Bill Murray is not letting enthusiastic fans who dare to invade his personal space off the hook lightly. A moviegoer learned this lesson the hard way when he overzealously trailed behind the actor at the AMC Lincoln Square in New York City.
Murray, 74, was at the venue to participate in a Q&A session for his new film, “The Friend,” co-starring Naomi Watts. As he made his way through the venue on March 27, the eager supporter appeared to be too close for comfort to the Hollywood veteran.
In a video captured by an onlooker, Murray appeared to kick his leg back to strike the guy. It is unclear if his reflex was triggered by an unwanted physical interaction of sorts.
“Stop it! You attack me like that again, I’ll step on your foot,” said the “Groundhog Day” star as he turned and approached the man. All the while, Murry pointed a finger at the heckler who, by that point, had both hands up, one of which held a phone he likely hoped to capture his encounter on.
“Don’t do it. That’s a physical assault you just did. Don’t do it again. Don’t do it again. You’re not big enough,” warned Murray as a security guard escorted him through the venue.
The New York Post reposted the exchange on their site, where one empathetic reader commented, “Being a celebrity is a choice, and with more success and fame public/media is expected. They chose that lifestyle, but there are limits and boundaries that should be respected.”
Someone else suggested, “Maybe if that loser wasn’t sticking a phone in his face he’d be able to watch his step.” Another said, “You have to be a number one a hole to piss off Bill Murray! He’s a national treasure!”
Others, however, felt that the “Saturday Night Live” alum behaved more like “Bill Karen Murray” as they took aim at his unscrupulous actions as of recently.
For starters, someone on Instagram remarked, “He seems hypocritical. What he did to Watts is much worse.”
The co-stars appeared on a March 31 episode of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.” During the sit-down, Murray awkwardly and unsuspectingly grabbed Watts’ face, forcibly tilted her head back, and planted a kiss on her lips.
The on-screen mentor and mentee have yet to clear the air on the impromptu PDA moment.
