Happy (Belated) Birthday, Bill Murray! Our Favorite Murray Moments

By Samantha Abernethy in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 22, 2011 9:40PM

We'd like to wish one of Chicago's favorite funnymen a happy belated birthday. Bill Murray turned 61 yesterday. The former Ghostbuster, who got his start at Second City, is still having fun with his fame. He doesn't have an agent or a publicist, just an answering machine, and he's become known for showing up random places and pulling random pranks. Urban Dictionary even has an entry for a "Bill Murray story," an unlikely, but plausible interaction with the comedic legend. Here are a few of our favorite Bill Murray Moments from throughout his storied career.

• Murray attended the Packers vs. Bears NFC Championship game in January of this year, and he shoved and heckled a Packers fan in a Ray Nitschke jersey. When the man asked Murray to take a photo with him, Murray responded by saying, "Nitschke is a pussy."
• In 1993, Murray starred in the 1993 film Mad Dog and Glory, filmed in Chicago alongside Robert DeNiro and a young Uma Thurman. It's a mob movie, where in a twist of casting Murray is the mobster and DeNiro is a cop. The film is a flop, but there's an awkward fist-fight between the two that makes it all worthwhile.
• The possible creation of another Ghostbusters sequel has been rumored for some time, and some have said some filming could take place in Chicago. While fans are champing at the bit in anticipation, Murray is pretty blase about the whole thing. Earlier this year Murray told Howard Stern that he hadn't bothered to read the script yet and that he was the problem holding up plans.
• In 2008, Murray jumped out of an airplane as a special guest at the Chicago Air and Water Show.
• Last, but not least, Murray plays the lovable "3rd cousin" idiot alongside fellow Chicagoans Dan Akroyd and John Belushi in the legendary Saturday Night Life sketch, "The Olympia Restaurant." They cited the Billy Goat Tavern as their inspiration for the stubborn "Cheezborger" servers.