Bill Murray has shared his thoughts on the realities of living with fame, admitting that being a celebrity is “not easy.”
The Ghostbusters actor features in the new Paramount+ golf docuseries A Course Called Ireland. During the fourth episode, a crew member asked whether being famous makes him happy.
“In a word, no,” Murray responded with a laugh (via People). “It’s not easy. I go through new revelations all the time about how I handle it and how to deal with it. It’s not for everyone, but it has also brought me to this place, you know.”
However, Murray acknowledged that fame comes with its benefits. He pointed out that there’s “a lot of goodwill out there” from fans who tell him his movies helped them laugh during difficult periods in their lives, adding that hearing such feedback feels great.
He also believes celebrities have the freedom to decide how they want to handle fame. “I think kind of famous people, they can decide that there’s a certain way to play being famous, you know?” he said. When asked about his own approach, he admitted he’s “not very pleasant.”
He continued: “You can see that. I think just being nice-nice, I don’t go for nice-nice. If I were like an ordinary citizen acting the way that I do, I’d probably have a lot more cuts and bruises.”
The six-part docuseries features 30-minute episodes and premiered October 25. Based on author Tom Coyne’s book of the same name, the show follows Murray and his friend as they travel across Ireland playing golf. Other guests featured in the series include Joel Murray, John Murray, Chris O’Dowd, Joanne McNally, and Jason Kelce.
According to Coyne, traveling alongside “one of the most recognizable faces in the world” sometimes slowed them down but also gave them opportunities to meet plenty of people. Jeff Sheehan, one of the locals narrating the series, summed up the experience by saying: “Imagine being as famous as Bill for even an hour. It looks exhausting.”
A Course Called Ireland is currently streaming on Paramount+ and also airs on BBC2 in the UK.
