Most ofBill Murray’sbest moviesare all about subtlety and timing, making him one of the most distinctive actors in film history. Judging by his repertoire, the actor shines by playing flawed, often cynical people who seem like they’re just barely holding it together. However, Murray somehow adds just enough charm to them to make them lovable. His ability to balance sarcasm, wit, and genuine sincerity broughtclassics likeGroundhog DayandLost in Translationto life.
Interestingly, Murray’s comedy isn’t about trying too hard; it’s about finding humor in the mundane and turning every line into something memorable. He doesn’t just deliver punchlines, butthe star fully embodies humor through his expressions, pauses, and the sheer unpredictability of his performance. This skill has allowed Murray to effortlessly play a wide range of roles over the years, all while maintaining the comedic essence that defines his legacy and delivering some of the funniest movie scenes of all time.
Stripes
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Stripes centers on John Winger, a 30-something who enlists in the U.S. Army after a streak of personal failures. Released in 1981, this film follows Winger’s comedic journey through basic training, as he navigates military life with a group of misfit recruits.
The graduation drill scene inStripesis one of Bill Murray’s most memorable moments in the movie, and a great example of the actor’s ability to carry a scene with pure charisma and humor. Instead of a typical military drill, Murray’s character, John Winger, leads his group in a goofy, choreographed routine that feels more like a dance sequence than a serious exercise. With twirls, sloppy salutes, and silly moves, the segment turns a serious event into a playful take on military tradition.
DespiteStripesscoring a mediocre 6.8-star rating onIMDb,the graduation drill scene showcased Murray’s comedic style at its finest. Irreverent, confident, and magnetic, he solidified his place as a comedic lead. As one of the funniest scenes of ’80s comedy, the charmingly entertaining razzle-dazzle remains a highlight of Murray’s acting career.
Kingpin
Kingpin is a 1996 sports comedy film directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly. The movie stars Woody Harrelson as Roy Munson, a former bowling prodigy who teams up with an Amish bowler, portrayed by Randy Quaid, to compete in a high-stakes tournament. Bill Murray plays Ernie McCracken, a rival bowler with a colorful past. The film chronicles their comical journey as they navigate challenges within the bowling circuit.
Kingpinmight be one ofthe most underrated comedies from the 1990s, but the quirky sports film featured some of Bill Murray’s funniest scenes. Even though it did not become one of the actor’s top-rated movies, earning 6.9 stars from IMDb users,Kingpinmanaged to showcase Murray’s ability to make something ridiculously funny while maintaining complete commitment to the character.
As Ernie McCracken, a larger-than-life bowler with a huge ego, Murray delivers a hilarious performance throughout the movie. However, when Ernie bowls for the championship, he’s not just playing the game; he’s putting on a show. He’s flexing, striking dramatic poses, and acting like the world depends on him rolling what appears to be an oversized marble. It’s all ridiculously over-the-top, showing just how full Ernie is of himself. The absurdity of the moment, paired with Murray’s deadpan delivery, makes the scene both hilarious and unforgettable.
Scrooged
Scrooged is a Christmas comedy film by director Richard Donner, released in 1988. In this modernized take on Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, Bill Murray stars as a narcissistic and selfish television executive named Frank Cross, who looks to put on a big-budget Christmas show for his network while trampling anyone in his way. However, his plans are interrupted when three ghosts of Christmas visit him to coax him to change his ways.
Scroogedis a Bill Murray holiday classic; it’s a dark, satirical take onA Christmas Carol, with the actor’s sharp humor and mocking tone driving much of the comedy. In the 1988 film, which holds a 6.9 rating on IMDb, “The Night the Reindeer Died” is a wildly over-the-top holiday special that Frank Cross (Murray) is producing. In this outrageous TV segment, Santa is shot by terrorists, and the reindeer fight back in a bloody, action-packed showdown.
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When Frank watches the segment, he doesn’t seem shocked. Instead,he reacts as if this kind of absurdity is exactly what he expects, which makes the excessive violence even more out of place. Murray’s combination of deadpan delivery and scathing sarcasm is what made the scene work so perfectly, making it one of the most memorable and funniest moments inScrooged.
What About Bob?
What About Bob? is a comedy film in which a psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin, finds himself increasingly frustrated as his excessively needy patient, Bob Wiley, disrupts his family vacation. While Dr. Marvin struggles to maintain his composure, Bob charmingly ingratiates himself with the family.
One of Bill Murray’s funniest movie scenes comes from the 1991 titleWhat About Bob?, which scored 7 out of 10 stars on IMDb. In the film, Murray is Bob Wiley, a highly anxious character trying to overcome his fears, one of which is stepping onto a boat and leaving the dock.
Richard Dreyfuss, who plays Bob Wiley’s therapist, did not get along with Bill Murray during filming ofWhat About Bob?, making their characters' on-screen animosity all the more authentic.
In this particular scene, Bob finally manages to overcome his fear of sailing, but not in the way anyone would expect. Instead of casually enjoying the boat ride like everyone else,Bob is hilariously tied to the ship with a questionable amount of ropes. However, that does not stop him from shouting, “I’m sailing!” and later declaring himself a sailor. The scene showcases Murray’s impeccable comedic timing and his ability to turn a simple, everyday situation into pure comedy gold, making it one of his funniest.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, directed by Wes Anderson, follows oceanographer Steve Zissou, played by Bill Murray, on a mission to track down a mythical shark that killed his partner. Supported by a quirky crew, including characters portrayed by Cate Blanchett and Owen Wilson, Zissou navigates personal and professional challenges aboard the research vessel Belafonte. The film combines comedy, adventure, and a unique visual style.
Bill Murray’s Steve Zissou stands out as one ofWes Anderson’s funniest characters, and for good reason. The star’s flawless comedic delivery in Anderson’sThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissouis central to the movie’s narrative, bringing to life a quirky yet serious figure we can’t forget.
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Zissou emerging from the water to alert everyone that his friend, Esteban, was eaten by a jaguar shark remains one of the most memorable scenes in the 2004 movie. Murray delivered an impeccable deadpan and deeply emotional moment that is somehow tragic and oddly funny at the same time. As he explains the murderous shark in a very scientific way, instead of getting out of the blood-filled water,Zissou famously states, “Esteban was eaten,”prompting a moment of confusion from Willem Dafoe’s Klaus. Their exchange proceeds to be both formal and hilarious, marking another fabulous example of Murray’s comedic genius.
Caddyshack
Caddyshack is a 1980 comedy from director Harold Ramis. The movie centers on a fancy golf club that is turned into chaos when an eccentric new member joins, and a crazed dancing gopher starts destroying the golf courses. The film stars comedy legends Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Rodney Dangerfield.
If we remember anything fromCaddyshack, it was Bill Murray’s character, Carl Spackler, practicing his golf swing. Unfortunately, the eccentric Carl decides to use flowers as golf balls, which wasn’t even the funniest part of the scene. Murray’s deadpan humor and perfect comedic timing flawlessly worked together to create one ofCaddyshack’sbest quotes that will have you laughing.
“Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion,” Carl says as he clumsily swings his golf club. Arguably,the segment would be just as funny without his odd monologuebecause of how seriously Carl takes his completely ridiculous actions. His major focus on a totally pointless routine, along with the random comments to himself, makes the scene a great mix of absurdity and dry humor, resulting in one of the funniest scenes in Murray’s portfolio.
Zombieland
After a zombie virus wipes out modern society, those left to navigate the wasteland must live by a certain set of rules. Zombieland follows Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) as he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), and they join forces to survive the apocalypse. They soon team up with sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), and the group embark on a cross-country trip in search of refuge from the zombie horde.
Bill Murray playing himself in the 2009 horror-comedyZombielandwas one of the actor’s most entertaining roles. In the film, Murray is casually living in a zombie-infested apocalyptic world, playing it cool as if everything is totally normal. The movie scored a7.5-star rating from IMDb audiences, and while Murray’s entire performance is a treat, it’s his death scene that really stands out comedy-wise.
As the fictional Murray gets shot by Jesse Eisenberg’s character, Columbus, when he mistakes the actor for an actual zombie,real-life Murray’s straight-faced reaction and the chaos that follows make the scene hilarious. Throughout his cameo, Murray appears to be surprisingly unfazed by the zombie apocalypse. His calm, almost indifferent attitude while everything else is falling apart, including himself as he dies, is what ultimately adds an extra layer of absurdity to his final moments.
Lost in Translation
Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation is a romantic comedy starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson as fading movie star Bob Harris and Yale college graduate Charlotte, who build an unlikely relationship while traveling in Tokyo.
Even though Bill Murray’s role inLost in Translationwas one ofthe best dramatic performances by a comedic actor of all time, the star managed to wedge in one of his funniest movie scenes. While the segment itself did not have its typical comedic setup,Murray’s deadpan performance and his character’s genuine confusion are what sold it.
Murray plays Bob Harris, a washed-up American actor who is in Tokyo to shoot a commercial for a Japanese whiskey brand. As he gives it his best to follow the director’s instructions despite a language barrier, Bob fails to deliver what was asked of him. His confusion, combined with his obvious disinterest and exhaustion, makes the whole situation inherently funny. Murray’s ability to react to absurd circumstances with such seriousness cemented the comedic value of the scene, adding to his character’s bewilderment.
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 fantasy sci-fi movie from director Ivan Reitman. The movie stars Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson as Raymond Stantz, Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore, paranormal investigators who travel New York hunting and capturing ghosts. The movie eventually became one of the most iconic films of the ’80s, spawning a multimedia franchise including a sequel, spinoffs, books, and video games.
Bill Murray carried a number ofthe funniest scenes inGhostbusters, but there is one segment that continues to stand the test of time as a fan favorite. After the team’s first big win as ghost hunters, Murray’s character, Dr. Peter Venkman, misquotes Julius Caesar with the now-iconic, “We came, we saw, we kicked its a**!”
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In classic Bill Murray fashion,Venkman delivers the line with the perfect mix of cocky confidence and nonchalant humor, making it feel improvised and natural. The moment comes after a chaotic ghost-busting sequence where everything goes wrong before the guys finally capture the ghost, serving as the ultimate punchline to all the mayhem. This unique blend of supernatural scares and sarcastic humor perfectly captures what madeGhostbusterssuch a hit and why this scene still gets laughs nearly five decades later.
Groundhog Day
In Groundhog Day, the arrogant weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) finds himself living the exact same day over and over for what feels like an eternity. To cope with his curse, he learns a variety of skills in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and tries to earn the heart of his colleague Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell) while he adapts to the time loop.
With an 8-star rating on IMDb,Groundhog Dayremains Bill Murray’s highest-rated film and a classic in his repertoire. Despite a number ofthings that didn’t make sense aboutGroundhog Day, the iconic comedy offered one of Murray’s funniest moments on screen. With very few words, the star managed to deliver a palpable annoyance as his character, Phil Connors, kept running into Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky) on the street.
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Since the day keeps repeating, which is the premise ofGroundhog Day, Phil is forced to relive the same encounter with Ned every morning. As the days go by, his responses shift wildly, with each segment standing out as a comedic gem in its own right. Murray’s performance delivered everything from spot-on expressions to sarcastic quips Ned kept missing. By going from subtle irritation to full-on absurdity without missing a beat, the scenes brilliantly showcasedBill Murray’s comedic versatility.
