Bill Murray: Gene Hackman Was ‘Difficult’ on The Royal Tenenbaums Set
Bill Murray recalled ‘tough nut’ Gene Hackman being ‘difficult’ with director Wes Anderson on ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ set
Bill Murray, Gene Hackman Roy Rochlin;Marc Andrew Deley/FilmMagic/Getty Images(2)
Bill Murray has a lot to say about the late Gene Hackman — and it’s not all positive.
“He was a tough nut, Gene Hackman. But he was really good,” Murray, 74, said during an interview with the Associated Press published Thursday, February 27. “He was really difficult, we can say it now, but he was a tough guy.”
Murray starred as Raleigh St. Clair alongside Hackman, who played Royal Tenenbaum, in 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums, which was one of Wes Anderson’s first major directing gigs.
“Older, great actors do not give young directors much of a chance. They’re really rough on them, and Gene was really rough on Wes,” Murray continued. “I used to, kind of, step in there and just try to defend my friend.”
Related: Dustin Hoffman Calls Late Friend Gene Hackman 'A Giant Among Actors'
Stars across the world are mourning the death of Oscar winner Gene Hackman. The Sante Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Us Weekly on Thursday, February 27, that Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead at their home in Sante Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday, February 26. “On February 26, 2025, […]
That being said, Murray wasn’t surprised by Hackman’s alleged behavior, especially after one instance on the film’s set.
Gene Hackman, director Wes Anderson, Bill Murray on the set of THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, 2001. Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection“I watched him once do, like, 25 takes where he did it perfectly with an actor who kept blowing it, every single time,” Murray said. “Gene would do it perfectly, the other actor would blow it, and I’d go like, ‘Oh, God.’ I was watching it going, ‘No wonder this guy wants to throttle people.’ And then he sort of gave an ordinary performance and the other actor got it right and I thought Gene was going to throw the actor off the ledge of the building.”
The Groundhog Day alum added, “He was a great one.”
During a separate interview, Murray — who is promoting his new movie Riff Raff — recalled specifically how Hackman was a “little irritable” with director Anderson on the Royal Tenenbaums set.
“He had to work with children, dogs. … They put him in very challenging positions to work,” Murray said during his Thursday appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. “He felt a lot of responsibility and kept thinking, ‘What am I doing here with these people?’ But the performance he gives is brilliant.”
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Murray acknowledged that getting Hackman and Anderson together in one movie would have produced an incredible final product no matter what. (The Royal Tenenbaums won Hackman the Best Actor Golden Globe in 2002.)
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Related: What to Know About Gene Hackman, Wife Betsy’s Deaths After Sheriff's Update
Academy Award winner Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died in February 2025 at the respective ages of 95 and 64. Us Weekly confirmed on February 27, 2025, that the actor and his spouse were found dead one day earlier inside their shared Santa Fe, New Mexico house. “It is with great sadness that […]
Murray’s comments about his former costar came amid that news of Hackman’s death at age 95. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Us Weekly on Thursday that Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased in their New Mexico home on Wednesday, February 26.
An initial statement from law enforcement declared that foul play was not suspected, but a copy of the search warrant reportedly stated their deaths were “suspicious.” The fire department did not find any evidence of a carbon monoxide leak or poisoning, according to an affidavit obtained by TMZ on Thursday.
A preliminary autopsy report has since stated there was no “external trauma to either individual,” but their cause of death has yet to be determined.
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