Actor Bill Murray sparked concerns in the lead up to his cameo on Parks and Recreation—because nobody on the set was certain he would show, according to co-star Jim O’Heir.
The mockumentary-style hit series, which aired on NBC from 2009 to 2015, was set in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. The show boasted a star-studded cast that included O’Heir, Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Rob Lowe, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Retta, and Adam Scott.
Murray’s character, Mayor Walter Gunderson, had been mentioned on numerous occasions throughout the show’s run, but the actor only appeared briefly on-screen as the local politician in a single episode toward the end of the sitcom’s final season, playing Gunderson’s corpse and speaking in a prerecorded video played to mourners at a memorial service.
According to O’Heir, Murray’s performance was as unforgettable behind the scenes as it was on camera, thanks to the challenges the team had in contacting him.
Murray is known for not having an agent, publicist, or manager, instead being contactable only by leaving a message via a 1-800 number.
In a recent interview with Newsweek, O’Heir—who played Garry “Jerry” Gergich on the show—said that while he thoroughly enjoyed being in Murray’s presence, things felt touch and go as the cast and crew awaited his arrival.
“Bill Murray showed up on our set, and we didn’t even know if he was going to show up. Like, it was the biggest mystery in the whole world. Even the producers didn’t know if he was going to show up. Amy’s like, ‘I think it’s 50/50.’ No one knew.
“So they had the day planned. They didn’t know what was going to happen. And I even found out from Morgan [Sackett, executive producer], they even had two contracts ready—they hadn’t even negotiated with him. No one knew what was going to happen.”
“That’s Bill Murray,” O’Heir continued. “He does not have agents. The only way we got to him was Amy and Aubrey had a connection to him. I don’t know if it was a personal connection or through other people. I don’t know how that happened, but they got to him, and they pled their case about coming on the show and he could play this mysterious Mayor Gunderson.”
Recounting how things unfolded once Ghostbusters star Murray did arrive to shoot his scenes for the “Two Funerals” episode, O’Heir said: “So I’m sitting there on set and I’m just anxious because you don’t want to get too worked up … We were in the bullpen area of the set, and I look up between takes, and there is Bill Murray walking by. I got the chills like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God. The man is in the building!’
“I’ve worked with his brother in the past, and his sister-in-law, and they’re just like these awesome people. And, you know, no one’s better than anyone, other than Bill Murray was part of my growing up. He was part of my comedy experience, and so to have him on set was special. And then the fact that he was so kind. He could tell I was being gross, as far as fanboying, or whatever you call it … He was so lovely.”
During an appearance on NBC’s Sunday Today with Willie Geist in 2018, Murray shared that while he was still using his 1-800 line for business purposes, he had obtained a cellphone for personal calls.
“For kids and friends, really,” the actor explained of turning to modern tech. “If you have children, you end up having to be able to send messages to your children. They will not answer a phone call but they will respond to messages. So you got to be able to send a message.”
Meanwhile, O’Heir has shared a range of anecdotes from his run on Parks and Recreation in the recently released book Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation.
The book recounts many behind-the-scenes moments, and serves as part memoir for O’Heir, whose career was greatly boosted after he landed his role on the show.
“This is really my love letter to the show,” O’Heir told Newsweek. “I am so grateful. It was a life-changer. I was very blessed. Before Parks to have a relatively busy career … but a lot of guest spots. And you know, you do pilots that don’t get picked up, or things that have a short run, or whatever.
“And then a show like Parks comes along, and it just changes the landscape.”
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