Geena Davis Details Harassment from Bill Murray on ‘Quick Change’ Set: ‘I Should Have Walked Out’
In her upcoming memoir “Dying of Politeness,” Geena Davis alleges a toxic experience working with Bill Murray on the 1990 film “Quick Change.” She accuses Murray of behaving inappropriately toward her during her initial audition and then being overly aggressive with her on set.
The actress elaborated on the experience in a new interview with The Times (UK). The publication offered the following summary of her description of working with Murray in the book: “She’s introduced to [Murray], she writes, in a hotel suite, where Murray greets her with something called The Thumper, a massage device he insists on using on her, despite her emphatically refusing; later, while they’re filming on location, Murray tracks Davis down in her trailer and begins screaming at her for being late (she’s waiting for her wardrobe), continues to scream at her as she hurries onto the set and even as she gets there, in front of hundreds of cast, crew, curious passers-by.”
More from IndieWire
Bill Murray Allegedly Sexually Assaulted Female Staffer on 'Being Mortal' Set -- Report
2022 Emmys Parties Celebrate the Changing Face of Awards Winners
“That was bad,” Davis said in the interview. “The way he behaved at the first meeting… I should have walked out of that or profoundly defended myself, in which case I wouldn’t have got the part. I could have avoided that treatment if I’d known how to react or what to do during the audition. But, you know, I was so non-confrontational that I just didn’t.”
Davis went on to say that she regrets blaming herself, as the consequences for the inappropriate behavior should land on Murray.
“There’s no point in regretting things, and yet, here I was regretting,” she said. “It wasn’t my fault.”
This isn’t the first time Murray has been accused of inappropriate conduct on a film set. Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut, “Being Mortal,” had to pause production after Murray was accused of unspecified reports of inappropriate behavior. Murray never denied the charges, though he chalked it up to a misunderstanding.
“You know, the world is different than it was when I was a little kid,” Murray said in his first interview after the suspension. “You know, what I always thought was funny as a little kid isn’t necessarily the same as what’s funny now. Things change and the times change, so it’s important for me to figure it out. And I think the most important thing is that it’s best for the other person. I thought about it, and if it’s not best for the other person, doesn’t matter what happens for me.”
Best of IndieWire
New Movies: Release Calendar for October 7, Plus Where to Watch the Latest Films
Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies: 50 Films the Director Wants You to See
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
