Bill Murray admits his on-set behavior towards a woman led to 'Being Mortal' production shutdown, reports say
- Bill Murray acknowledged that his on-set behavior led to a complaint and "Being Mortal" production shutdown.
- The actor and comedian described the incident with a woman as a "difference of opinion."
Actor Bill Murray has acknowledged that his on-set behavior led to a complaint from a woman that resulted in a production shutdown on his latest movie.
It is the first time Murray has publicly addressed the allegation of inappropriate behavior against him, which Deadline reported brought production on "Being Mortal" to a halt in mid-April — halfway through filming.
Speaking to CNBC on Saturday, Murray described the incident as a "difference of opinion." The actor did not go into specifics about what happened or the woman's identity.
"I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn't taken that way," Murray said, per CNBC.
The actor, 71, pointed towards shifting attitudes on comedy. "The world is different than it was when I was a little kid," Murray told CNBC. "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."
Murray told CNBC that he has spent the past week thinking about the incident, adding that he and the woman are talking and "trying to make peace with each other."
He added that he is optimistic that production will resume, but noted that filming will only commence if and when the woman involved feels comfortable doing so.
"We are both professionals, we like each others' work, we like each other I think and if we can't really get along and trust each other there's no point in going further working together or making the movie as well," Murray told CNBC. "It's been quite an education for me."
"Being Mortal," which also stars Seth Rogan, is comedian Aziz Ansari's directorial debut. It is based on Atul Gawande's book "Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End," a non-fiction work that examines hospice and end-of-life care.
This is not the first time Murray has been embroiled in controversy for his on-set behavior, Insider previously reported.
Last year, Lucy Liu recounted an argument she had with him while filming the 2000 action flick "Charlie's Angels." She accused Murray of using "inexcusable and unacceptable" language during a scene rehearsal.