Yahoo Lifestyle Bill Murray Defends ‘SNL’ Against Viewers Slamming the Show as ‘Lousy’: The Cast Does ‘Stuff That’s Just as Good as Anybody Ever Did, All the Time’
Bill Murray appeared on Travis and Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast (via The Daily Beast) and defended the current cast of “Saturday Night Live” from critics who say the show has gotten “lousy.” Murray was an “SNL” cast member from 1977 to 1980 before making the jump to movie star with comedy hits like “Caddyshack,” “Stripes” and “Ghostbusters” in the early ’80s.
“People always give me a hard time about, ‘Oh, the original show was so great and it’s lousy now,’” Murray said. “And I say, ‘No, it’s not.’ The show that’s on now, they do stuff that’s just as good as anybody ever did, all the time.”
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Murray confirmed he “certainly” plans to return to “SNL” this year to commemorate the sketch comedy series’ 50th anniversary, adding: “I told ‘em I’d like to host one this year. So maybe if I get organized. I think I did it two other times when I was there. I’d like to try it one more time. It might be the last time to try it.”
Should Murray land a “SNL” hosting gig this season, he’s already aware he would not come close to the best host he’s ever seen: Ray Charles, who hosted the show in November 1977.
“There’s only one that stands above all others,” Murray said. “It was Ray Charles. [He] completely buries every other entertainer I’ve ever met or worked with or read about.”
“Ray Charles knew all his lines cold,” he continued. “Ray Charles came in and played solo, he played with The Raelettes, he played with his scepter and he played with the ‘Saturday Night Live’ orchestra. And he may have played with his quintet as well. And he killed and murdered every single one of [his performances].”
Murray was so gobsmacked by Charles’ “SNL” performance that he didn’t feel like he deserved to stand on stage alongside him at the end of the show during the closing credits.
“At the end of that show, they play that song and saxophones playing and you’re like ‘Hey man I had a great week,’” Murray said. “You’re up there on the stage and you’re waving at people—I did not want to stand on that stage. I had no business being on that stage with Ray Charles.”
Watch Bill Murray’s full interview on the “New Heights” podcast in the video below.
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