Bill Murray may be known for his sharp comedic instincts and a career full of hits, but even legends have their what-ifs. The Oscar-nominated actor recently opened up about one of the few professional regrets that still lingers in his mind — turning down a chance to collaborate with Clint Eastwood after the success of Stripes (1981).
Speaking on The Howard Stern Show, Murray shared how inspired he was by Eastwood’s films of the era, including Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and how that admiration led him to reach out.
"A long time ago I was watching the Clint Eastwood movies of the day, like Thunderbolt and Lightfoot or whatever the movies he was making then, and I thought: 'His sidekick gets killed, and he avenges, but the sidekick gets like a great part, a great death scene,'" he recalled.
So, Murray picked up the phone and called Eastwood — cold. To his surprise, Eastwood had something in mind for him right away: another service comedy, this time set in the Navy, potentially on a much larger scale than Stripes."He said, 'Would you ever want to do another service comedy?' Because I just made Stripes and he had this great idea for an enormous Navy thing," Murray explained.
That’s when hesitation set in. The idea of doing another military-themed comedy so soon after Stripes made Murray pause.
"And when he said, 'Would you ever want to do another service comedy,' like jeez, 'Would I become like Abbott and Costello?' I had to do like military movies? And I said, 'Well, God, I guess maybe I shouldn’t.'
The film Murray turned down was likely Heartbreak Ridge (1986), directed by and starring Clint Eastwood as a tough Marine sergeant. While the final version leaned more into drama, the project pitched to Murray had a comedic tone and impressive scale — complete with World War II boats and large Navy set pieces. It remains one of the few roles Murray genuinely regrets passing on. To this day, he admits, the missed opportunity still crosses his mind:
"And when I see him, I’m like: 'I’m sorry, I wish I’d done that Clint, I’m really sorry.' He’s certainly well over it. He’s a very resilient fella."
