The Reason Why Bill Murray Will Always Refuse to Work With Ron Howard: “He Lost Me at That Moment”

There's nobody in Hollywood quite like Bill Murray, and whether or not that's a good or bad thing remains entirely in the eye of the beholder.

Bill Murray has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind, and his feud with Ron Howard is no exception. The two Hollywood heavyweights have been at odds for decades, and Murray has made it clear that he has no interest in ever working with Howard again.

In a recent interview with GQ, Murray explained the reason behind his grudge. He said that he had asked Howard to direct his 1990 film Quick Change, but Howard turned it down, saying that he didn't know who to root for in the script.

“We asked Ron Howard because Ron Howard had made something that I thought was funny,” he told GQ. “He made a funny movie back then; I can’t remember what it was. And he said he didn't know who to root for in the script. And I was like, ‘Hooooooo’. He lost me at that moment. I've never gone back to him since.”

Murray's response is typically blunt, and it's clear that he was offended by Howard's criticism of the script. He felt that Howard was unable to appreciate the film's comedic vision, and that he was unwilling to take risks.

This incident seems to have been the final straw in Murray's relationship with Howard. The two men have worked on the same film since then—1999's Osmosis Jones—but they were never required to interact on set. Murray played the leading live-action role, while Howard voiced the animated character Tom Colonic.

Despite their feud, both Murray and Howard have gone on to have successful careers in Hollywood. Murray is known for his roles in films such as Stripes, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, and Groundhog Day, while Howard is best known for directing films such as Splash, Cocoon, Willow, and Parenthood.