10 Infamous Times Actors Refused To Break Character

Playing the late, great and slightly insane gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in 1980’s Where the Buffalo Roam had quite the effect on Bill Murray. After spending enough time with Thompson to perfectly nail his mannerisms – even going so far as to live together at points during production – it seemed his persona started overtaking Murray.

While staying at Thompson’s Aspen, Colorado home during filming the pair embroiled themselves in a rather risky game of one-upmanship that culminated in an alcohol-fuelled Murray – seemingly still in gonzo journalist mode – daring an equally drunk Thompson to tie him to a chair and chuck him in his swimming pool. Thompson obliged and Murray almost drowned before the former pulled him out.

Filming of Where the Buffalo Roam also happened to coincide with Murray’s other work commitments including the fifth season of Saturday Night Live. According to SNL crew members, Murray showed up on set in his Hunter S. Thompson costume apparently unable to shake his persona. One unnamed SNL writer said even said, “Billy was not Bill Murray, he was Hunter Thompson. You couldn’t talk to him without talking to Hunter Thompson.”

Even more than a decade after playing Thompson, Murray was still feeling the effects of basically becoming his doppelganger: “I took on another persona and that was tough to shake. I still have Hunter in me”, he said in a 1993 interview. Hopefully now 15 years later he’s managed to finally give Thompson the slip.