Bill Murray Just Shocked a New Bedford Theater Crowd in the Best Way Possible

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — Moviegoers who attended the opening night of the Zeiterion’s Bill Murray Movie Marathon Monday night in downtown New Bedford got more than just 99 minutes of Murray on the screen.

They also got about 12 minutes with the man himself, as he made a surprise appearance live on stage.

The film series kicked off with What About Bob?, the 1991 comedy classic starring Murray as an obsessive-compulsive neurotic who shows up at the summer vacation spot of his new psychiatrist, played by Richard Dreyfuss.

The Zeiterion had been promoting the movie marathon on social media by bringing a cardboard cutout of Bill Murray to different downtown businesses. The rumors then began circulating on social media Monday morning that Murray fans definitely wanted to attend Monday night’s screening and stay through the end credits.

READ MORE: Inside New Bedford's Viral Cutout Bill Murray Tour

A Cardboard Cutout and a Live Appearance

Following the film’s conclusion, Zeiterion President and CEO Rosemary Gill took to the stage to thank everyone for attending. As she spoke, staff members carried the Bill Murray cutout onto the stage.

“Well, look who is making an appearance,” Gill said, looking toward the cutout – just as the real Bill Murray strolled out onto the stage behind it to wild applause from the more than 300 people in attendance.

Murray, decked out in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, waved to the crowd briefly and then walked off stage. That cameo alone would have been a story every attendee would be telling for years, but then Murray walked back out and was handed a microphone. “Uh, does anyone have any questions?” he asked. He then spent the rest of the time sharing stories and thoughts with the audience.

“I love Peter Venkman,” one audience member told him, bringing up his iconic Ghostbusters role. “I just have to tell you that.”

“Oh, Peter Venkman, thank you. Another movie, but thank you very much,” Murray joked.

Murray then told the crowd he was glad they liked What About Bob? and shared his memories of it.

“I didn’t watch that movie for a long time, and when I saw it, I thought, ‘Dang it, that was pretty funny,’” he said to a big round of laughter. “I forgot that I got married at the end of that movie. They say that any comedy that ends in a wedding is a tragedy. But I wasn’t marrying a lead character, I was marrying his sister.”

“Anyway, I’ll talk for a minute and then you can go home,” he quipped. “I know there’s good Portuguese food in this town.”

READ MORE: An Open Letter to Bill Murray: Move to New Bedford Already

Feuds, Moonshine, and Filming Stories

Murray talked about filming the movie in Smith Mountain Lake Virginia, even though it takes place in New Hampshire.

“It was supposed to be Lake Winnipesaukee, but Lake Winnipesaukee only has a summer that lasts about 95 minutes and then the snow comes back, so we couldn’t really shoot a movie there,” he said.

He shared stories of filming, including loud motor boats, moonshine, working with cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, arguing with a female producer about having the day after Thanksgiving off (and recreating how she looked down her glasses at people with the assistance of Gill’s spectacles).

Courtesy Phil Devitt

Murray also answered a question about whether he and Dreyfuss ever settled their real-life feud that emerged while making the film.

“No, I never made up with Dreyfuss,” he said. “I spent a long time really resenting him. The most miserable person I ever met. I’m not kidding, but it was a funny movie.”

Bill Murray's Life Advice: What's in the Bag?

The entire time he was on stage, Murray was carrying a gift bag – presumably something given to him as a token of appreciation from the Zeiterion staff. He even worked it into a joke, when an audience member asked him what life advice he could offer.

“Don’t be walking around with a bag when you don’t know what’s inside of it,” he quipped to an uproarious reaction.

Tim Weisberg/Townsquare Media

How the Zeiterion Landed the Legendary Actor

Penny Pimentel, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications for the Zeiterion, told WBSM that the idea to bring Murray to The Z started about two years ago.

“I heard Bill on Howard Stern one morning, and I thought, you know, he comes to the Vineyard every summer, there have been random sightings of Bill at restaurants and businesses and people doing selfies with him on the street, so I thought, let’s do a series, five films in August when he usually goes to the Vineyard, and let’s see if we can get him to come, and tonight, we did,” she said.

READ MORE: Bill Murray Gives New Bedford a Shout Out on David Letterman

So how did Pimentel actually reach the mercurial Murray, who famously has no agent and only books movie roles through a private 1-800 number he checks when he feels like it?

“My philosophy is Bill Murray is like a butterfly, you can’t force him to land on you, you can just set a really nice flower out and hope he comes,” she said. “So between that lure, and maybe like a personal connection behind the scenes, we let him know that this was happening, and the stars were just aligned, and we are so pleased that he was here tonight.”

Bill Murray Is Happy to See People Back in Theaters

It seemed the feeling was mutual. At one point, Murray paused and marveled at the crowd.

“I can’t believe there’s this many people here,” he said. “When I was told there were so many people here, I almost turned around and went home.”

Tim Weisberg/Townsquare Media

“I’m so happy that people are going to movies again. I was afraid for a few years that movies just weren’t really an option,” Murray said. “It’s really important to see movies together.”

Pimentel echoed Murray’s sentiments about the magic of the theater.

“It’s great to come together to share an experience with people in a theater, to be together, to laugh together. It’s an amazing feeling and one that I think we’re missing right now,” she said. “The Zeiterion is a gathering place. It’s really one of the few gathering places left in the Greater New Bedford area, and to come together to share the experience of a film or a performance, it’s really magical.”

More Bill Murray Movies Coming to The Z

Bill Murray fans will get that option four more times this month, with screenings of Caddyshack (August 10), Ghostbusters (August 17), Stripes (August 24), and Groundhog Day (August 31). Tickets are just $12 and available at Zeiterion.org.

Pimentel also dropped a teaser about possible future Murray appearances at The Z.

“What an amazing moment to have him come at the end of What About Bob?” Pimentel said. “But you know, we’ve got four more films, one every Monday for the month of August, and he might come back. Who knows?”