Bill Murray’s new film being shut down for an investigation into his alleged “inappropriate behavior” is taking on a darker tone amid a resurfaced on-set horror story that’s kept Hollywood whispering for decades.
Disney was allegedly forced to hire bodyguards to protect the cast and crew of 1991’s “What About Bob?” after the actor hurled a glass ashtray at co-star Richard Dreyfuss and threatened to “throw” the film’s female producer “across a parking lot.”
The bombshell accusation was dropped Thursday night by Dreyfuss’ son, Ben, just hours after Murray’s latest movie, “Being Mortal,” was suspended following a complaint about his conduct.
Despite his enduring status as a beloved Hollywood bad boy, Murray has repeatedly been accused of violently clashing with co-stars — from alleged head-butting to “inexcusable and unacceptable” language — on numerous film sets stretching all the way back to the 1970s.
After this week’s new Murray mayhem, Ben, 35, took to Twitter to reveal that professional muscle had to be deployed to the Virginia set of the cult classic “What About Bob?” after Murray’s violent outburst.
“Everyone walked off the production and flew back to LA and it only resumed after Disney hired some bodyguards to physically separate my dad and Bill Murray in between takes,” Ben claimed.
“I was like 5 at the time and these are some of my fondest and earliest memories,” he sarcastically added about the alleged off-screen drama.
The Post has reached out to reps for Disney, Murray, Ben and his Oscar-winning dad for comment.
Meanwhile, sensational claims that Murray bullied papa Dreyfuss, 74, while filming “What About Bob?” also have circled the veteran actors for decades.
Dreyfuss previously addressed the alleged incident without airing all the dirty laundry. Still, he declared Murray a “drunken bully” on set. “He put his face next to me, nose-to-nose, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, ‘Everyone hates you! You are tolerated!’” Dreyfuss revealed in 2009.
“There was no time to react because he leaned back and he took a modern glass-blown ashtray,” he continued. “He threw it at my face from [only a couple feet away]. And it weighed about three-quarters of a pound. And he missed me. He tried to hit me. I got up and left.”
Murray had purportedly blown up at Dreyfuss after he “complained” about the way Murray had treated the film’s producer, Laura Ziskin. The movie exec had been described as “beloved” and “petite,” which “Bill Murray was not.”
According to Ben, “Murray had a meltdown during ‘What About Bob?’ because he wanted an extra day off and Laura Ziskin said no [so he] ripped her glasses off her face and my dad complained about his behavior.”
Ziskin told the Los Angeles Times in 2003: “Bill … threatened to throw me across the parking lot and then broke my sunglasses and threw them across the parking lot.”
The pair did not work together again. She died at 61 of complications from breast cancer in 2011.
Ben Dreyfuss’ tweets were published on Thursday evening — just hours after news broke that Murray’s latest film, “Being Mortal,” had been suspended after a complaint was reportedly filed against the actor, alleging “inappropriate behavior.”
“After reviewing the circumstances, it has been decided that production cannot continue at this time,” Searchlight Pictures wrote in a letter issued to cast and crew. “We are truly grateful to all of you for everything you’ve put into this project.”
Principal photography began last month on “Being Mortal,” which was written by comedian Aziz Ansari, who is also directing and starring in the film.
Ansari, who’s been mired in his own controversy after a date penned a viral 2018 article describing a questionably consensual sexual encounter she had with him, is not a part of the complaint.
The Post has repeatedly reached out for comment from representatives for Murray and Ansari.
Murray is one of America’s most beloved actors, but the “Groundhog Day” star has a long history of making enemies on the sets of his TV and film projects.
Back in 2000, Murray famously fell out with co-star Lucy Liu while filming “Charlie’s Angels,” with Liu claiming Murray started to “hurl insults” at her, using “inexcusable and unacceptable” language.
Of the incident, Murray told the Times of London in 2009, “Look, I will dismiss you completely if you are unprofessional and working with me.”
But Liu was not the only star Murray clashed with on the film.
“Charlie’s Angels” director McG additionally claimed that Murray headbutted him on the set of the action flick.
“Square in the head,” McG told the Guardian in May 2009. “An inch later and my nose would have been obliterated.”
Murray vehemently denied the claim.
“That’s bulls–t! That’s complete crap!” he responded in his interview with the Times of London. “I don’t know why he made that story up. He has a very active imagination.”
Meanwhile, back in 1978, Murray infamously got into a physical altercation with comedian Chevy Chase on the set of “Saturday Night Live.”
According to the book “Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live,” it began with the two trading insults. Murray told Chase to go have sex with Jacqueline Carlin, Chase’s then-wife, while Chase childishly retorted that Murray’s face looked “like something Neil Armstrong landed on.”
It quickly escalated to a physical dustup witnessed by cast members Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner. Newman described the fight as “very sad and painful and awful” during a June 2021 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.”
Murray is also said to have had a physical altercation with longtime friend and director Harold Ramis on the set of 1993’s “Groundhog Day.” Ramis allegedly grabbed Murray by the shirt collar and threw him against a wall during a heated creative dispute.
Ramis’ daughter, Violet Ramis Stiel, revealed in her 2018 book, “Ghostbuster’s Daughter: Life With My Dad, Harold Ramis,” that Murray wouldn’t speak to his old pal for over 20 years. She said her dad “tried not to take it personally,” but he felt “heartbroken, confused and yet unsurprised by the rejection.”
Just before Ramis died in February 2014, Murray managed to reconcile with the actor.
Meanwhile, Murray reportedly left screen legend Anjelica Huston “hurt” when he failed to invite her to a dinner party while filming “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.”
“The first week I was there [filming in Italy], we were all in this little hotel, and he invited the entire cast to go and have dinner, except me,” Huston told Vulture in May 2019.
“I was really hurt,” she continued. “And then I think we met again in Florence, because that movie was shot all over Italy, and we were doing a scene at Gore Vidal’s house in Ravello, and [Murray] said, ‘Hey, how’ve you been? I missed you.’ I said, ‘You’re full of s–t. You didn’t miss me.’ He looked all confused for a moment.”
However, Murray and Huston later made up, with the “Lost in Translation” actor showing up at the funeral of Huston’s husband, Robert Graham, in 2008.
“He couldn’t have been nicer that day,” Huston stated. “He showed up. A lot of people didn’t.”
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