How Refilling M&M’s at SNL Set Bruce Willis on the Path to Hollywood Legend—Murray Tells All!

During a candid appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on March 31, 2025, comedy legend Bill Murray offered a heartfelt and humorous recollection of Bruce Willis’s early days at Saturday Night Live. Before Bruce Willis became synonymous with big-screen action and Hollywood charisma, he was just another hopeful NBC page—an experience that, as Murray’s story reveals, was as unglamorous as it was formative.

Murray, who was a fixture on SNL from 1977 to 1980, recounted meeting Willis back when the latter was working through the NBC Page Program—a rigorous 12-month fellowship designed as a training ground for future media professionals. “He was just this kid, working hard, running around, always with a grin,” Murray shared. But what stands out most for Murray is the “insane” task that Willis performed: keeping the SNL cast’s dressing rooms stocked with snacks, especially M&M’s and pretzels. “Can you imagine? The guy who would go on to be John McClane, refilling M&M’s for a bunch of comedians,” Murray laughed.

The NBC Page Program, based in New York and Universal City, is a famed entry point for television hopefuls. Many, like Willis, used it as a springboard into show business—joining the ranks of famous alumni such as Gregory Peck, Regis Philbin, Michael Eisner, and Aubrey Plaza. Willis’s time as a page, coupled with his stint bartending in Manhattan under the nickname “Bruno,” marked the hard-working hustle of a young man eager to break into the industry.

Years later, after Willis became a Hollywood staple, he reminisced with Murray and fondly recalled how Murray and fellow SNL star Gilda Radner had treated him with kindness during those lean early years. “I always thought, ‘OK, I’m good with this guy,’” Murray said, reflecting on their enduring mutual respect. The two would later reunite as co-stars in films like Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and Rock the Casbah (2013), deepening a professional relationship rooted in those formative SNL days.

Willis’s journey came full circle when he returned to host SNL himself, first in 1989 and again in 2013—a far cry from his days replenishing the green room snacks. His story is a testament to the unexpected roads to stardom and the character built in the trenches of television’s back rooms.

Now, as Willis approaches his 70th birthday and navigates significant health challenges—including a diagnosis of aphasia in 2022 and frontotemporal dementia in 2023—Murray’s anecdote stands as a poignant tribute. It reminds fans and aspiring entertainers alike that greatness often begins with the humblest of tasks, and that kindness and camaraderie along the way can echo across decades.

Murray’s story, shared while promoting his new films Riff Raff and The Friend, is more than nostalgia—it’s a celebration of the grit, luck, and relationships that shape the legends of entertainment.