Bill Murray addresses allegations of inappropriate behavior on Being Mortal set for first time

Bill Murray has spoken out publicly for the first time about an alleged on-set incident that halted production for his upcoming Searchlight Pictures film Being Mortal earlier this month.

Following an internal complaint that the actor exhibited inappropriate behavior toward another cast member while shooting Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, Murray sat down with CNBC at the 2022 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting on Saturday. The actor opened up about his actions to host Becky Quick and explained that the awkward exchange between him and a woman on set was the result of a "difference of opinion."

"I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn't taken that way," Murray said. "The company, the movie studio, wanted to do the right thing, so they wanted to check it all out, investigate it, and so they stopped the production."

The actor continued, "But as of now, we're talking and we're trying to make peace with each other… We're both professionals. We like each other's work… and if you can't really get along and trust each other, there's no point in going further working together or making a movie as well."

While Murray did not elaborate on his actions, he did express that the events that unfolded that day have been weighing on him. "I've been doing not much else but thinking about it for the last week or two," he said.

Murray went on to explain that the mishap has been a learning experience for him. "The world is different than it was when I was a little kid," he said. "You know, what I always thought was funny as a little kid isn't necessarily the same as what's funny now. Things change and the times change, so it's important for me to figure it out. And I think the most important thing is that it's best for the other person."

"I think it's a sad dog that can't learn anymore," he continued. "I don't want to be that sad dog, and I have no intention of it. What would make me the happiest would be to put my boots on and both of us to go back to work and be able to trust each other and work at the work that we've both spent a lot of time developing the skill of."

In reflecting more on the situation, Murray acknowledged that he'd made a mistake. "How could I misperceive? How could I be so inaccurate and so insensitive when you think you're being sensitive to some sensibility that you've had for a long time?" he asked.

However, the actor also expressed hope that he and his castmate could resolve their issues."We're talking about it. I think we're gonna make peace with it. I'm very optimistic about that."

Representatives for Murray did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment, while Searchlight said it does not comment on ongoing investigations. The studio has not announced when production will recommence or the fate of Murray's role in the movie.

Being Mortal was written by Ansari, who is also producing it alongside Youree Henley. Starring Murray, Ansari, Keke Palmer, and Seth Rogen, the film is an adaptation of surgeon Atul Gawande's nonfiction book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, which explores aging, death, and the state of elderly people in nursing homes. It is based on Gawande's own experience with patients and also includes anecdotes from his family history.

Being Mortal was originally set to hit theaters in 2023.

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