Bill Murray

Bill Murray is the coolest accidental icon in Hollywood, a comic genius who somehow became even more fascinating by refusing to play the fame game.

By Alexandre Le Hégarat · datastats · Updated June 15, 2026

Bill Murray: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Bill Murray is one of the most beloved and genuinely unpredictable figures in American entertainment. Born on September 21, 1950, in Wilmette, Illinois, he rose to fame as a cast member on Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s before building one of the most eclectic film careers in Hollywood history, spanning pure comedy, deadpan indie drama, and everything in between.

His filmography reads like a greatest-hits of American cinema: Ghostbusters (1984), Groundhog Day (1993), Lost in Translation (2003), The Life Aquatic, Broken Flowers, and more recently the Wes Anderson universe. He’s also the rare star who has successfully reinvented himself across decades without ever seeming to try.

What makes Murray a perennial search magnet is his mythology as much as his movies. Stories of him crashing parties, doing strangers’ dishes, whispering “no one will ever believe you”, whether apocryphal or not, have cemented his status as a living folk hero. He famously operates without a traditional talent agent, which only adds to the mystique.

His personal life has seen turbulence: two marriages, both ended in divorce, and a large family of six sons across those relationships. He has kept much of his private life away from the spotlight, which naturally fuels curiosity and searches.

Now well into his seventies, Murray remains culturally relevant, appearing in films, turning up at random events, and generating headlines simply by existing. He is, by any measure, one of the last true originals.

People also ask

Murray has long been associated with Charleston, South Carolina, where he has been a visible and beloved local figure, attending minor league baseball games and showing up at local bars. He has also maintained ties to the New York area over the years, but Charleston is the place most publicly linked to his day-to-day life.

Bill Murray is American, born and raised in Wilmette, Illinois. His family background is Irish Catholic, a heritage he has spoken about with pride on multiple occasions.

Bill Murray was born on September 21, 1950, making him 74 years old as of 2025. He shows no meaningful signs of slowing down, which is very on-brand for him.

Bill Murray stands at approximately 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall. His height has always been part of his commanding, slightly-off physical presence on screen.

Bill Murray has been married twice, and both marriages ended in divorce, not death. His first wife, Margaret Kelly, divorced him in 1996 after nearly 10 years of marriage. His second wife, Jennifer Butler, filed for divorce in 2008, citing multiple serious allegations including emotional and physical abuse; Murray has not publicly contested the divorce itself, though the details of those claims were disputed. Neither ex-wife has passed away.

Various celebrity finance outlets estimate Bill Murray's net worth in the range of $140–180 million, largely built on decades of blockbuster films, residuals from *Ghostbusters*, and savvy business interests including co-ownership of minor league baseball teams. However, no verified, authoritative figure has been publicly confirmed, treat any specific number as an informed estimate, not a fact.

Bill Murray has six sons by two women, both of whom he actually married. Margaret Kelly (his first wife) is the mother of his first two sons, and Jennifer Butler (his second wife) is the mother of his four younger sons. So technically, zero "baby mamas" in the informal sense, both relationships were marriages.

Bill Murray's real name is William James Murray. He has always performed and been publicly known under "Bill Murray," so there is no hidden stage name, it's simply a shortened version of his given name.

As of 2025, Bill Murray has not publicly confirmed any relationship. He has been linked to various women in tabloid rumor over the years, but he keeps his private life tightly guarded. No confirmed, current partner is publicly known.

Bill Murray is not currently married. His second marriage, to Jennifer Butler, ended in divorce in 2008, and he has not publicly remarried since.

Bill Murray does not currently have a wife, he has been divorced since 2008. His two ex-wives are Margaret Kelly (married 1981–1996) and Jennifer Butler (married 1997–2008).

No confirmed girlfriend is publicly known as of 2025. Murray is famously private and has not announced any relationship. Any names circulating online should be treated as unconfirmed rumor unless he states otherwise.

Estimates from celebrity finance sites place his net worth somewhere between $140 million and $180 million, driven by film residuals, ongoing acting work, and business ventures. These are estimates, no official, verified figure exists.

His full legal birth name is William James Murray. "Bill Murray" is not a stage name, it's just the natural shorthand that stuck, from his childhood through his entire career.

*Groundhog Day* was released on February 12, 1993, and was filmed in 1992. Murray was 41–42 years old during production and 42 at the time of release, arguably the perfect age to play a man trapped in an existential loop.

*Ghostbusters* was released in June 1984, and Murray was born in September 1950, meaning he was 33 during most of filming and had just turned 33 at release. He played Peter Venkman with the energy of someone who had absolutely nothing to lose.

*Lost in Translation* was released in September 2003. Murray was 52 years old at the time, and his lived-in, world-weary performance as Bob Harris earned him a Golden Globe win and his only Oscar nomination to date.

*Stripes* was released in June 1981. Murray was 30 years old at the time, riding high off his *SNL* fame and proving he could carry a feature film with ease.

*Scrooged* was released in November 1988. Murray was 38 years old, and his manic, self-aware take on Scrooge remains one of the defining Christmas comedies of the 1980s.

Bill Murray is not currently married to anyone. His last marriage, to Jennifer Butler, ended in 2008. He has six sons and, by all public accounts, is living the bachelor life on his own singular terms.