Scarlett Johansson has known Bill Murray since she was 17 years old — and after a rocky start to their relationship, she is happy to see him in a better place.
“Bill was in a hard place,” Johansson, who worked with Murray in 2003’s Lost in Translation, recalled to Vanity Fair of shooting the film an interview published on Wednesday, May 14. “Everybody was on tenterhooks around him, including our director and the full crew, because he was dealing with his … stuff.”
The actress, now 40, was just a teenager when she and Murray, now 74, shot the movie in Tokyo. Johansson revealed she’d never worked with someone in that kind of “headspace” and Murray’s own struggles while filming left Johansson feeling lonely on set.
Flash forward more than 20 years later and Johansson says Murray is in a much healthier phase of his life. Johansson told the outlet she witnessed the evolution when they reunited at Saturday Night Live’s 50th Anniversary Special in February.
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“He’s such a different person now,” Johansson shared, noting the comedian was warm with everyone on set. “I think life has humbled him.”
Murray came under fire in 2022 when production was suspended on the film Being Mortal after he was accused of “inappropriate behavior” with a female crew member.
“I don’t go too many days or weeks without thinking of what happened,” Murray said during an April appearance on The New York Times’ podcast “The Daily.” He explained that what started out as a “funny” gesture — he gave the woman a kiss through a mask during the coronavirus pandemic — resulted in him being “barbecued” and facing legal repercussions. (The woman later received a settlement of “just north of $100,000” from Murray who also reportedly signed a non-disclosure agreement.)
Johansson confirmed that Murray’s actions on Being Mortal were “certainly” part of what she considered to be the humbling parts of his life. “That was really bad,” she told VF, noting that’s not the only thing she thinks prompted Murray to reevaluate his life.
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“I also know COVID was a hard thing for him. Life — all these things have led up to him being held accountable for that kind of behavior,” Johansson explained, adding, “But you know what? How wonderful that people can change.”
While Johansson and Murray didn’t form a strong bond while filming Lost in Translation, the actress says the Oscar-winning movie helped her grow as an actor and on a personal level.
“I’m pretty proud of how I handled myself. I really just did the work, you know? It’s a good tactic for pushing through stuff,” she revealed. “Eyes on the prize.”
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