Bill Murray Opens Up About the Clint Eastwood Movie He Still Can’t Believe He Turned Down!

In a career spanning decades, filled with classic comedies and unforgettable performances, Bill Murray has surprisingly few regrets. But one that still lingers for the legendary actor involves a missed opportunity to star alongside Clint Eastwood.

Murray, 74, recently opened up about the incident during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show on March 25. Asked by Stern if he ever wished he could have acted with a particular star, Murray recalled a time when he was captivated by Eastwood’s films and decided to make an unexpected call.

“I was watching the Clint Eastwood movies of the day, like Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and I thought: ‘His sidekick gets killed, and he avenges, but the sidekick gets like a great part, a great death scene,’” Murray said. The idea of working with Eastwood stuck with him so strongly that he reached out to the iconic actor-director directly. Eastwood responded by pitching a project, a military comedy on a grand scale.

“And when he said, ‘Would you ever want to do another service comedy?’” Murray explained, referencing his recent hit Stripes. “I thought, ‘Well, God, I guess maybe I shouldn’t.’” Worried about being pigeonholed in military-themed comedies, Murray declined the offer. But now, years later, he admits, “It’s one of the few regrets I have… It was a big-scale thing, and there was some really cool stuff in it.”

The project in question is likely Eastwood’s 1986 dark comedy Heartbreak Ridge. The film starred Eastwood as a grizzled Marine gunnery sergeant and centered around his efforts to whip a group of misfit recruits into shape. Murray would have played a supporting role, and though it wasn’t a dramatic death scene he’d envisioned, the film’s large scope—complete with access to World War II boats and a potential flotilla—left Murray lamenting what could have been.

Even decades later, the memory of turning down Eastwood still weighs on Murray’s mind. “When I see him, I’m like: ‘I’m sorry, I wish I’d done that Clint, I’m really sorry,’” Murray admitted. However, Eastwood, now 94, has moved on. “He’s certainly well over it,” Murray added, calling Eastwood a “resilient fella.”

Murray’s candid reflection offers a rare glimpse into a career filled with iconic roles but also the occasional “what if.” It’s a reminder that even the most celebrated actors have moments of second-guessing. And for fans, it’s a fascinating look at what might have been—had Murray taken that leap into Eastwood’s world all those years ago.