Still Short of an Oscar, Bill Murray Tries His Hand as a US President
Funnyman Bill Murray long ago mastered the ability to wring laughs by saying absurd things in a matter-of-fact tone, but even he was caught off guard when first approached to play Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the new film âHyde Park on Hudson.â
âI thought âOh God, Iâm being asked to play Roosevelt?â ... How do you take this monster on?â he said.
His decision to portray the 32nd US president is looking like another shrewd move in a career that, at the age of 61, still may be on the upswing.
Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival this week, âHyde Park,â which will open in US movie theaters on Dec. 7 in the heat of the Oscar race, has earned Murray early awards buzz for his performance.
However, Murray, who admits to being disappointed at not winning the award in 2004 when he was nominated for âLost in Translation,â said he wasnât drawn to the role by the obvious Oscar-bait overtones of playing the polio-stricken president.
âThereâs an expression in Yiddish, schmuck bait,â he deadpanned. âTo me, an Oscar-type role, when I see those kinds of roles, I consider them schmuck bait. Theyâre often sentimental, schmaltz. This one wasnât sentimental at all, because itâs a sort of behind-the-curtain look.â
Named for the town in upstate New York where the Roosevelts kept their family home, the film takes place over the summer of 1939, as FDR prepares to host Britainâs King George VI and his wife Elizabeth for a visit that could set the stage for US-British cooperation once war breaks out in Europe.
The story is told from the perspective of FDRâs distant cousin Daisy, played by Laura Linney, who becomes a confidant and welcome distraction for the president.
The film covers similar ground to âThe Kingâs Speechâ two years ago, which also premiered in Toronto and went on to win Oscars for best picture and for Colin Firthâs turn as the stuttering George VI.
While early reviews donât peg âHyde Parkâ to mirror that success, Murrayâs performance is being lauded as a possible contender for actor nods.
The Hollywood Reporter said Murrayâs take on FDR was âcredible and very entertaining,â while Screen Daily said Murrayâs support could earn âsome awards season traction.â
A win would be icing on the cake for an actor who has fashioned a remarkable second act of his career.
Once known for his success on âSaturday Night Liveâ and movies such as âGhostbustersâ and âGroundhog Day,â Murray in the late 1990s starting taking on largely supporting roles in offbeat films, including several by indie favorite Wes Anderson.
He admits to taking a âlazyâ approach to his career these days, spending a liberal amount of time at home with his kids, and being happily difficult to access for producers eager to show him a screenplay.
âI fired my agent years ago and I got out of the grind of having someone throw a script at you every 40 days, lining them up,â he said. âItâs like people buying you drinks at the bar. Youâre always four behind and if you drink them all youâre not even going to enjoy the prospect of doing it.â
But Murray still clearly loves the spotlight when heâs in it, as evidenced by a news conference where he discussed the mix of British and US perspectives on the filmâs set.
âI tried to behave as well as I could. We were working with English people, and thatâs a test,â he quipped. âI still have a lot of revolutionary rage, and I just tried to put a damper on that. It was a difficult time for me, letâs just leave it at that.â
Reuters
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