brad Pitt) speech reminding his men that they are lions, is enough to get anyone to storm the beaches of Troy. There's a reason the story has been told for thousands of years. 

Norma Rae (Norma Rae)

The best thing about Norma Rae's (Sally Field, in one of her best roles) speech in Norma Rae is that the most important word isn't spoken at all. She simply holds up a sign that says "Union" in the middle of her sweatshop. That's all she needs to "say" to get everyone in the textile mill to agree. It's brilliant. 

We Are Marshall (Jack Lengyel)

We Are Marshall tells the tragic and heroic story of the 1971 Marshall University football team. At the end of the 1970 season, a plane carrying most of the team and its coaches crashed in North Carolina. Before the start of the next season, the new coach, Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) makes a speech at a memorial for some of the lost players and what he says about never forgetting the past but looking to the future will bring a tear to anyone's eyes.

Legally Blonde (Elle Woods)

More than 20 years after the first Legally Blonde movie was released Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) continues to inspire us. With an address like the one she makes at the end of the movie, as she's graduating, it's easy to see why. "You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself."

Avengers: Endgame (Captain America)

In a room full of superheroes, leave it to Captain America to make the hype speech. In Avengers: Endgame, that's exactly when Cap (Chris Evans) psyches the cadre up for their mission to reverse the Snap. "Whatever it takes."

Hoosiers (Norman Dale)

When tiny Hickman High School makes it to the Indiana State Basketball Finals, they are facing a huge school, in a huge arena. Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) takes only a minute or so to lay out what will make them successful, and a minute is all he needs. It's why Hoosiers one of the best sports movies ever made. 

Rudy (Rudy)

The speech in Rudy is a little different. Rudy really has no audience, save for one person, but that doesn't stop him from delivering a first-rate speech that any Notre Dame alum gets goosebumps when they hear it, including the parts he lifted from the great Knute Rockne.

Juno (Mac MacGuff)

When Juno MacGuff (Elliot Page) is wondering what her future holds, her father Mac MacGuff (J.K. Simmons) explains simply and succinctly, "The best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are." We couldn't have said it better ourselves. 

Stand And Deliver (Jaime Escalante) 

Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos) is a no-nonsense math teacher who is determined to get the most from his students. He decides he needs to raise the level of expectations inside and outside of the classroom and he starts by breaking down when he is going to be so hard on his students, to get the most out of them. All they need is ganas – motivation. 

Rocky Balboa (Rocky)

Leave it to Rocky to make a speech in 2006's Rocky Balboa meant to inspire his son to inspire all of us together. It's pure Rocky, leave it all out, don't accept things you don't like, and never make excuses, no matter how hard it is. And it seems like this was advice he took to heart when it became a struggle to make the film. 

300 (Dilios)

Dilios (David Wenham) fires up the Spartans like no other person could. It's truly one of the great hype speeches in film history. It's exactly what you would expect from a civilization of warriors. Whether it really happened or not is irrelevant. The message is the same, "Remember us."

From sports to war, love to education, and beyond, a great speech raises goosebumps like nothing else in film can. These examples are some of the best speeches we've used to inspire us. 

In its several decades on air, Saturday Night Live has made icons out of many of its cast members. For some — including some of SNL’s one-season wonders — you might argue that the sketch comedy series is the peak of their careers, until you remember the acclaimed and widely beloved movies and TV shows they would go on to star in. Take a look at our picks for the finest work some of our favorite SNL stars have put out beyond their time at Studio 8H.

Eddie Murphy (Coming To America)

48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop made him a movie star, but Coming to America might be the absolute best Eddie Murphy movie, especially as the first to show just how far the comic’s extraordinary talents extend. He gives his most heartfelt performance as an African prince searching for love in New York City, but that is far from his only role in this dazzling romantic-com from 1988.

Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)

Along with her writing partner, Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig joined the club of Oscar-nominated SNL stars for penning this 2011 instant classic comedy. She also transcends what made her a Studio 8H all-star by leading the Bridesmaids cast with her most down-to-earth performance yet as a baker suffering an existential crisis after her best friend (played by Maya Rudolph) gets engaged.

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

Some argue that an SNL star who should have been nominated for an Oscar is Adam Sandler for his performance in one of the best A24 movies, Uncut Gems. If self-destructive jeweler Howard Rattner had been played by anyone else but the guy behind “The Hanukkah Song” and movies like Happy Gilmore, it might have been tough to root for the protagonist of Josh and Benny Safdie’s anxiety-fueled, 2019 crime drama.

Kate McKinnon (Barbie)

After previously working with Margot Robbie in Bombshell and making the A-lister laugh uncontrollably in an SNL sketch, Kate McKinnon reunited with the Australian actor in the Barbie cast in 2023. The Emmy-winner is perfect as “Weird Barbie” — now a real doll in Mattel’s catalog — in co-writer and director Greta Gerwig’s cleverly satirical and surprisingly moving blockbuster based on the legendary toy.

Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)

We love Will Ferrell in funny movies like Elf and Talladega Nights, but never has he given a performance as tender, reserved, and relatable as his Golden Globe-nominated role in Stranger Than Fiction. That is only one reason director Marc Forster’s inventive 2006 dramedy is his best movie in our eyes.

Molly Shannon (Wet Hot American Summer)

The Wet Hot American Summer cast is full of actors who went on to become superstars, but one of the biggest names among that ensemble at the time was SNL great Molly Shannon. She stars in the 2001 cult-favorite summer comedy classic as camp counselor Gail, who seeks consolation for her second divorce from surprisingly mature adolescent campers.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

To this day, many believe that Bill Murray should have won the Academy Award for his performance in one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation. Also one of the best movies produced by Focus Features, he stars in writer and director Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning sophomore effort as a disillusioned actor who strikes up a unique bond with a young woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) who is also struggling to navigate her life after meeting in Japan. 

Tina Fey (Mean Girls)

From her time on SNL as a cast member and head writer to her development of beloved comedies like 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Tina Fey has had one of the most impressive careers in comedy, let alone show business in general. However, her one credit that has best stood the test of time is her sharply satirical high school movie, Mean Girls, which she adapted from Rosalind Wiseman’s book and also stars in as Ms. Norbury.

Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers)

Dan Aykroyd may have a Best Picture Oscar winner under his belt (Driving Miss Daisy, for which he also received an acting nomination) and also wrote and starred in one of the beloved Ghostbusters. However, the movie that he will always be best known for is 1980’s The Blues Brothers, which is arguably the all-time best movie based on SNL characters (Ayrkoyd and John Belushi’s brotherly musicians, Jake and Elwood Blues) and one of the most important movies set in Chicago as well.

Gilda Radner (Haunted Honeymoon)

Highlights of Gilda Radner’s post-SNL career included sharing the screen with her husband, Gene Wilder, such as 1986’s Haunted Honeymoon, in which they play a couple staying in a spooky house to cure the groom’s anxieties. Unfortunately, the fun horror-comedy movie would also be her final film before she passed away in 1989.

Chevy Chase (Community)

After making a huge impact in so little time on SNL (not even two full seasons), Chevy Chase had a memorable film career (especially with National Lampoon’s Vacation movies), but it was his return to the small screen in the late 2000s that really had us especially impressed. He starred in the Community cast as Pierce Hawthorne — one of many Greendale Community College students experiencing often strange circumstances and meta pop-culture references in creator Dan Harmon’s inventive sitcom.

Chris Farley (Tommy Boy)

Perhaps the most influential ‘90s SNL actor was the late Chris Farley, whose one-in-a-million, energetic comedic talent made him a legend. He also made an impeccable team with fellow SNL actor David Spade in the hilarious road trip comedy, and one of the funniest and most iconic movies of the ‘90s, Tommy Boy.

Jimmy Fallon (Almost Famous)

Jimmy Fallon has had a stellar career, from his memorable SNL stint to hosting The Tonight Show, but most of his movies did not quite have the same impact — save his Oscar-winning feature-length debut in 2000. Fallon starred in writer and director Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous cast as the touring manager for Stillwater, Dennis Hope.

Amy Poehler (Inside Out)

Amy Poehler is the kind of performer who brings a sense of joy to everything she does, from her SNL days to the Parks and Recreation cast as Leslie Knope. Thus, it only makes sense that she would star as the personification of “Joy” in one of Pixar’s best movies: 2015’s Inside Out.

Will Forte (Nebraska)

We all know and love the masterfully goofy Will Forte from the “MacGruber” sketches and as the star and creator of a show canceled too soon called The Last Man on Earth, but 2013’s Nebraska showed a rare side of the actor we cherished seeing. He gives a somber, yet beautifully endearing, performance in director Alexander Payne’s Oscar-nominated drama as a man accompanying his estranged father (played by Bruce Dern) on a trip to collect a supposed million-dollar prize.

Maya Rudolph (The Way Way Back)

Maya Rudolph’s career outside SNL has been nothing short of impressive, but we were most impressed by her work in 2013’s The Way Way Back. From the Oscar-winning writing duo behind The Descendants (Nat Faxon and Jim Rash), this winning dramedy features Rudolph as Caitlin, a manager at a water park where teen protagonist Duncan (Liam James) works to escape a miserable summer at his mother’s boyfriend’s house.

Bill Hader (Barry)

Bill Hader never failed to surprise audiences with his impeccable impersonations and excellent commitment to character on SNL, but he surprised us in other ways with his first major small-screen follow-up. He played the title role of HBO’s Barry cast (in addition to co-creating the very dark comedy series), who is a hitman trying to reinvent himself as an actor.

Cecily Strong (Schmigadoon!)

One of the greatest surprises of John Mulaney’s SNL musical sketches was Cecily Strong’s smashing singing voice. It would also come in handy when she and Keegan-Michael Key led AppleTV+’s Schmigadoon! cast as a couple trapped in a world that looks and sounds like a lavish musical production.

Chris Rock (Nurse Betty)

In 2000, Chris Rock teamed up with Morgan Freeman as hitmen searching for a delusional widow (played by Renée Zellweger) convinced she is engaged to a soap opera character in director Neil LaBute’s sharp, quirky dramedy, Nurse Betty. We will, however, give an honorable mention for one of the best sitcoms starring an SNL vet, Everybody Hates Chris, which the comedian created and narrated.

Jane Curtin (3rd Rock From The Sun)

Years after playing an alien in, arguably, her single funniest SNL sketch (“The Coneheads”), Jane Curtin played one of the few human series regulars on a series also about otherworldly visitors trying to blend in. The former “Weekend Update” anchor starred on NBC’s hit sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun as Dr. Mary Albright, a colleague, and later fiancée, of Dick Solomon (John Lithgow) at Pendleton State University.

Andy Samberg (Palm Springs)

There is only so much that we are actually willing to reveal about our pick for Andy Samberg’s best effort outside of SNL, Palm Springs, for anyone who has not seen it yet. What we will say is that the 2020 rom-com — and one of the best movies on Hulu — stars the Lonely Island member and Golden Globe-winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor and Cristin Milioti as wedding guests who become embroiled in a very strange predicament.

Mike Myers (Shrek)

We love almost all of the characters Mike Myers has created or portrayed, from Wayne Campbell to Austin Powers, but picking his true all-time best work outside of Studio 8H is easy. Myers put on his best Scottish accent to voice the title role of 2001’s Shrek — the first movie to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar, for its sharp send-up of fairytale tropes and heartwarming unlikely romance.

Pete Davidson (The King Of Staten Island)

There have been some great Pete Davidson movies and TV shows over the years, but the former SNL star’s best work might also be one of his most personal. The Bupkis cast member based The King of Staten Island (which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow) on his own life as the son of a firefighter who tragically passed on 9/11. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ time on SNL often goes forgotten, but you cannot say the same about the career she had after the show, which includes Emmy wins for shows like Veep and joining the MCU. However, she really blew up when she joined the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes, who was the focus of many classic and hilarious moments on the legendary sitcom.

Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Jason Sudeikis is the kind of SNL performer who could make the Devil himself seem likable, which is why he was the perfect choice for the charming lead of the Ted Lasso cast for Apple TV+. Indeed, his Emmy-winning performance as the titular American football coach hired to manage an English football (a.k.a. soccer) team is key to its jubilant success.

Norm Macdonald (Dirty Work)

In 1998, the same year that the late Norm Macdonald was infamously fired from SNL, the actor came out with one of his best movies, Dirty Work. Also written by Macdonald and directed by Bob Saget, the comedy about a man who literally becomes a specialist in the business of revenge has gained a cult following despite getting bad reviews in the 90s.

Kenan Thompson (D2: The Mighty Ducks)

Before he became one of the longest-running SNL cast members, Kenan Thompson was part of Nickelodeon’s more kid-friendly sketch comedy, All That. However, before then, the Emmy winner made his acting debut in one of the greatest hockey movies, D2: the Mighty Ducks as the inventor of the Knuckle Puck, Russ.

Ana Gasteyer (Happiest Season)

As the creator of beloved sketches like “NPR’s Delicious Dish” and the astonishing ability to hide when sketches don’t go as planned, Ana Gasteyer’s SNL days do not get talked about enough. In 2020, she appeared alongside the Happiest Season cast in a brief, but memorable, role in the acclaimed LGBTQ+ romance dramedy.

Fred Armisen (Portlandia)

While he was still on SNL, Fred Armisen was the driving force of a whole different kind of sketch comedy series called Portlandia. In partnership with non-SNL sketch comedy actor Carrie Brownstein, the pair poked fun at life in Portland in a Monty Python-esque style of quirky and bizarre bits.

Tim Meadows (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping)

Despite his impressively long tenure, Tim Meadows is one of the most criminally underrated SNL actors and his big-screen presence is no different. Case in point: even one of his most prominent movie roles is from a vastly underrated, mockumentary-style comedy, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, from 2106 as Harry, manager to conner4real (Andy Samberg).

Tracy Morgan (30 Rock)

How fitting that one of Tracy Morgan’s greatest successes after being a sketch comedy show performer was playing a sketch comedy show performer. The comic stole every scene in creator and star Tina Fey’s brilliantly surreal broadcasting satire, 30 Rock, as over-the-top actor, Tracy Jordan.

Aidy Bryant (Shrill)

Even before she left SNL (a bit later than she anticipated as a result of Covid-19), Aidy Bryant had already ventured on with a series of her own called Shrill. The actor received an Emmy nomination for her performance on the Hulu original comedy (which she also co-created) as an overweight journalist aspiring to change who she is inside without changing who she is outside.

Even if Saturday Night Live is what these actors are remembered best for, that does not mean it will always be the best thing they are remembered for.

Many Hollywood stars don't actually live in California these days. While some of the stars on this list might have a home in LA, they certainly seem to prefer to spend their off time very far away from the glitz and the glamour. Here are just some of the many stars that live outside of the Golden State. 

Nicole Kidman - Nashville

Nicole Kidman and her husband (and fellow Aussie) Keith Urban have quite a few homes around the world, including LA and their native Australia, but it's the greater Nashville area that they call home most of the time. 

Meryl Streep - Connecticut

21-time Oscar nominee Meryl Streep was born in New Jersey, went to school at Vassar and Yale, and certainly strikes me as an east coast type of person. While she's lived in LA at times throughout her career, it's Connecticut that she's called home for most of her adult life. She's lived in Salisbury for decades now. 

John Goodman - New Orleans

John Goodman spent years living in LA, but in the '90s he'd had enough of California and he and his Louisiana-born wife made a choice between his hometown of St. Louis, and her home state. They moved to New Orleans, where they've been ever since. 

Matthew McConaughey - Austin

You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the boy. Matthew McConaughey was born in Uvalde, TX, went to school in Austin, and has long lived on a ranch near the Texas state capital and getting fed up with the paparazzi in Malibu.

Bill Murray - Charleston, SC

Bill Murray has lived all over the place, LA, NYC, and Chicago... but he's a known fixture around Charleston, South Carolina and even owns his own restaurant in town called Harold's Cabin. He's also invested in the Charleston minor league baseball team. 

Harrison Ford - Jackson Hole, WY

Harrison Ford moved to LA in the '60s to follow his acting dreams, but once he hit it big, he bailed out. While he does own a home in Brentwood, he spends most of his time at his 800-acre ranch outside Jackson Hole, WY. The ranch has been his primary residence since the 1980s and it seems he prefers to call that home. 

Demi Moore - Idaho

When Covid hit in early 2020, Demi Moore and her daughters holed up together in her longtime house in Sun Valley, Idaho. They were soon joined by her ex-husband and father to her daughters, Bruce Willis. Eventually, Willis' current wife Emma Heming, and her child with Willis also joined the big happy family. Moore has lived in Sun Valley for years and it's often featured on her Instagram page.

Jeff Daniels - Chelsea, MI

Jeff Daniels grew up in the small town of Chelsea, Michigan and as soon as he could after finding success in Hollywood, he moved back. He's a true small-town kind of guy and it makes perfect sense. While he makes his money in Hollywood, his heart is always in Michigan. 

Chris Rock - New Jersey

Chris Rock has always been an East Coast guy. Though he was born in South Carolina, his family moved to Brooklyn when he was a baby. He grew up in Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy. He started his comedy career in New York City, and for a couple of decades has lived in Alpine, New Jersey.

John Travolta - Ocala, FL

John Travolta loves to fly and is a first-class plane spotter. As such, he seems to have found the perfect place to live. The Pulp Fiction star has called Ocala, FL home for decades now. While that might sound odd, it's not when you find out his house backs up to an actual airport, so he can park his planes right at home. Sounds pretty awesome. 

Tom Cruise - Clearwater, FL

Superstar Tom Cruise actually has houses all over the world. LA and London, for starters. The most surprising place he's owns property though has to be Clearwater, FL. Cruise has what's described in the Tampa newspaper as a "sprawling penthouse" just blocks from the headquarters of the Church of Scientology, to which he has long been an outspoken member, so it makes sense. 

Taylor Swift - Nashville

Music star Taylor Swift grew up in Pennsylvania and Nashville and still has a home in the latter, where she seems to spend a lot of her time when she's not on the road. In fact, she has homes all over the place, including LA, Rhode Island, and New York City. 

Chris Evans

Chris Evans grew up just outside of Boston in the suburb of Sudbury, MA. Even though he's become one of the biggest stars in the world, he's stayed close to home. He and his new bride live nearby where he grew up in Massachusetts, after getting married in Boston. 

Chris Hemsworth - Byron Bay

The Australian native Chris Hemsworth couldn't ignore the siren call of home. After years in Hollywood becoming one of the biggest stars in the world, he decided it was time to move home. He and his wife Elsa Pataky settled in a small surfing community south of Brisbane called Byron Bay in 2015 and have never looked back. 

Tommy Lee Jones - Texas

Tommy Lee Jones doesn't seem to care much for the trappings of fame, though he has used some of the money he's earned as an actor to buy a huge tract of land in Texas. Jones might be Harvard-educated and work in Hollywood, but he's Texas through and through. 

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani - Tishomingo, OK

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani might be Hollywood's most unlikely couple, at least until you see them together. Less surprising is that they split time between her home stomping grounds in LA and his in Oklahoma. The two built a house on Shelton's ranch in Tishomingo, OK, where they spend most of their time. 

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds - Bedford, NY

The enduring couple of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds don't seem to be interested in big city living, instead opting for the small upstate town of Bedford, NY They maintain a couple of other houses, but their real home is in Westchester County, NY, where they live a quiet, but luxurious life in a small enclave with some celebrity neighbors including Martha Stewart and Micheal Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. 

Mark Ruffalo - Callicoon, NY

Mark Ruffalo is another actor who prefers the peace and quiet of small-town America to the bright lights of Hollywood. The Avengers star and his wife Sunny live in the tiny berg of Callicoon in the Catskill mountains of New York State. 

Elijah Wood - Austin

Elijah Wood doesn't actually live in a shire, like his Lord of the Rings character, but he doesn't live in a huge city, either. Wood has called Austin, TX home for years and a when he was on Hot Ones, he explained where to get all the best meals in town. 

Dave Chappelle - Yellow Springs, OH

Yellow Springs, Ohio might be the last place you'd expect to find a celebrity living among us, but when you understand Dave Chappelle's background, it makes perfect sense. The legendary comedian grew up in Yellow Springs and though he's made a name for himself in Hollywood, the Ohio town is clearly the place he calls home. 

Julia Roberts - Taos, NM

Many years ago, Julia Roberts bought a ranch in Taos, NM, and it seems every year, she spends more and more time there. She even married her husband Danny Moder there. While she does split time in a house in Malibu, closer to work, she seems to prefer the peaceful life of Taos, as she's explained in the past. 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Ireland

Long before Daniel Day-Lewis decided to retire from acting, he had settled into living in Ireland’s County Wicklow. It's hardly surprising that an actor like Lewis would shun the spotlight, after all, he really only worked when the part really fascinated him, and he retired in 2017 despite unparalleled success as a performer. 

John Cena - Land o' Lakes, Florida

Don't confuse John Cena's hometown of Land o' Lakes, Florida for a stick of butter. The Fast X star has lived in the town outside Tampa for a long time. Even as his star has risen in Hollywood, with a major role in the DCEU as Peacemaker both in The Suicide Squad and his own show, The Peacemaker, Cena has resisted moving to California. 

Vera Farmiga - Woodstock, NY

Upstate New York is a popular place for stars to escape the public eye and Vera Farmiga is one of the stars that prefers it that way. The Many Saints of Newark actor lives in the famous artist colony of Woodstock in the Hudson Valley, following in a long tradition of celebrities retreating to the woods to get out of the spotlight, even when she's popping into rock shows in Woodstock to play Iron Maiden covers in a bar band. 

Woody Harrelson - Maui, HI

Woody Harrelson is definitely a man who moves to the beat of his own drummer, so the fact that he lives in Hawaii is hardly a shock. He even semi-retired for a while at the height of his career. While he's not "off the grid", he's certainly off the beaten path. Thankfully, his home was unaffected by the tragic wildfires earlier this year. 

John Mayer - Livingstone, MT

John Mayer has settled down into a much quieter life in recent years. The Dead & Co guitar player has found peace and quiet in the small Montana town of Livingstone. While life on the road certainly has its wild times, one would think, it must be nice for Mayer to get back home for some relaxing peace. 

Ken Jennings - Seattle, WA

Despite being named co-host of Jeopardy! a couple of years ago, and really taking a shine to the gig that shoots in LA, Ken Jennings does not seem to have plans to permanently relocate to Southern California. Jennings and his family have long called Seattle home and it seems he's happy to commute when it's time to shoot new episodes of the legendary game show. 

Robert De Niro - New York City

It's hard to imagine Robert De Niro living anywhere but New York. He just doesn't seem to be a California type of guy at all, right? He even helped get the Tribeca Film Festival off the ground, which bolstered not only NYC but the actual neighborhood he lives in in Manhattan as it struggled to recover from the 9/11 attacks. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence is bi-coastal, for sure. She does have a house in LA, but her husband Cooke Maroney is an art dealer whose business and gallery are in New York City, so she seems to spend most of the time she's not working in the Big Apple. 

Dan Aykroyd - Sydenham, Ontario

Dan Aykroyd has always been proud to be Canadian and he's been a longtime resident of Sydenham, Ontario, near Kingston, ON, not too far from where he grew up in Ottawa. 

Jennifer Hudson - Chicagoland Area

Superstar Jennifer Hudson is a Chicago girl and as such, she's stayed close to home. She may be a worldwide star, but Chicago is what made her who she is today and despite the means to live anywhere, Hudson chooses to live in the suburb of Burr Ridge, outside Chi-Town. 

Nikki Glaser - St. Louis, MO

Despite being the hometown of a lot of huge stars like John Goodman, Sterling K. Brown, Jenna Fischer, and Jon Hamm, most don't stay in town. The exception to that rule is comedian and comedy roast specialist Nikki Glaser. She moved back during the pandemic and found it much more fulfilling to live in her hometown than on either coast. 

While Los Angeles may be the city of dreams, it's not always the city of permanent residence for stars that have reached those lofty heights. Most may get their start on the West Coast but many of the biggest stars in the world don't live in California. 

Billy Murray is a comedic legend. That legend was born in the late ‘70s in SNL and grew to mythic heights with his movies like Strips, Ghostbusters, What About Bob?, and others in those decades after SNL. Here are some of the best Bill Murray quotes from his ‘80s and ‘90s movies. 

"He slimed me. I feel so funky." - Ghostbusters

It might be the most famous line Bill Murray has ever uttered on screen. After locating the ghost in the hotel in Ghostbuster, “Slimer” takes one look at Peter Venkman and charges. When Ray (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon (Harold Ramis) get to Peter, it’s too late, he’s been slimed. 

"Check me if I'm wrong Sandy, but if I kill all the golfers, they're gonna lock me up and throw away the key…" - Caddyshack

Assistant greenskeeper Carl Spackler does nothing but frustrate his poor Scottish boss and never is it more obvious than his basic misunderstanding of what to do about the gophers, not the golfers. The exchange between them also sets up one of the most epic battles between man and beast cinema has ever seen. 

"You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong guy. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life." - Groundhog Day

Things get pretty bleak for ol' Phil Connors in Groundhog Day. Living the same day over and over, stuck in rural Pennsylvania could do it to anyone. Luckily he kept us all laughing along the way, sadly, the movie would be the last time Harold Ramis and Bill Murray would work together. 

"Isn't this a breakthrough, that I'm a sailor? I sail? I sail now? Ahoy!" - What About Bob?

Bob Wiley has every mental problem known to man. It's when he gets out on the open sea, or Lake Winnipesaukee, as the case may be, that he starts to cope with many of his problems. It's a revelation for Bob and for the audience. 

"And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice." - Caddyshack

Carl Spackler is full of great advice when he’s got a caddy pinned against the wall with a pitchfork. The whole story is hilarious, but it’s the bit at the end that really sticks with you forever. 

"Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats, living together! Mass hysteria!" - Ghostbusters

While “I’ve been slimed” may be the most famous, this one is Bill Murray’s most quotable line from  Ghostbusters. Who hasn’t uttered this phrase on multiple occasions in their life? I know I have. It really sums up the whole movie, doesn’t it?

"There is one thing that we all have in common: we were all stupid enough to enlist in the Army. We're mutants. There's something wrong with us, something very, very wrong with us." - Stripes

How Bill Murray's character, John Winger, ends up enlisting actually kind of makes sense. He's stuck in a dead-end job and can't do 10 sit-ups. He's thrown into a platoon full of misfits and somehow he ends up on the cover of Time. Maybe there isn't anything wrong with him at all. 

"IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!" - Meatballs

Meatballs is rarely included in lists of the best Bill Murray movies, but for those of us of a certain generation, it's still legendary. Not only did it launch his movie career and have him team up with Ivan Reitman for the first time, it reminds us of our youth, of a young Billy Murray and a really rundown summer camp. Or maybe that's just me. In the end, the mantra of the movie is right, "it just doesn't matter."

"I'd keep playing. I don't think the heavy stuff's gonna come down for quite a while." - Caddyshack

What can be said that hasn't already been when it comes to Murray's character Carl Spackler in Caddyshack? In a movie with some of the all-time best one-liners from the likes of Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, and Ted Knight, it's Bill Murray who gets quoted the most on the golf course. 

"Here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone." - Rushmore

Rushmore might not have the zingers that some of his other films have, but Bill Murray's performance, and really in all the Wes Anderson films he's in, are way more about subtlety than wackiness. It shows just how versatile Murray really is. 

"Finally! Big Ern is above the law!" - Kingpin

There is nothing subtle about Kingpin or Murray's character in it, Ernie McCracken. When he finally wins the big event, besting Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson), the most important thing to McCracken is that finally, he's above the law, he's too big to fail, in modern parlance. 

"C'mon, it's Czechoslovakia. We zip in, we pick 'em up, we zip right out again. We're not going to Moscow. It's Czechoslovakia. It's like going into Wisconsin." - Stripes

This one might be a little personal. I used to say this to my friends in college before every road trip. John Winger isn't wrong, it's not Moscow, and they were in one heavily armed recreational vehicle! 

"It reminds me of my favorite poem, which is, 'Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic... and so am I!'" - What About Bob?

Bob might have a lot going on in his head, but that doesn't stop him from becoming friends with everyone he meets. With the notable exception of Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss).

"Nice shootin, Tex!" - Ghostbusters

Let’s just say that more than once in Ghostbusters Egon gets a little too excited. One example is in the hotel ballroom when he just unloads on the ghost with a stream from his proton pack. He misses the ghost, but destroys the bar, prompting Venkman to comment on his marksmanship. 

"A former greenskeeper now about to become the Master's champion. It looks like a miraculous - it's in the hole! It's in the hole!" - Caddyshack

There is no more quotable character of Bill Murray’s than the hapless greenskeeper Carl Spackler. Standing outside the clubhouse, taking the flowers off the stems, and dreaming of the last round of Masters is the stuff of champions. 

"Did you try staples?" - Scrooged

The character of Frank Cross in Scrooged is dark, but it's absolutely one of Bill Murray's funniest. Frank Cross is a terrible person and nothing shows that more than when he suggests using staples to attach antlers to a mouse's head for the bizarre production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Story on TV. It's mean...but hilarious. 

"I think I need a root canal. A long, slow root canal." - Little Shop Of Horrors

By far his weirdest role on this list is when Murray played an overly enthusiastic dental patient opposite Steve Martin's overly enthusiastic psychopathic dentist in one of the great musical horror flicks, Little Shop Of Horrors. Murray's character wants the most painful experience possible and Martin is all too happy to provide that.  

"This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather. I, for one, am very grateful to have been here. From Punxsutawney, this is Phil Connors. So long." - Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is the peak of Bill Murray's sassiness and nothing is sassier than his sign-off from his weather report calling Punxsutawney Phil a squirrel. It's demeaning to the hog and dismissive of the people who care about the hog. It's brilliant. 

"Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual." - Stripes

Like Murray himself, John Winger in Stripes is one of Murray's most charming characters. Winger is the everyman that audiences want to get behind. He's not a jerk to anyone, even the women we never got to meet who dug him for his choice, or lack thereof, of undergarments. 

"Do me a favor, will you? Would you mind washing off that perfume before you come back to our table?" - Kingpin

"Big" Ernie McCracken is rude to everyone he deals with. From Roy Munson to the poor waitress who has to serve his... questionable... choice of beverage. If that's not enough, he tells her how he'd like her to smell. He's terrible in every way, yet brilliant to laugh at. 

"They're like the Vietcong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower." - Caddyshack

Carl's increasing desperation to eliminate his gopher foe gets funnier and funnier and it's written all over Murray's face in every scene. Finally, he gets so desperate, he brings out the plastic explosives...

"There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't. My ex-wife loves him." - What About Bob?

Bob has his first big breakthrough in Dr. Marvin's office when he's told that even though he's an almost-paralyzed, multiphobic personality who is in a constant state of panic, his wife did not leave him, he left her because she... liked Neil Diamond? Neil Diamond isn't everyone's cup of tea, but he probably doesn't cause many divorces. 

"Let's suck in the guts guys, we’re the Ghostbusters." - Ghostbusters II

It may have the triumphant return of the Ghostbusters to active duty, but the smart aleck in Peter Venkman just can't help himself and he has to comment on everyone being a little older and a little pudgier. Ray Stance's (Dan Aykroyd) response, by actually sucking in, is the real hero here though. 

"I think that we owe a big round of applause to our newest, bestest buddy, and big toe... Sergeant Hulka." - Stripes

John Winger's charms don't work on everyone, especially his commanding officer, Sergeant Hulka (Warren Oates). The drill sergeant is pretty unimpressed with everything Winger does, especially when Winger tries to butter him up with faint praise. 

"So your alien had a room at the Holiday Inn, Paramus?" - Ghostbusters II

Dr. Peter Venkman is a TV star... of sorts... at the start of Ghostbusters II. Unfortunately, he's forced to interview some pretty wacky people, like the woman who tries to explain how she ended up in a strange alien's hotel room at the Holiday Inn in Paramus. No one is buying her story, but the other guy? He might be on to something. 

"Groundhog Day used to mean something in this town. They used to pull the hog out, and they used to eat it. You're hypocrites, all of you!" - Groundhog Day

One of the best parts of Groundhog Day is watching Phil Connors' live stand-ups for the weather gets increasingly more hostile. Finally, he lashes out at everything and everyone as he just can't stand to be stuck for one more day. 

"Back off man, I'm a scientist." - Ghostbusters

Dr. Peter Venkman has degrees in both psychology and parapsychology, so when you ask him what he's doing, you're going to get a straight answer. So back off, he knows what he is doing. He does know, right? Who knows?

"I've gotta get inside this guy's pelt and crawl around for a few days." - Caddyshack

Carl, bless his heart, does everything he can to figure out how the gopher keeps besting him, including explosives and hoses. When he really tries to get into the gopher's head is when he really starts going mad. It's best we stay out of the affairs of vermin. 

"I never liked a girl well enough to give her twelve sharp knives." - Scrooged

Frank Cross' trip down memory lane with a diabolical cab-driving ghost of Christmas past (David Johansson) shows off what Frank used to be before his heart froze and he turned sociopathic. He even felt comfortable enough to give his girlfriend (Karen Allen) knives for Christmas. 

"Oh, creepy! I'm sorry. You know, for the first couple years, I felt responsible. How you been otherwise?" - Kingpin

Ernie McCracken really is the worst person ever. When he finally sees Roy again, and sees his severed hand, he says about the worst things you could ever imagine anyone saying. It's dark, but it's a riot, like everything Big Ern does. 

"Well, there are so many holes in 1st Avenue, we really didn't think anyone would notice." - Ghostbusters II

After digging a hole to find the river of slime, Peter Venkman has to explain to the mayor why the Ghostbusters dug a hole in a city street. If you've ever lived in New York, you'd agree, First Avenue is pretty rough! 

"You know what, give me angry. Will you? Will you give me angry. You've had a bad day. You're cranky. Yeah. I’ve worked with better, but not many. Thank you." - Ghostbusters II

Venkman's "photo shoot" with the painting of Vigo the Carpathian in Ghostbusters II is the funniest scene in the movie, hands down. It's pure Bill Murray brilliance. 

There are probably 100 more quotes we could add to any list of Bill Murray’s funniest lines from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Then there are a hundred more from his movies since the ‘90s. The list could be endless, but for now, this is the end. 

Typically, actors will work their hardest to promote a film to the best of their ability... at first, that is. Sometimes, years (or months) after said movie releases, the stars will not hold back on their true feelings. See for yourself by taking a look at some of the, so-called, worst movies starring famous actors who would admit that even they agree with the most brutal critiques.

Ben Affleck (Daredevil)

Most would agree that he is one of the best live-action Batman actors, but Ben Affleck’s first stab at playing a superhero in 2003 was not very well received. The actor himself wasn't pleased either, as he told EW (via E!) that he agrees Daredevil “didn’t work, at all.” However, he later explained that what he appreciates about DD is that his commitment to accurately portraying Matt Murdock’s blindness paid off, at least.

Christian Bale (Newsies)

Newsies — a musical retelling of the 1899 New York newsboy strike — was a flop for Disney in 1992 but gained a cult following that star Christian Bale is not a part of. He told EW that the “wounds” he feels he suffered from starring in it healed over time. We suppose leading some great live-action Batman movies and winning an Oscar for The Fighter helped him as well. 

Halle Berry (Catwoman) 

When Halle Berry accepted her Razzie for Worst Actress of 2004 for Catwoman in person, she was one of the few actors to do so and thanked Warner Bros. for putting her in such a “god-awful movie.” At least the actor — who also has an Oscar for Monster’s Ball and a few well-received comic book movies under her belt (the X-Men movies) — has a sense of humor about starring in a DC movie that even John Rogers, one of its writers, thinks is bad.

Josh Brolin (Jonah Hex)

Future MCU and Deadpool 2 star Josh Brolin made his comic book movie debut in 2010 as the titular character in the DC Comics-inspired Western, Jonah Hex. The actor (and star of one of the best Neo-Westerns and, simply, best movies of the 2000s, No Country for Old Men) later told CBR (via CinemaBlend) that he would remake it if he had the chance, as he was not happy with how it turned out.

Sandra Bullock (Speed 2: Cruise Control)

Speed is considered one of the best action movies of all time, but Speed 2: Cruise Control is not remembered so fondly by most, including star Sandra Bullock. The Oscar winner brought up the 1997 sequel — which is set on a cruise ship — when asked by TooFab about movies she was initially embarrassed by before coming around later. However she never actually changed her tune on this one.

George Clooney (Batman & Robin)

While there are some people who actually do enjoy Batman & Robin, George Clooney — who played Bruce Wayne in the 1997 flop — is not one of them. On The Graham Norton Show, the Oscar winner talked about his propensity to constantly apologize for, as he believed at the time, ruining the Dark Knight’s big screen legacy forever, before Christopher Nolan saved it.

Sean Connery (The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen)

It's a shame to learn that an actor is not proud of their final live-action acting credit and such is the case with the late Sean Connery and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The former James Bond actor recalled in a 2007 interview unearthed by Heat Vision (via THR) how he tried to salvage the 2003 Alan Moore adaptation in the editing room and described director Stephen Norrington as insane.

David Cross (Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked)

According to The Washington Post, David Cross once felt the need to defend his participation in 2007’s Alvin and the Chipmunks, but he wasn't so kind about its 2011 threequel. During an appearance on Conan, the comedian recalled his “miserable” experience making Chipwrecked and recommended that the audience that was present not see the family film.

Viola Davis (The Help)

Even though her performance as 1960s Mississippi maid Abilene expanded her notoriety and earned her an Oscar nomination, Viola Davis regrets starring in 2011’s The Help. As she told Vanity Fair, “there’s a part of me that feels like I betrayed myself, and my people, because I was in a movie that wasn’t ready to [tell the whole truth]” and was “created in the filter and the cesspool of systemic racism.” 

Colin Farrell (Miami Vice)

When Michael Mann brought Miami Vice to the big screen in 2006, the action flick did not get the best reviews, based on its Rotten Tomatoes score of 47%. Lead actor Colin Farrell wasn’t too hot on it either, revealing to Total Film (via Far Out) that he “didn’t like it so much,” adding he felt it was “style over substance." Additionally, he even accepts some of the responsibility for that.

Crispin Glover (Back To The Future)

How could anyone dislike one of the best time travel movies ever made, 1985's Back to the Future? Well, George McFly actor Crispin Glover told AV Club that he felt the ending — which saw Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly return to an alternate present in which his family is rich — sent a misguided message, which is why he opted not to appear in the sequels.

Alec Guinness (Star Wars)

The Force was not strong with the Star Wars movies’ original Obi-Wan Kenobi actor, Alec Guinness, apparently. In 1975, the Oscar winner wrote a letter to his friend, Anne Kaufman — which was quoted in his biography and republished by Business Insider in 2013 — describing George Lucas’ script as “fairy-tale rubbish.”

Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up)

In 2008, Knocked Up cast member Katherine Heigl told Vanity Fair that it was “hard for [her] to love the movie,” as she believed it portrayed women in an unfavorable light. While the 2007 comedy is still remembered as one of the best Judd Apatow movies, the former Grey’s Anatomy cast member’s honest comments about sexism would have a negative impact on her career, unfortunately.

Bob Hoskins (Super Mario Bros.)

In 2011, the late Bob Hoskins was asked by The Guardian about his worst job, biggest disappointment, and element he would edit out from his past? His answer to each question was the infamous video game movie adaptation, Super Mario Bros., from 1993.

Jennifer Lawrence (Passengers)

Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence revealed to The New York Times that Adele actually recommended she should say “no” to 2016’s Passengers — in which she and Chris Pratt's characters wake up from a commercial interplanetary journey way too early. Lawrence then said she wished she hadn't ignored the advice from the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter.

Lindsay Lohan (I Know Who Killed Me)

According to a 2013 report by The Daily Mail, Lindsay Lohan was once tweeted at by a fan who told her she had watched I Know Who Killed Me twice the night before. The Parent Trap star replied by saying this fan had watched the 2007 psychological thriller “two times too many.”

Bill Murray (Garfield)

When Bill Murray said he regretted making Garfield during his iconic Zombieland cameo, that was not just a joke. In fact, it was during an interview with GQ that Murray said the only reason he agreed to voice the 2004 live-action movie’s titular cat was because he thought one of the Coen Brothers was writing it, only to learn too late that the scribe was Joel Cohen.

Paul Newman (The Silver Chalice)

According to the Irish Film Institute, Paul Newman’s choice for the “worst motion picture produced during the 1950s” was his screen acting debut: The Silver Chalice. Despite his feelings about it, the late, legendary actor actually received a “Most Promising Newcomer” Golden Globe nomination for playing the Holy Grail’s sculptor in the 1954 drama.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight)

There's no denying that playing Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies made Robert Pattinson the star he is now, but that doesn't change the fact that he's not big on the films. His 2011 interview with Vanity Fair, in which he says “representing something you don’t particularly like” is “weird” in reference to the teen vampire romance stories, is just one of many times the Batman actor has admitted to this.

Christopher Plummer (The Sound Of Music)

When asked about his most challenging role during a roundtable interview with THR, Christopher Plummer’s answer was Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. His reasoning was nothing akin to Julie Andrews’ rough time shooting the iconic hill sequence, but was that he found the beloved 1965 musical itself to be “so awful and sentimental and gooey.”

Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern)

Has an actor ever been more shamelessly and frequently vocal about their disdain for their own work than Ryan Reynolds with Green Lantern? Most recently, Reynolds shared his horrified reaction to the 2009 DC flick at London’s Just for Laughs festival in 2023 (according to The Independent). But his most public and unapologetic expression of disappointment can be seen in both Deadpool movies.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Red Sonja)

While recognized as a cult favorite today, Red Sonja — which is being rebooted — is certainly not a film Arnold Schwarzenegger would call one of his best movies. In fact, the former California governor is quoted in Far Out as saying that he used to punish his children by forcing them to watch the 1985 comic book adaptation, which stars Brigette Nielsen as the titular warrior.

Sylvester Stallone (Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot) 

Apparently, Sylvester Stallone has Arnold Schwarzenegger to blame for his decision to star in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, which the Rocky star later told Ain’t It Cool News was “one of the worst movies in the entire solar system.” According to SlashFilm, the Terminator star revealed he tricked his then-rival, Stallone, into signing on for the panned 1992 comedy by feigning interest in the script.

Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra)

Radio host Howard Stern once named G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra as guest Channing Tatum’s star-making moment. In turn, Tatum bluntly admitted he hates the 2009 cinematic adaptation of the action figure line, claiming he was “pushed into” making it by Paramount. That explains why he requested to be killed off in the 2013 sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Charlize Theron (Reindeer Games)

Academy Award winner Charlize Theron did not hold back when telling Esquire that she believes 2000’s Reindeer Games is a “bad, bad, bad movie.” However, she does not regret starring in the Ben Affleck-led Christmas action flick, as it a gave her the chance to work with director John Frankenheimer.

Mark Wahlberg (The Happening)

On a ranked list of M. Night Shyamalan movies, most people might put The Happening at a pretty low spot, including one of its stars. During a press conference for The Fighter, Mark Wahlberg admitted that he does not like The Happening either in an expletive-filled tirade. This came after he revealed that Amy Adams was up for Zooey Deschanel’s part in the unintentionally hilarious 2009 disaster thriller.

Sam Worthington (Clash Of The Titans)

Despite the fact that 2010's Clash of the Titans remake is one of his bigger hits outside of the Avatar movies, Sam Worthington is not a fan. He revealed to IndieWire that he put the blame on his “bland performance” as Perseus and promised to make up for it with the 2012 sequel, Wrath of the Titans.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Shallow Hal)

When Gwyneth Paltrow tested her friend and assistant Kevin Keating’s knowledge of her for a video on Netflix’s X account, he (almost) correctly names her least favorite performance of hers as Rosemary in Shallow Hal. The Academy Award winner and MCU star then describes the Farrelly Brothers’ 2001 fantasy rom-com, which also stars Jack Black, as a “disaster.”

Nicole Kidman (Australia)

Nicole Kidman revealed in an interview with a Sydney radio station (via Daily Mail) that she rarely watches her own movies but did attend the premiere of Australia, which reunited her with Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann. However, she found herself squirming in her seat over her performance in the 2009 romantic period drama, which paired her with Hugh Jackman.

Alec Baldwin (Rock Of Ages)

His fondness for director Adam Shankman and admiration for the all-star cast, including Tom Cruise and Catherine Zeta-Jones, convinced Alec Baldwin to star in Rock of Ages. However, as he revealed in a 2013 interview with American Magazine Media Conference in New York (via The Wrap), the 2012 movie based on a Broadway hit featuring ’80s rock tunes was a “complete disaster” in his eyes.

Brad Pitt (The Devil’s Own)

An action movie starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt sounds like a surefire success by those details alone but, as Pitt would share with Newsweek, The Devil’s Own is not all it's cracked up to be. Apparently, the 1997 thriller was a disaster from behind the scenes with the cast and crew being forced to make up the story as they went along after the previous “great script” was “tossed for various reasons.” In addition, Pitt and Ford couldn't get on the same page.

James Franco (Your Highness)

When James Franco jokes about not wanting to do a homemade sequel to 2011’s Your Highness in This is the End, he wasn't exactly kidding. The actor told GQ in 2013 that he thinks the medieval stoner comedy from director David Gordon Green “sucks."

Whether or not you agree with these celebrities’ opinion of their own films, you cannot deny that it takes guts for an actor to admit when one of their own films missed the mark in their eyes.

Though Hollywood A-listers make more money for one movie that some of us will see in a lifetime, there are times where even some of the highest grossing actors of all time didn’t make as much as you'd think. Over the years, stars like Robert Downey Jr., Julia Roberts, and Brad Pitt have brought in massive paydays for acting and producing, but those same stars have also seen incredibly small paychecks for one reason or another.

If you’ve ever wanted to know about 33 actors who made way less than you’d think for a beloved movie, look no further…

Robert Downey Jr. Made $500,000 For Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. was the first major star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and would be a staple of the Infinity Saga for more than a decade. During this time, he made a ton of money for his superhero performances. However, he only took home a comparatively small payday of $500,000 for 2008’s Iron Man, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Bill Murray Made $9,000 For Rushmore

Bill Murray is one of the most beloved actors of all time and a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson’s ever since the release of Rushmore back in 1998. That fruitful partnership started out modestly for the SNL alum, as he was paid $9,000 for his take on Herman Blume, per Vulture.

Gal Gadot Made $300,000 For Wonder Woman

When Gal Gadot first signed on to portray Diana Prince in the DCEU back in 2014, Variety reported that the Fast & Furious star would take on a salary of $300,000 per movie, including Wonder Woman, which was released three years later.

Julia Roberts Made $300,000 For Pretty Woman

Though she had some success at the box office prior to its release, Julia Roberts turned into a massive star thanks to 1990’s Pretty Woman and one of the most well-known A-listers on the planet. However, Roberts, who would go on to earn a ton of cash for movies like Erin Brockovich years later, reportedly received a modest sum of $300,000 for her role in the all-time great romantic comedy, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hilary Swank Made $3,000 For Boys Don’t Cry

Hilary Swank won her first Oscar and became one of the most talked about actresses thanks to her transformative portrayal of Brandon Teena in Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry. When appearing on Women’s Dinner Party years later, Swank revealed she was paid $3,000 for the role, which wasn’t enough to qualify for health insurance.

Tom Hanks Made $50,000 For Toy Story

Tom Hanks, who won two Academy Awards prior to the 1995 release of Toy Story, was reportedly paid $50,000 to provide the voice of Woody in the landmark Pixar film, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the same article, the publication reported that Hanks made $5 million upfront for its 1999 sequel.

Oprah Winfrey Made $35,000 For The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple back in 1985. The media mogul, who is worth billions today, later told Essence she was paid $35,000 for portrayal of Sofia.

Robin Williams Made $75,000 For Aladdin

Aladdin will forever be remembered as one of the best Robin Williams movies, and rightfully so. And while the late actor provided countless hours of incredible lines for his co-starring performance, he only made $75,000 for his troubles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Jamie Lee Curtis Made $8,000 For Halloween

John Carpenter’s Halloween, one of the best horror movies, turned Jamie Lee Curtis into a scream queen almost overnight. However, the Academy Award winner later told People Magazine that she only made $8,000 for her portrayal of Laurie Strode.

Nick Castle Made $25/Day For Halloween

Nick Castle has played Michael Myers a total of five times over the years, with the most recent being 2022’s Halloween Ends. Though the role made him a horror icon, Castle told Vanity Fair he was only paid $25 for each day of shooting in the original back in 1978.

Matthew McConaughey Made Less Than $200,000 For Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey won an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, a role that ushered in a new era of his career. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was paid less than $200,000 upfront for the movie9 but did receive an undisclosed amount on the backend.

Chris Evans Made $300,000 For Captain America: The First Avenger

Chris Evans was a driving force for the first few phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was paid handsomely for his efforts later on. However, when he was cast to play Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, he reportedly only made $300,000, per The Guardian.

Jeff Daniels Made $50,000 For Dumb And Dumber

Jeff Daniels, who was mostly known for his dramatic roles at the time, was cast to appear alongside Jim Carrey in the Farrelly Brothers’ 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber despite New Line Cinema wanting someone else. Years later, the directors told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio low-balled him with an offer of $50,000, thinking he’d say no. You know the rest.

Taraji P. Henson Made $150,000 For The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Taraji P. Henson received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a performance that netted her a great deal of screen time. However, as she later told Variety, she was only paid $150,000 for the gig, which was several hundred thousand dollars less than her initial request of $500,000.

Jonah Hill Made $60,000 For The Wolf Of Wall Street 

Jonah Hill was paid $60,000 for his portrayal of Donnie Azoff in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 epic comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. While that may seem small considering the size of his role, Hill later told Howard Stern (via BBC) that he immediately took the offer, adding that he would have sold his house and given all his money to work with the acclaimed director. 

Orlando Bloom Made $175,000 For The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy 

Orlando Bloom was an instrumental part of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with his character, Legolas, being featured heavily throughout all three movies. During a 2023 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the actor revealed he was paid a total of $175,000 for the entire project.

Jon Heder Initially Made $1,000 For Napoleon Dynamite 

Napoleon Dynamite pretty much came out of nowhere and took the world by storm in 2004, partly because its star, Jon Heder. A few years after the film’s release, Heder told Stuff Magazine that he initially made $1,000 from the movie but was later able to negotiate his deal after MTV picked up distribution.

Daisy Ridley Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

Daisy Ridley was a relatively unknown actress when she was cast in one of the lead roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which might explain her low salary for the 2015 blockbuster. According to Variety, that number was reportedly between $100,000 and $300,000.

John Boyega Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

John Boyega’s Finn was one of the most heavily featured characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the young actor reportedly only received a payday somewhere between $100,000 and $300,000, per Variety.

James Earl Jones Made $7,000 For Star Wars

James Earl Jones’ dynamic voice gave Darth Vader a menacing edge in George Lucas' 1977 film Star Wars (and the rest of the franchise), but did you know that he was only paid $7,000 for the first movie? When speaking with the American Film Institute, the legendary actor admitted that he thought that was good money at the time.

Mel Gibson Made $9,000 For Mad Max 

After appearing in Mad Max, Mel Gibson would go on to lead some of the best action movies of all time, but back when he was cast in the late ‘70s, he was a broke college student. That’s why, as he told ExperienceWith.com, his $9,000 salary for George Miller’s dystopian thriller seemed like a fortune.

Seann William Scott Made $8,000 For American Pie 

American Pie was one of the biggest movies of the ‘90s, and Seann William Scott’s Stifler was its breakout character. So, how much did the young actor make for his career-defining role? Well, as he told The Rich Eisen Show in 2023, he was paid $8,000, most of which he spent on a used Thunderbird.

Christian Bale Made The Minimum Salary For American Psycho 

Christian Bale’s take on the unhinged Patrick Bateman in 2000’s American Psycho is one of the actor’s most unforgettable performances, but it could very well be one of his smallest paydays. Though he didn’t reveal the exact number in a 2022 GQ profile, the actor did say it was the “absolute minimum they were illegally allowed” to pay him.

Michelle Williams Made $625,000 For All The Money In The World 

Michelle Williams was reportedly only paid $625,000 for her portrayal of Gail Harris in Ridley Scott’s 2017 biographical crime thriller All the Money in the World, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Though this is a hefty fee, her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, was reported to have taken home $5 million for his role.

Barkhad Abdi Made $65,000 For Captain Phillips 

Barkhad Abdi became an overnight sensation following the release of Captain Phillips, in which he plays lead pirate Abduwali Muse. According to the New Yorker, Abdi’s acting debut and Oscar-nominated performance earned him $65,000.

Jennifer Lopez Made $0 For Hustlers 

Jennifer Lopez received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Hustlers, a movie she made for free. During a GQ breakdown of her biggest career moments, the multi-talented star said she starred in and produced the movie for no upfront money, as she was investing in herself. However, it wasn’t disclosed as to how much she made on the backend of the film’s release, which was $157.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

Gunnar Hansen Made $800 For Texas Chain Saw Massacre 

Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface is an instantly recognizable horror villain thanks to his mask made of human flesh and signature chainsaw. But did you know that the actor was only paid a three-digit sum for his performance in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? In 2013, the actor told Fast Company that he made $800 for his part in the iconic ‘70s horror movie.

Dustin Hoffman Made $20,000 For The Graduate 

The Graduate was the movie that turned Dustin Hoffman into a young Hollywood star, but it was also one that didn’t earn him a whole lot of money. According to a 1968 New York Times article, Hoffman reportedly made $20,000 for his career-defining role, but he only ended up keeping $4,000 of that after expenses and taxes were taken out.

John Candy Made $414 For His Home Alone Cameo 

The late John Candy appears in Home Alone for only a few minutes, but it’s still wild to think that his cameo only netted the actor $414. In the Home Alone episode of Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, it is revealed that Candy’s unforgettable portrayal of Gus Polinski, the Polka King of the Midwest, didn’t necessarily break the bank.

Jessica Chastain Made $1.75 Million For The Martian 

Jessica Chastain’s paycheck for The Martian was shockingly low. Around the time of the film’s 2015 release, there was a report that the actress made $7 million from her part, but she told The Huffington Post that she actually made around a quarter of that, which would be around $1.75 million. The film’s star, Matt Damon, reportedly made between $15 and 25 million for his part.

Brad Pitt Made $6,000 For Thelma And Louise 

Brad Pitt is one of the biggest and highest paid actors around today and has been that way for the better part of the past 30 years. However, that wasn’t always the case. According to the Daily Mail, the actor was paid just $6,000 for his breakout performance as JD in Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise.

Jon Voight Made The ‘Minimum’ Salary For Midnight Cowboy 

Jon Voight received all kinds of nominations for his performance in Midnight Cowboy, but the actor was paid the “minimum” for his portrayal of Joe Buck. When disclosing this to The Guardian decades later, Voight also revealed he received a $14.73 charge for meals on the final day of the shoot.

Adam Levine Made $0 For Begin Again 

Maroon 5 frontman and former coach on The Voice Adam Levine appeared in John Carney’s 2014 musical dramedy, Begin Again for free. When speaking with USA Today around the time of the film’s release, Levine explained that he did the movie “for no money,” stating that he had made enough through his other ventures and wanted the experience.

It’s safe to say that all of these actors have done okay for themselves over the years after making relatively small salaries throughout their career. But it’s still wild to think about Robert Downey Jr. only making half-a-million to play Tony Stark. What a steal.

In its nearly half a century on the air, Saturday Night Live has launched the careers of many icons who would go on to score some truly remarkable achievements. In fact, there are quite a few who have received attention from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for the talents they expressed on the big screen and, in some cases, from behind the camera. Let’s take a look at all the SNL stars with an Oscar nomination (and one with an Oscar win)… so far.

Dan Aykroyd (Best Supporting Actor, Driving Miss Daisy)

Following his stint as a founding SNL cast member, Dan Aykroyd went on to have a stellar movie career — including a few movies based on SNL characters, like The Blues Brothers. However, it is one of his more dramatic roles as Boolie Werthan in 1989’s Driving Miss Daisy that earned him recognition from The Academy. While Aykroyd did not take home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, the film took home four statuettes for Best Picture, Actress (Jessica Tandy), Makeup, and Adapted Screenplay.

George Coe (Best Live Action Short, De Düva: The Dove)

George Coe — who actually starred in the Best Picture Oscar winner Kramer vs. Kramer — was only credited as a Not Ready For Primetime Player on SNL’s very first episode, and he went on to occasionally appear in sketches throughout the freshman run. However, years earlier, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short for 1968’s De Düva: The Dove, which he co-directed with Anthony Lover. The filmmaker — who passed away in 2015 — also acted in the 15-minute parody of Ingmar Bergman films, alongside two-time Oscar nominee Madeline Kahn and Pamela Burrell of 1980's Popeye fame.

Joan Cusack (Best Supporting Actress, Working Girl And In & Out)

While only lasting on SNL for one season from 1985 to 1986, Joan Cusack went on to become the first alum to earn two Academy Award nominations not long after. Her first nod, for Best Supporting Actress, was for stealing the show in 1988’s Working Girl as Cyn. Her second nomination — and in the same category — was for her hilarious performance as one of the best ‘90s movie supporting characters, Emily Montgomery, in 1997’s In & Out.

Robert Downey Jr. (Win: Best Supporting Actor, Oppenheimer; Nominations: Best Actor, Chaplin; Best Supporting Actor, Tropic Thunder)

Though his single year on SNL is often forgotten, former Marvel movies star Robert Downey Jr. is known today as one of Hollywood’s most dynamic talents and his performances as recognized by the Academy are proof of why. He was first nominated for a dramatic performance as silent-era comedian Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s 1992 biopic, Chaplin, and again for his comedic performance as horribly misguided dramatic actor, Kirk Lazarus, in director Ben Stiller’s bold satire, Tropic Thunder, from 2008. He would finally take home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar (and become the first winning SNL cast alum) at the 2024 Academy Awards for his mesmerizing portrayal in Cristopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer cast as Lewis Strauss.

Michael McKean (Best Original Song, A Mighty Wind)

While best known to modern audiences for his Emmy-nominated work as Better Call Saul character, Chuck McGill, Michael McKean’s all-time biggest claim-to-fame are his collaborations with director and co-star (as well as fellow SNL alum) Christopher Guest on hilarious faux documentaries like Best in Show — one of the best movies of the 2000s — and A Mighty Wind. 

The latter 2003 comedy — about a folk music reunion concert — was nominated for one Oscar for the original song, “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow,” which McKean wrote with Annette O’Toole for Mitch & Mickey (Schitt’s Creek cast members Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara) to perform.

Laurie Metcalf (Best Supporting Actress, Lady Bird)

You would be forgiven if Laurie Metcalf's two contributions to SNL — a brief bit on “Weekend Update” and a short film also starring Catherine O’Hara — slipped your mind. She is much better known anyway for her role as Jackie on Roseanne (and The Conners), playing Sheldon's mom on The Big Bang Theory, and her Oscar-nominated role in writer and director Greta Gerwig's acclaimed A24 movie, 2017's Lady Bird, as the mother of the title character.

Eddie Murphy (Best Supporting Actor, Dreamgirls)

Another SNL veteran who has tried his hand at making music is Eddie Murphy, who had a Rick James-produced hit in 1985 with “Party All the Time.” However, some might say the peak of his musical talents (and acting talents) was his performance in one of his best movies, Dreamgirls, as titillating R&B singer, James “Thunder” Early. The role — seen as a comeback for the comedy legend at the time — earned Murphy a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination, but, much to the surprise of many, the statuette ultimately went to Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine.

Bill Murray (Best Actor, Lost In Translation)

After joining SNL as Chevy Chase’s replacement, Bill Murray, arguably, became an even bigger icon after he left the show — partially because of his willingness to branch out beyond comedy. Of course, writer and director Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation — one of the best movies produced by Focus Features — is not without its funny moments, but Murray’s performance as a fading movie star working as a spokesperson for a Japanese whiskey is a captivating meditation on loneliness. The Ghostbusters star absolutely earned his Oscar nomination for the role and, as some might argue, should have won.

Randy Quaid (Best Supporting Actor, The Last Detail)

The second person to become an SNL cast member with an Academy Award nomination before joining the show (after George Coe) was Randy Quaid, who was a regular for the 1985-1986 season. The performance that put the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation cast member in the running for an Oscar was 1973’s The Last Detail. He played Larry Meadows — a Navy seaman, dishonorably discharged for stealing, whom two first-class officers (Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) decide to show a good time before bringing him to prison.

Kristen Wiig (Best Original Screenplay, Bridesmaids)

The only Bridesmaids cast member to be recognized by the Academy for acting was Melissa McCarthy, but the brilliant Kristen Wiig — a member of, arguably, the best cast in SNL history — still got some deserved attention. Her script for the beloved 2011 comedy, which she co-wrote with her future Barb and Star co-star, Annie Mumolo, was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay that year. 

In addition to Robert Downey Jr’s win for acting in Oppenheimer, there are a couple of former backstage Studio 8H employees who have taken home Oscars – such as former SNL music director, Howard Shore. He won three Academy Awards for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies (scoring The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King and co-writing the song, “Into the West,” from the latter). Also, former writer Adam McKay has seven nominations under his belt, with one win for adapting The Big Short with Charles Randolph. 

Now, we'll just have to wait and see if and when any more Saturday Night Live alums from behind and in front of the camera become Oscar darlings.

Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood are also some of the most often snubbed by the Oscars when it comes to Best Actor and Actress Academy Awards. Legends like Harrison Ford, Jamie Lee Curtis, and many others have somehow had some of the most successful careers in film, but have only been nominated for one Academy Award in the acting categories. 

Harrison Ford - Nominated For Best Actor (Witness)

Harrison Ford is a national treasure, most everyone will agree. Everyone, it seems, except The Academy, as he has only ever nominated once, for 1985’s Witness. This actor has been in two of the biggest franchises in history, plus the two Jack Ryan movies and so much more. He should’ve been nominated for The Fugitive at least. 

Eddie Murphy - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Dreamgirls)

Another icon of the late 20th Century and early 21st Century is Eddie Murphy, who has only been nominated once, for Dreamgirls in 2007. This is probably more testament to the Academy's apparent lack of appreciation for some of his best comedic performances because I dare you to find better ones in history than Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop or Coming To America. 

Gwyneth Paltrow - Nominated For Best Actress (Shakespeare In Love)

Gwyneth Paltrow will likely be a polarizing name on this list because the actor herself tends to be, but she’s had a number of wonderful performances over the years. Roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Emma, and The Royal Tenenbaums are all worthy of more consideration than she’s received over the years. She's earned just one nomination for Shakespeare in Love, for which she also won. 

Taraji P. Henson - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button)

Taraji P. Henson has been nominated for more than thirty acting awards across her sterling career. Somehow, only one of those was for an Academy Award. Her lone Oscar nomination was for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008, and it’s frankly astounding that’s the only one. At a minimum, she should have been nominated for Hidden Figures alongside her cast-mate Octavia Spencer. Hopefully, this changes with her role in the upcoming remake of The Color Purple. 

Hugh Jackman - Nominated For Best Actor (Les Misérables)

Hugh Jackman is one award away from achieving EGOT status. The “O” is missing and shockingly he’s only been nominated once for an Oscar, for his performance in Les Misérables. The multi-talented Jackman has won so many awards, but is shut out yearly at the Academy Awards. The Oscars may not show much respect to comic book films, but everyone else does, and saying he should have been nominated for Logan isn’t a stretch, nor is saying it about his performance in The Greatest Showman.

Jamie Lee Curtis - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

Jamie Lee Curtis is one of the most versatile actors of her generation. Horror, comedy, drama, she does it all. And yet, she has little to show for it in terms of Oscar nominations. She finally was nominated (and won) for Everything Everywhere All At Once but where were the nominations for My Girl and A Fish Called Wanda?

Salma Hayek - Nominated For Best Actress (Frida)

It’s been more than two decades since Salma Hayek was first nominated for an Oscar, for 2001’s Frida and she’s not been nominated since. Hayek is an icon and one of the most beloved actors today, yet never seems to get the attention of the Academy. This is likely in part due to the discounting of action films, which have become Hayek’s bread and butter, but that doesn’t mean her performances in movies like Traffic and Beatriz at Dinner weren't worthy of attention.

Matthew McConaughey - Nominated For Best Actor (Dallas Buyers Club)

When Matthew McConaughey won the Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club after being nominated for the first and only time, he led his speech with his trademark “Alright, alright, alright” and while his role in Dazed and Confused is a classic, he certainly deserved nominations for other roles, like how about a nod for his supporting role in The Wolf Of Wall Street or his performance in the vastly underrated Mud?

Samuel L. Jackson - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Pulp Fiction)

If there is anyone on the list that should be a perennial nominee, it’s Samuel L. Jackson. His lone nomination came from his unforgettable and meme-able turn in Pulp Fiction, but he’s an actor who steals every scene he's in, in a good way. Just his roles in Quentin Tarantino films alone, like Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, are worthy of nominations, but it hasn’t happened, sadly. Thankfully for all of us, Jackson was given an honorary Oscar in 2021 for his contributions to film, which is some consolation. 

Uma Thurman - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (Pulp Fiction)

Speaking of Pulp Fiction, the Tarantino classic also led to Uma Thurman’s one and only Academy Award nomination. Despite being one of the biggest stars on the planet, Thurman seems to have no luck getting the attention of the Academy. One role that really stands out is in the under-appreciated Prime. 

Benedict Cumberbatch - Nominated For Best Actor (The Imitation Game)

One has to believe that more nominations will be coming for Benedict Cumberbatch. Thus far, his only acknowledgment from the Oscars was for his wonderful performance as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. There are plenty of other roles he could have been nominated for, especially as William Bulger in Black Mass and Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate and that’s just the roles in which he’s played real people! 

Mark Wahlberg - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (The Departed)

In 1990, no one would have expected “Marky” Mark Wahlberg to appear on any kind of list like that, but almost 35 years later, it’s astounding his only Oscar nomination has been for The Departed (one of our picks for the 100 best movies of the 2000s). You have to question why he was ignored for Boogie Nights, for sure. The Fighter is another clear snub, though he was technically nominated for Best Picture as a producer of the film. 

Halle Berry - Nominated For Beat Actress (Monster's Ball)

When Halle Berry earned her one Oscar nomination for 2001’s Monster’s Ball, she was the odds-on favorite to win. She had become one of the biggest stars of the 1990s and now was her time to shine. She won, of course, but sadly, it would be the last time Berry would be nominated, so far, at least. It’s a shame because there are plenty of roles she’d be deserving of a nomination, like Frankie & Alice, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Laurence Fishburne - Nominated For Best Actor (What's Love Got To Do With It)

This could be the most shocking on the list. At first thought, you might guess Laurence Fishburne was nominated for his amazing work as Furious Styles in Boyz n the Hood or Professor Phipps in John Singleton’s other masterpiece, Higher Learning. Alas, the Matrix star has only one nomination, for playing Ike Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It, and he didn’t win. 

Josh Brolin  - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Milk)

Josh Brolin has been a favorite since he was a teenager in The Goonies. He’s also starred in some powerhouse movies, like Sicario and, most of all, No Country For Old Men. No Country won a slew of Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Barden, and yet Brolin wasn’t even nominated. It frankly doesn’t make sense. Brolin’s lone nomination came from his wonderful performance in Milk, but that was the year that the late Heath Ledger won for The Dark Knight.

Sharon Stone - Nominated For Best Actress (Casino)

You could argue that while Sharon Stone was brilliant in Casino, it wasn’t even her best performance, though it’s the only time she’s been nominated. She wasn’t nominated for Basic Instinct, despite winning the Golden Globe for the role, nor for the underrated The Muse in 2000. At least we have Casino. 

Tilda Swinton - Nominated For For Best Supporting Actress (Michael Clayton)

2007's Michael Clayton was awash in acting nominations, including George Clooney for Best Actor and Tom Wilkinson for Best Supporting Actor. The only winner of the night, though, was Tilda Swinton for Best Supporting Actress. Over her incredible career, Swinton has been honored for other roles, like her parts in The Deep End, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and even Snowpiercer, but this remains her only Oscar nod. 

Liam Neeson - Nominated For Best Actor (Schindler’s List)

Long before Liam Neeson re-invented himself as an action star in summer blockbusters, he was a character actor carving out a nice career in film. Then came the epic Schindler's List. He was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor in a movie, though he lost out to Tom Hanks for Philadelphia. In the 30 years since, Neeson has not been nominated, not even for fantastic turns in The Gangs of New York, Michael Collins, or Rob Roy. For shame.  

Lupita Nyong'o - Nominated For Best Actress (12 Years A Slave)

Lupita Nyong'o burst onto the Hollywood scene with her heartbreakingly beautiful performance in 12 Years A Slave. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress and has since been racking up the accolades everywhere... except the Oscars. Despite well-received turns in Us and Queen of Katwe, not to mention her roles in the Black Panther films, she hasn't again been nominated. 

Sean Connery - Nominated For Best Supporting Actors (The Untouchables)

Sean Connery was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and yet he was virtually ignored by the Academy for his whole career. Setting aside his brilliance as James Bond, Connery should’ve earned nods for The Hunt For Red October, and The Name Of The Rose, at least. Instead, his only nomination came for The Untouchables, which, thankfully, he won. 

Alec Baldwin - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (The Cooler)

Another fantastic performance in The Hunt for Red October that didn’t get recognition is Alec Baldwin’s as Jack Ryan. Baldwin could’ve been nominated for either of his two on-screen performances in 1992, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Prelude To A Kiss, but again he was snubbed. His only nomination came for his role in The Cooler.

Diane Lane - Nominated For Best Actress (Unfaithful)

Diane Lane found her footing in film in the late 1990s with outstanding performances in movies like A Walk on the Moon and The Perfect Storm, either of which could've been award-winning. Instead, it wasn't until 2002's Unfaithful that she got the recognition she deserved when she was nominated for Best Actress. 

Bill Murray - Nominated For Best Actor (Lost in Translation)

The Academy has missed out on great performances by one of the best comedic actors the world has ever seen in Bill Murray. Stripes, Ghostbusters, What About Bob?, and Groundhog's Day are some of the most beloved comedies of all time, and Murray was never recognized. Nor was he for his brilliant turns in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. Murray's sole nomination came, deservingly, for 2003's Lost In Translation. 

Jennifer Connelly - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (A Beautiful Mind)

Jennifer Connelly has been wowing audiences for decades, including in 2022's massive hit Top Gun: Maverick. It appears though, that she has not been wowing the Academy, as she's only ever been nominated for one Oscar, which she won, for her role in 2001's A Beautiful Mind. Other roles have earned her other awards, like her parts in Requiem For A Dream and The House of Sand and Fog, but to date, nothing from the Academy Awards. 

Kathleen Turner - Nominated For Best Actress (Peggy Sue Got Married)

Despite massive hits like Body Heat, Serial Mom, and of course, Romancing The Stone, Kathleen Turner has only earned one Oscar nomination, for the vastly underrated Francis Ford Coppola film from 1986, Peggy Sue Got Married. Surely this icon of the screen deserves more. 

Robert Redford - Nominated For Best Actor (The Sting)

It’s astounding that the great Robert Redford has only one acting nomination in his whole career, for The Sting. Though he defined what a movie star is, Redford never received Oscar attention for roles in All The President’s Men, All Is Lost, Out Of Africa, and Three Days of the Condor, among many others. The list is endless here. He has been nominated twice for Best Director, for Ordinary People and Quiz Show, and won for the former. Redford also received an Honorary Oscar in 2002.

Catherine Zeta-Jones - Nominated For Best Actress (Chicago)

At the 75th Academy Awards, Chicago was the biggest winner of the night, garnering 13 nominations and winning six of them, including Catherine Zeta-Jones for Best Actress. Alas, this, so far, is the only time the Welsh actress has even been nominated, despite powerhouse roles in Traffic and Entrapment. At least she shares this dubious distinction with her husband Michael Douglas. 

Micheal Douglas - Nominated For Best Actor (Wall Street)

Gordon Gekko in Wall Street is one of the all-time great cinema villains and Michael Douglas richly deserved the Academy Award he won for playing the part in 1988. An actor with a slew of amazing performances from Falling Down, to Traffic, to Fatal Attraction and more, with only one acting nomination. He was also nominated/won for Best Picture in 1976 as the producer of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. 

Lauren Bacall - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (The Mirror Has Two Faces)

Lauren Bacall was one of the true icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood, starring in such films as The Big Sleep, Key Largo, and many, many more over her career. Shockingly, it took until 1997 for the Academy to recognize her work when she was finally nominated for a Best Supporting Actress role for The Mirror Has Two Faces. She did finally receive a well-deserved honorary Oscar in 2000. 

Kevin Costner - Nominated For Best Actor (Dances With Wolves)

Dances With Wolves was the darling of the Oscars in 1991. It was nominated for 12 awards, winning seven, including Best Director for Kevin Costner and Best Picture, which Costner won as a producer. It was also the one and only time Costner has been nominated for an acting Academy Award. There are so many other iconic parts he should’ve gotten more credit for, like JFK, Bull Durham, The Untouchables, and Hidden Figures, just to name a few. 

It just goes to show that even being a huge box office draw, and a megastar doesn't mean you'll get recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Oscars are incredibly hard to win and even being nominated is an honor, they say. Still, for everyone on the list, you'd think they'd have more than one.  

How do you pick just one of the ‘80s movies for the biggest movie stars of the decade? It’s a challenging task, but we figure we’re up for the job. So if you find yourself only able to watch a single '80s film starring each of these icons, here’s the only list you’ll need. 

Tom Cruise - Top Gun

This one is obvious, right? Top Gun is the movie that made Tom Cruise a superstar and his career has never wavered since. It was such a cultural phenomenon at the time that not only did it make an astounding $357 million at the box office (against a $15 million budget), it became the best-selling VHS tape of all time, based on pre-orders alone! Everyone saw it that summer, and again when it was released on home video. He revived the franchise 36 years later and dominated at the box office again with Top Gun: Maverick. 

Steve Martin - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Steve Martin had a string of hits in the 1980s, but his best of the bunch was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It’s a perfect example of how varied Martin’s comedy could be. At times refined, at others completely physical and off the wall. Martin puts everything into this performance and it shows in the results. It’s just a brilliantly hilarious film. 

Whoopi Goldberg - Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Whoopi Goldberg burst onto the big screen in The Color Purple (more on that film in a minute). Her performance was lauded by critics, with Roger Ebert calling it “one of the most amazing debut performances in movie history.” It’s certainly a film worth watching for her Oscar-nominated performance, but if you really want to get a great idea of what Goldberg was all about in the ‘80s, check out  Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Goldberg is, after all, a comedian at heart, and she brings all her comedic skill to bare in this early tech/spy thriller. It’s another A+ performance from the star of The View.

Goldie Hawn - Overboard

Goldie Hawn was already a veteran in show business by the time the ‘80s started, but she saved some of her best performances for the decade. In her final movie of the decade, she teamed up with Kurt Russell for Overboard, and the chemistry between the two is right there on the screen for all to see. Both actors are amazing, and Hawn truly is one of America’s sweethearts. 

Morgan Freeman - Lean On Me

By 1989, Morgan Freeman had been steadily working in Hollywood for more than two decades, but it was that year that his career jumped to superstar levels. He starred in 4 films in the final year of the decade, including Driving Miss Daisy and Glory. Those two films garnered 14 Oscar nominations between them, including a Best Actor nod for Freeman. It was a third film though, Lean On Me that really lit the screen on fire. Based on the true story of a principal named Joe Clark who is charged with cleaning up a Paterson, NJ school. Freeman’s performance is powerful and set the stage for all that came after it in his career. 

Demi Moore - About Last Night

One of the actors to emerge out of the 1980s “Brat Pack,” Demi Moore forged a career that lasted well into the ‘90s and beyond, with some of her finest work coming in her first few films. One of those, About Last Night, holds up incredibly well. It’s a unique take on the rom-com and is at times much more serious than so many others from this era, due in large part to the grittier story it was adapted from (David Mamet’s play, Sexual Perversity in Chicago) and Moore’s excellent performance alongside Rob Lowe.  

Harrison Ford - Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Sure, there are a few movies that would fit here for Harrison Ford, like that one about the space wars or whatever it’s called. But for pure, distilled Ford, nothing beats Indiana Jones and nothing beats the OG Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s Ford at his very best: snarky, charming, witty, and tough. No Nazi is safe with Indy after them. 

Oprah Winfrey - The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey’s rise to all-powerful media queen began in the ‘80s and a very big piece of that was her acting performance in 1985’s The Color Purple. She was nominated for an Oscar in her film debut and almost four decades later, the film’s powerful message of overcoming abuse still resonates with audiences. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, though it shockingly didn’t win any, which is a shame. 

Chevy Chase - Fletch

Like Harrison Ford, you could go in a lot of directions with Chevy Chase, but, like Raiders, you need to go with the purest form of Chase and for that, there is nothing better than the original Fletch. He's at his sarcastic best as Irwin Fletcher. No one can quite be as charmingly condescending as peak Chase and no one is spared here. Order up a couple of steak sandwiches and some caviar; Fletch just hit a water buffalo.

Meryl Streep - Out Of Africa

In the 10 Academy Awards shows of the ‘80s, Meryl Streep was nominated seven times. She won her first (and only of the decade) for 1982’s Sophie’s Choice, but let’s get real, as amazing as she is in it, no one really wants to sit down with a bowl of popcorn and watch that one. Instead, consider a performance just as good, but slightly more upbeat (only slightly, though). Out of Africa is beautiful, as are Streep and Robert Redford in the lead roles, and the tragic story comes to life like magic with her performance. 

Geena Davis - Beetlejuice

Geena Davis made steady progress in her career in the early ‘80s but really found a new level in Beetlejuice. Her on-screen partnership with Alec Baldwin as two ghosts frustrated with the people living in their house is excellent, as they more or less play the “straight man” to Micheal Keaton’s titular character. It’s not an easy gig, but Davis is amazing. 

Jackie Chan - Police Story

Jackie Chan didn’t break big in the United States until the ‘90s and by then he was the biggest action star in Hong Kong. It was 1985’s Police Story that solidified his spot at the top and if you’ve never seen it, you definitely need to. While Chan has always been an amazing stuntman, it’s Police Story that brings all his skills to the forefront, from amazing fight scenes to the epic opening car chase with Chan hanging onto a bus with an umbrella as he pursues the baddies. It’s one of the most insane stunts in Chan’s history of insane stunts. 

Kathleen Turner - Romancing The Stone

Romancing the Stone is one of the great comedies of the 1980s and features some amazing performances from Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito, but Kathleen Turner’s Joan Wilder takes the cake. Or the bail of pot, as the case may be here. Walking that line between an intrepid explorer looking for her kidnapped sister and a damsel in distress, Turner shines. Her chemistry with Douglas and DeVito is so good, they made two more films together, the sequel Jewel of the Nile and the unrelated The War of the Roses, but it’s Stone that remains the best. 

Michael Douglas - Wall Street

Michael Douglas is great as Jack in Romancing The Stone, but it’s his portrayal of Gordon Gekko in Wall Street that makes for one of the greatest movie villains in cinema history. Of course, he won an Oscar for the performance, but it’s how quotable the movie and his character are that makes it one of the best of all time, even if those quoting don’t always understand the heavy-handed irony in each line. 

Edward James Olmos - Stand And Deliver

With Stand And Deliver, director Ramón Menéndez told the true story of math teacher Jaime Escalante who sought to raise the level of education single-handily in an East LA high school by daring to teach underprivileged Hispanic kids calculus. Edward James Olmos plays Escalante brilliantly, earning himself an Oscar nomination in the process. 

Tom Hanks - Big

Tom Hanks grew up with Big, literally and figuratively. It marks the point in his career when he jumped from a wild and wacky comedian to an actor who can take on any role, no matter how serious, and make it his own. There are the wilder moments, but there is also a real vulnerability to the man-child Josh Baskin that Hanks makes so authentic for the audience. It’s no wonder it earned him his first Oscar nomination. 

Daryl Hannah - Splash

Another Hanks movie also happens to be the great Daryl Hannah’s finest performance. Before Ariel, there was Madison, the mermaid who longed to walk on the land with humans and falls in love with an average Joe. Hannah’s performance magically convinces audiences that it’s exactly what a fish out of water would be like. 

Mel Gibson - Lethal Weapon

Back before Mel Gibson was a lightening rod for controversy, he played some pretty amazing roles and none more so that Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon series. From the very first scene, audiences see that classic “Mel Gibson Crazy Eyes” face and it sets the tone for the movie and the franchise, one that had remarkable life to it. That first scene is also why Lethal Weapon should be in the conversation for the best Christmas movie, alongside Die Hard. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Terminator

The decade wouldn't be as big and as over the top as it was without Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Austrian bodybuilder took the movie world by storm and there are any number of enjoyable performances, but if you're looking at 1980s movies, you have to choose The Terminator. It launched him to superstardom, and it kicked off a franchise of Terminator movies that's lasted for decades. Sure, he only has a handful of lines, but no one could top his performance as a relentless killing machine that we all somehow fell in love with… later. 

Sylvester Stallone - First Blood

Not only did First Blood launch one of the most enduring franchises of the era, but it’s also just a really good film. It could be argued that it’s Sylvester Stallone’s best. His performance as a down-and-out Vietnam vet highlighted the plight of returning soldiers from that war. Brian Dennehy plays the antagonist perfectly as the angry sheriff that doesn’t take kindly to strangers in his town. A+. 

Michelle Pfeiffer - Scarface

Scarface really hasn’t aged all that well. Sure, the memes are fantastic, but as a film, it feels as dated as neon green headbands and electric typewriters. The lone exception is Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance. It’s still great, and made her one of the biggest stars of the 1980s. 

Molly Ringwald - Sixteen Candles

Molly Ringwald was once called John Hughes’ muse and it’s easy to see why she became such a mainstay in many of his hit movies from the era. Sixteen Candles is truly one of the funniest movies of the ‘80s, in part because of the side characters, but mostly it’s due to Ringwald’s fantastic performance as the girl the family forgot. 

Denzel Washington - Glory

Denzel Washington was nominated for his first Oscar for 1987’s Cry Freedom, but he won his first for 1989’s Glory. The cool thing about Glory is that it’s actually one of his most powerful performances, as audiences didn’t know him as DENZEL yet. The movie follows one of the few Black companies fighting for the Union during the Civil War and tells a story that had sort of been forgotten in the public consciousness at the time. The success of Glory and of Washington’s performance, especially in the scene where he is whipped, is one of the reasons that story will never be forgotten again. 

Jodie Foster - The Accused

The Accused is not an easy movie to watch. It begins with one of the most brutal rape scenes in cinema history and follows Jodie Foster’s character, Sarah Tobias, on the quest to get justice. The subject matter was so intense, the role was reportedly turned down by a number of A-listers at the time. It was fortuitous for Foster, who had struggled to re-ignite her career after attending Yale. Her performance won her an Oscar and the rest is history. 

Sally Field - Steel Magnolias

There are great Sally Field movies in every decade since she jumped from TV to the big screen in the mid-70s. For the ‘80s, you can’t go wrong with Steel Magnolias. It may be a tad melodramatic at times, but it stays grounded with the acting by Field and other stars like Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, and Shirley MacLaine. 

Bill Murray - Ghostbusters

Bill Murray had so many great movies in the 1980s, it’s difficult to pick just one, but in the end, you have to go with Ghostbusters. His turn as Peter Venkman is so funny, so quotable, and so lovable, that without him, it would be a completely different movie. John Belushi in the role was the original plan, but after his death, Murray ended up in the role, and now we can’t imagine it any other way. 

Robin Williams - Good Morning Vietnam

Good Morning Vietnam was an important movie in Robin Williams' stellar career. It was the movie that truly showed audiences just how great his acting chops were. He was no longer just the frenetic comedian running around the stage inspiring laughs. Williams showed his dramatic side, especially after the bomb went off in his favorite cafe. Of course, there is plenty of off-the-wall zaniness from him that we all love, which makes it one of his most well-rounded performances. 

Glenn Close - Fatal Attraction

There are few more quintessential scenes from the 1980s than the boiling bunny in Fatal Attraction. Glenn Close’s performance as the unpredictable, jilted lover is just as iconic. Like the bunny in the pot, her character comes to a slow boil, getting more and more intense as the movie moves along. It’s a masterclass in acting from the legend. 

Micheal J. Fox - Back To The Future

No way we were going to leave Michael J. Fox off this list. Between Family Ties, and Teen Wolf, there is no actor that defines the decade quite like him. Of course, it’s no surprise that the essential movie for any Fox fan is the great Back to the Future. It’s a movie that has been introduced to, and loved by, countless people from Generation X and the following generations. It’s beloved by all. 

Jane Fonda - 9 To 5

Jane Fonda, like Sally Field, has decades of outstanding movies and performances, but when she teamed up with Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin to make 9 to 5, she became an icon to a whole new generation. It’s been more than forty years since its release, but the chemistry between Fonda and Tomlin remains, as they proved last year with Moving On.

Eddie Murphy - Coming To America

Last, but certainly not least, we have one of the biggest breakout stars of the 1980s, Eddie Murphy. Like others, it’s hard to decide on just one, but in the end, it simply has to be Coming To America. It’s the quintessential Murphy film filled with memorable quotes and amazing performances from the entire cast, especially Murphy. 

This list could go on and on. The 1980s were a magical decade in theaters and crafting exhaustive list would prove to be impossible. Luckily, you can find the best ‘80s movies, and even '80s movies that don't get enough love if you need more. 

It isn’t that uncommon for a director to build a troupe of actors and continually call on them for the latest and greatest projects. Greats like Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Christopher Nolan have done it a lot over the years, working time and time again with the likes of Robert De Niro, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Cillian Murphy, respectively; and so too does Wes Anderson.

In addition to each of his movies featuring a unique sense of style and humor, as well as his signature shots, Anderson’s work has largely featured the same group of actors (though some get off the bus while others get on) taking on various roles. Names like Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson quickly come to mind when this discussion is brought up, but who’s appeared in the most movies directed by the quirky and eccentric filmmaker? Well, funny you should ask… 

Bill Murray - 9 Movies 

In a June 2023 interview with Deadline, Anderson said he “can’t imagine not working with” Bill Murray again, and that the only reason the actor wasn’t part of Asteroid City was because he contracted COVID ahead of production. But, even though he didn’t appear in the movie CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg called a “meta, Looney Tunes-esque delight,” he’s still the most prolific of all of Anderson’s collaborators.

In fact, since first working with the filmmaker for his 1998 sophomore effort, Rushmore, Murray has appeared in all of his movies, both live-action and animated, outside of the aforementioned Asteroid City. This comes to a total of nine films. He doesn’t always have the biggest role, but more times than not, he steals the show.

Jason Schwartzman - 8 Movies

Jason Schwartzman, in addition to being on one of the greatest HBO shows that ended too early, has also been one of Anderson’s most called upon stars, including for Asteroid City. Since first landing the starring role in Rushmore (his feature film debut), the former Phantom Planet drummer has appeared in all but two of the director’s movies: The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Schwarzman isn’t always the main attraction, but more times than not, he serves as a nice addition in films like The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom. And, when he’s not around, the actor’s absence can be felt.

Owen Wilson - 7 Movies

The partnership shared by Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson is unlike any other on this list, as the Loki star has not only acted in seven of the director’s movies, but also co-written several of them. They first collaborated on the 1994 short film, Bottle Rocket, which would be turned into their respective feature film debuts two years later. The future “Frat Pack” member would also receive writing credit for Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, though he didn’t act in the former (maybe his spot in the Armageddon cast got in the way).

Since then, the Texas native has been in every Anderson movie save for Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, and Asteroid City. His roles have ranged from the lead in The Darjeeling Limited to small parts in the likes of The French Dispatch.

Adrien Brody - 5 Movies

Unlike the first three actors on this list, Adrien Brody didn’t start working with the director until his fifth movie, The Darjeeling Limited. But ever since appearing in the 2007 comedy about three estranged brothers who embark on a “spiritual journey,” the Academy Award-winning actor has appeared in five of Anderson’s movies, missing only two: Moonrise Kingdom and Isle of Dogs.

Some of Anderson’s best movies have featured Brody in roles ranging from minor parts like Mouse in Fantastic Mr. Fox to unforgettable characterizations in the likes of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and everywhere in between. 

Anjelica Huston - 5 Movies

Anjelica Huston, with her Oscar, Golden Globe, and collection of other accolades, is another prolific collaborator of Anderson’s. Since playing Etheline Tenenbaum in 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums, the actress appeared in four additional movies, the most recent being The French Dispatch, which featured her as the narrator for the movie’s introduction.

It should also be noted that Huston does appear in the Isle of Dogs cast, even though she plays a character listed as “Mute Poodle,” as Anderson couldn’t find a proper speaking role for the talented actress. 

Bob Balaban - 5 Movies

Although he is best known for his appearances in Christohper Guest’s movies, Bob Balaban is also a frequent collaborator with Wes Anderson, appearing in a total of five movies over the years.

Ever since he provided the narration in Moonrise Kingdom, Balaban has had some kind of role in Anderson’s films, including the 2023 release of Asteroid City. He’s not the first actor you probably think of when discussing the filmmaker’s work, but Balaban is prolific nonetheless. 

Edward Norton - 5 Movies

Just like Balaban and the actress who follows just below, Edward Norton has appeared in all five of Wes Anderson’s most recent films dating back to Moonrise Kingdom. These appearances have been all over the place, with the talented actor playing every type of character from a boy scout leader in the 2012 coming-of-age comedy to an inspector from a fictional European country in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Norton most recently appeared in Asteroid City, in which he played Conrad Earp, the legendary playwright who crafted the stage production at the heart of the movie. 

Tilda Swinton - 5 Movies

Including her portrayal of a tenacious and determined social services worker in Moonrise Kingdom, Tilda Swinton has had a sizable role in five of Anderson’s movies. The talented Academy Award-winning actress has helped bring to life some of the filmmaker’s most unforgettable characters during that stretch, including writer J.K.L. Berensen in the first of three main stories in the 2021 comedy film, The French Dispatch.

Swinton brings a fun and unique energy to each of her performances in his movies, which is probably why the director continues to call up on her as often as he does.

Willem Dafoe - 5 Movies

Willem Dafoe first worked with Wes Anderson in 2004’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which just happens to be one of the actor’s best movies. Since he played Zissou’s deeply devoted first mate, Klaus Daimler, nearly 20 years ago, Dafoe has gone on to appear in four additional Anderson pics, the most recent being Asteroid City.

Though his characters have been all over the spectrum of good and evil, Dafoe has been consistently great in each of his portrayals, creating some hilarious, heartfelt, and unforgettable moments, even when he doesn’t get a lot of screen time.

Jeff Goldblum - 4 Movies

And then there is Jeff Goldblum, who has appeared in a total of four Anderson movies. The partnership started with 2004’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and has continued sporadically over the years. 

The iconic actor most recently appeared in Asteroid City, but we won’t go into the identity of his character so that we don’t spoil anything for those who have yet to see the movie.

These are Wes Anderson’s most prolific collaborators, but there are many other actors who have appeared in his various releases for the past quarter-century or so. Luke WIlson (3), Tony Revolori (3), Liev Schreiber (3), Fisher Stevens (4), Frances McDormand (3), Jeffrey Wright (2), and countless others have worked with the director on more than one occasion. We can expect this list to change in time, especially with The Phoenician Scheme on the way.

Celebrity couples are commonplace in the entertainment industry, and fans love watching relationships amongst their faves blossom. For example, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds seem perfect together, and John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are a match made in heaven. However once in a while, a romance rumor shocks the world. That was the case when this past week, Bill Murray and singer Kelis were rumored to be dating. Since then, the hip hop artist has been asked by a fan to confirm the reports, and she had a very funny response.

Amidst rumors circulating about this unlikely couple, the “Milkshake” singer posted a photo of herself on Instagram, which showed her enjoying some time at the beach. While many supporters commented on how great she looks, many were dying to know if she's actually dating the Lost in Translation actor. One fan commented:

This is clearly a cheeky comment, referencing how stunning the "Trick Me" performer looks -- but also being firm about wanting answers. While she's didn't actually comment on her relationship status, the singer humorously replied to the fan, saying:

This isn’t a confirmation that the 43-year-old songstress is seeing the 72-year-old Oscar nominee, though it isn’t a denial either. Fans wanting a definitive answer to the legitimacy of this couple may be disappointed, as she doesn’t seem interested in commenting on the rumors at all. For now, it seems like the speculation will continue. Interestingly, the Scrooged actor was spotted watching Kelis perform at London’s Mighty Hoopla festival this month, so we can at least say that the SNL alum is familiar with her work.

However, if the rumors are true, it is certainly an unlikely pairing, as both stars come from very different corners of the entertainment industry. Bill Murray is considered to be a comedy legend with a prolific acting career, starring in fan favorites like Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters and Caddyshack. He's also notably a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson and has seen him evolve as a filmmaker in the process. Kelis, meanwhile, is best known for her contributions to hip hop and rap music. Her claim to fame was the 2003 single “Milkshake,” which earned her a Grammy nomination. She's also still killing it based on this Instagram bikini pic so, if Murray is indeed drawn to her, then it's understandable. You can see the post in question below:

Her hit song is famously featured in the 2004 film Mean Girls, so there is an (incredibly small) link there. They also have common ground due to their mutual connection to Selena Gomez. Murray co-starred with the singer in the zombie apocalypse-centered romp The Dead Don’t Die, and Kelis was a guest star on Selena + Chef. Of course, these are all just minor details in the grand scheme of things. Only time will tell whether they confirm any kind of romantic sparks between them, and you can bet that many people will be waiting anxiously for a definitive answer.

For now, fans of Bill Murray can see his iconic cameo in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which is streaming now with a Disney+ subscription. Kelis’ music is also available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music, while her episode of Selena + Chef is available now for Max subscribers.

Sometimes there are certain celebrity romantic pairings that seem like a match made in heaven, or at the very least make some degree of sense. For example, although it was never officially confirmed they were together, Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell reportedly dated while working on Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, though they ultimately split by September 2021. But then there are pairings that come along which are completely surprising, and today brings one of those, as Bill Murray and singer Kelis are reportedly dating.

According to The Sun, the Ghostbusters actor was seen in London last week watching the singer behind singles like “Milkshake” and “Bossy” perform on stage at the Mighty Hoopla music festival, and he’s attended some of her other recent shows too. But apparently this isn’t just Murray being a fan of Kelis; the outlet’s sources claim that they were together at the same hotel and have been “getting close for a while” after meeting in the United States. The 73-year-old actor also posed with the 43-year-old singer backstage.

The article explains that Bill Murray and Kelis have bonded over having suffered similar loss, with the former’s second ex-wife, Jennifer Butler (they divorced in 2008), passing away in 2021, while the second husband, Mike Mora, died last year. An unnamed “friend” had the following to say about Murray and Kelis’ relationship:

While I doubt I’m alone in never having put Bill Murray and Kelis dating on my bingo card, this certainly isn’t the only couple with a big age gap to get attention in the news lately. In those cases though, they revolve around babies coming, with 79-year-old Robert De Niro having welcomed his seventh child, and 83-year-old Al Pacino awaiting the arrival of his fourth child. This relationship news also comes after Murray, who recently appeared as Lord Krylar in Ant-Man: and the Wasp: Quantumania (which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription), faced a misconduct complaint while working on Aziz Ansari’s now-scrapped movie Being Mortal last year, with it later being alleged that he’d kissed and straddled a “much younger” female crew member.

Although the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel is slated among the 2023 new movie releases to come out in December, it has yet to be officially clarified if Bill Murray will reprise Peter Venkman in it. For now, he’s evidently enjoying his time with Kelis, and should any additional details about their relationship be shared, we’ll let you know.

In the making of Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, things definitely didn't go as planned. The film, titled Being Mortal (based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Atul Gawande), went into production in March 2022, but filming was halted a few weeks in due to the investigation of a complaint against star Bill Murray. In the following months, Murray spoke out about the controversy, but it was announced by Searchlight Pictures earlier this year that the movie was cancelled. This was obviously a big career blow to Ansari, but he's now set to get back up on the metaphorical horse – set to helm a brand new project that has Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves attached to play leading roles.

According to Variety, the new comedy is titled Good Fortune... though that is presently pretty much all we know about it, as plot details are being kept a secret. Ansari is set to wear many hats in the making of the movie, as he will not only be directing, but also writing the script and co-starring. As you probably could have guessed, there isn't any information available about the roles that Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves will be playing.

Good Fortune will mark a reunion for Aziz Ansari and Rogen, as the Fabelmans actor had a leading role in Being Mortal opposite Bill Murray and Keke Palmer. As actors, the two men have shared credits in Jody Hill's Observe And Report, Judd Apatow's Funny People, and Rogen's own directorial debut This Is The End (which he helmed in collaboration with Evan Goldberg).

In complete contrast, this will be Keanu Reeves first time working with both Aziz Ansari and Seth Rogen. This is a side-effect of the John Wick: Chapter 4 star not doing a lot of comedies – but he is far from a neophyte when it comes to funny movies. After all, we are now just a few years removed from his reprisal as Ted "Theodore" Logan in Dean Parisot's Bill And Ted Face The Music, and he is hilarious playing himself in Nahnatchka Khan's Always Be My Maybe (which arrived on Netflix in 2019):

Good Fortune is evidently moving very quickly through the stages of production, as Lionsgate has picked up the rights to the movie and filming is expected to begin in Los Angeles in May. As more is reported about the project, hopefully we'll get a better sense of what to expect from it plot-wise.

If you're curious about Aziz Ansari's skills as a director, he helmed 11 episodes of Master Of None, which he co-created with Alan Yang (and is available to stream with a Netflix subscription). For those of you who need a Keanu Reeves fix immediately, John Wick: Chapter 4 is still kicking a lot of ass in theaters, and as for Seth Rogen, he voices Donkey Kong in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is presently dominating the box office.

Given how soon production on Good Fortune will begin, it theoretically won't be long until it's released, and in the meantime you can plan your next trip to the theater with our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.