(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
Sat 14 June 2025 17:40, UK
Saying Groundhog Day was a hard movie to make is like saying Bill Murray can sometimes be a little challenging on set: it’s a colossal understatement. Despite the movie being a beloved comedy classic, one of Murray’s most popular films, and a genuine triumph for director Harold Ramis, the process of making the film was so torturous that it ended Murray and Ramis’ friendship for good.
In truth, looking into the behind-the-scenes conflict that defined Groundhog Day is enough to make any fan of 1980s comedy depressed. Murray and Ramis worked together on defining comedy classics like Meatballs, Stripes, Caddyshack, and, most famously, the Ghostbusters movies. However, throughout those productions, Murray’s obstinate behaviour reared its head again and again, and by the time it came to Groundhog Day, Ramis must have reached the end of his tether.
After battling the frigid weather conditions in Woodstock, Illinois, plus dealing with Murray throwing tantrums, constantly being late to set, and disagreeing with him over every little thing, Ramis reportedly grabbed Murray by the collar and threw him against a wall. When the shoot wrapped, they went their separate ways and didn’t speak again until Ramis was on his deathbed in 2014.
All of this is to say, Murray was infuriatingly difficult for everyone to deal with on the Groundhog Day set, not just Ramis. He clashed with co-star Michael Shannon, for example, and was forced to apologise to the young star in front of everyone. However, there was one actor who drove him “absolutely nuts” on that movie, and it wasn’t Shannon; it was his female lead, Andie MacDowell.
“Andie MacDowell drove me absolutely crazy on that movie,” Murray told Collider in 2021. “She drove me absolutely nuts. We were always waiting for Andie MacDowell’s hair.”
Now, this comment may seem like a fun throwaway gag by Murray, who lulled his interviewer in with the promise of a feud, but threw a curveball by lightly complaining about MacDowell’s famously voluminous curly hair, which took forever for the hairstylist to get right before cameras rolled. However, given the knowledge that the atmosphere on the Groundhog Day set was so thick with tension that it could be cut with a knife, and given what we now know of Murray’s disposition, the subtext of his words begins to take on more of an undercurrent.
“The fact is, Andie MacDowell has the greatest hair you have ever seen in your life,” Murray continued. “When she finally would arrive, you had to just give up because that hair was really great, but she did drive me crazy. I’ve thought about it many times, that I owe her a real apology because she did drive me crazy.”
While MacDowell has never indicated that she had a hard time with Murray on the film, the fact that he mentioned feeling the need to apologise to her perhaps hints at some strife she hasn’t aired publicly. Indeed, he went on to hint that he may have reacted poorly to what he perceived as her dislike of him, saying, “I’m not really method, but I must have really resented the fact that she still hadn’t fallen in love with me. We were 17 weeks into the movie, and she still didn’t like me. That’s probably what I was holding onto.”
In truth, the longer Murray spoke about MacDowell, the more it became apparent that this was more than just affectionate ribbing about how long she had to spend in hair and makeup. It sounded a lot more like she was another target for his ire while shooting the film, and in later years, he’s maybe realised he could have behaved better.
“That was a hard movie to make,” he concluded. “It was just as hard for her, and she had that hair to deal with.”
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