Billionaires Intervene in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race | Bill Murray

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Episode Summary
Episode Title: Billionaires Intervene in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race | Bill Murray
Release Date: March 28, 2025
Hosts: Roy Chang, Ronny Chieng, and Bill Murray
Guests: Bill Murray, Grace Coolensmith

---

1. Introduction

The episode begins with hosts Roy Chang and Ronny Chieng engaging in humorous banter about the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The conversation sets the stage for a deep dive into the influence of billionaires on local elections, specifically focusing on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

---

2. Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Overview

Roy Chang introduces the topic of the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, emphasizing its significance beyond local issues. He highlights that the outcome will impact crucial matters such as abortion legality and redistricting, potentially affecting Congressional control.

Roy Chang (01:00): "This Tuesday, there's an election for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. And I know what you coastal elites are thinking, so what? They'll rule on what?"

He underscores the financial magnitude of the race, predicting it to be the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, with projected spending reaching $100 million.

---

3. Influence of Billionaires and Major Donors

The discussion intensifies as Roy Chang delves into the substantial financial backing both candidates are receiving from prominent billionaires and influential figures.

• Candidates:
  • Judge Susan Crawford (Liberal)
  • Judge Brad Schimmel (Conservative)

Roy Chang (02:33): "The race pairing Judge Susan Crawford from..."

Bill Murray (02:39): "...conservative Judge Brad Schimmel from Waukesha has big money."

Key Donors:

• George Soros
• J.B. Pritzker
• Elon Musk

Roy Chang (02:47): "Outside donors like George Soros, J.B. pritzker, and Elon Musk opening their wallets. Trump's close ally and financial backer, Musk."

Elon Musk's involvement is particularly highlighted, with Grace Coolensmith noting his substantial contribution exceeding $20 million to the state, a relatively small fraction of his vast wealth.

Roy Chang (03:50): "Elon Musk is spending so much money on attack ads, he's not even paying attention to who the ads are attacking."

---

4. The Impact of Money on the Election and Negative Advertising

The hosts critique the overwhelming influence of billionaire money in local elections, likening the situation to a "billionaire royal rumble." They criticize the exorbitant spending on negative ads, which they argue detracts from meaningful discourse.

Roy Chang (04:51): "They're spending $100 million, which is obscene. I mean, for that kind of money, you could have bought tens of thousands of Wisconsin residents their first ever salad. Instead, they're spending it on ads like this."

The conversation further explores the pitfalls of such financial influence, including misinformation and misrepresentation in attack ads. For instance, an erroneous ad against Susan Crawford mistakenly used a different Susan Crawford's image.

Bill Murray (05:01): "An attack ad against Supreme Court justice candidate Susan Crawford is using a picture of a different Susan Crawford."

Roy Chang (05:17): "Maybe Elon just needs glasses. I mean, it could change everything."

---

5. Elon Musk's Political Maneuvers

Elon Musk's aggressive political funding strategies are scrutinized, particularly his Political Action Committee's (PAC) controversial tactics such as offering financial incentives for signatures on petitions opposing activist judges.

Roy Chang (05:01): "It's a flood of billionaire money, let's go live to Wisconsin with our very own Grace Coolensmith."

Grace Coolensmith (06:49): "Elon Musk is shooting gold bars out of a T-shirt cannon."

This segment highlights the ethical concerns surrounding such practices, questioning the motivations and implications of using wealth to sway political outcomes.

---

6. Guest Segment: Bill Murray

The episode transitions to an exclusive interview with comedy legend and Academy Award-nominated actor, Bill Murray. This segment delves into his illustrious career, personal philosophies, and insights into the film industry.

a. Personal Anecdotes and Career Insights

Roy Chang shares a personal story about a memorable flight experience with Bill Murray, illustrating Murray's approachable and generous nature.

Roy Chang (16:03): "I've never told this story on air, but I was lucky. A couple of years ago, I was doing shows with Dave Chappelle in Ohio..."

Bill Murray reflects on his career choices, emphasizing the importance of stepping outside the conventional Hollywood system to stay connected and creative.

Bill Murray (18:25): "I despise the rest of them. No, it's. No, you get excited. You get excited making a career and you start getting busy and it's hard."

b. Discussion on His Latest Films

Murray discusses his latest projects, "The Friend" and "Riff Raff", praising his co-stars and the depth of the characters.

Bill Murray (21:38): "This movie has Naomi Watts. It's the best performance I've seen by an actress in so long."

He elaborates on his roles, particularly focusing on the emotional resonance of his character's interactions with animals in the films.

Bill Murray (26:24): "The dog is really great. I rode an elephant in a movie that was fantastic. They have, there's their intelligences were. Is, you know, it's a mystery to us."

c. Philosophy on Life and Creativity

Murray shares his philosophy on life, attributing his success to embracing accidents and living in the moment, a trait he believes enhances his creativity and spontaneity.

Bill Murray (17:19): "Most of our lives are accidental. As much as we think we're in charge, most of it's accidental."

He also discusses the pressures of the entertainment industry, advocating for relaxation and authenticity over succumbing to stress.

Bill Murray (32:27): "I don't sort of believe in pressure. I think it's sort of imaginary."

---

7. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode wraps up with a brief, humorous exchange about the ongoing political landscape, specifically referencing a "Trump slump" versus a "Trump pump," underscoring the show's signature comedic take on current events.

Bill Murray (34:04): "You still got that Trump pump on, brother."

The hosts encourage listeners to explore more content from The Daily Show and promote upcoming segments, maintaining the show's engaging and informative tone.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Roy Chang (01:00): "This Tuesday, there's an election for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. And I know what you coastal elites are thinking, so what? They'll rule on what?"

• Bill Murray (05:01): "An attack ad against Supreme Court justice candidate Susan Crawford is using a picture of a different Susan Crawford."

• Grace Coolensmith (06:49): "Elon Musk is shooting gold bars out of a T-shirt cannon."

• Bill Murray (17:19): "Most of our lives are accidental. As much as we think we're in charge, most of it's accidental."

• Roy Chang (26:24): "The dog is really great. I rode an elephant in a movie that was fantastic."

• Bill Murray (32:27): "I don't sort of believe in pressure. I think it's sort of imaginary."

---

Final Remarks

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition adeptly combines sharp political commentary with engaging celebrity interviews. The discussion on the disproportionate influence of billionaire funding in local elections offers insightful critiques on the current political climate, while the interview with Bill Murray provides a reflective and entertaining glimpse into the life and philosophy of a beloved comedy icon. Listeners are left with a blend of laughter, critical thought, and appreciation for both political discourse and cinematic artistry.

Transcript

[Ronny Chieng]

Introducing Instagram teen accounts. A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow. Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on. All right, sweetie pie, buckle up. Good job. Or ring the bell on their bike. Okay, kid, give it a try. Nice. Or remember their elbow pads. Knees, too. Okay.

[Roy Chang]

Yep.

[Ronny Chieng]

There you go. New Instagram teen accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your teenager and the content they can see.

[Bill Murray]

You're listening to Comedy Central.

[Roy Chang]

From the.

[Bill Murray]

Most trusted journalists at Comedy Central.

[Roy Chang]

It's America's only source for news.

[Bill Murray]

This is the Daily show with your host, Ronnie.

[Roy Chang]

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Roy Chang. We got so much to talk about tonight. The legendary Bill Murray is in the house. But first, we're still 19 months away from the 2026 midterms, but I know there's some absolute freaks out there who need an election sooner than that, right? 19 months is too long, man. I need something right now. I'll suck your for an exit poll. Well, meet. Meet me in the studio after the show. Meet me behind the studio, because I got a quick fix for you. Let's get into it with indecision. 2025, locally sourced edition. This Tuesday, there's an election for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. And I know what you coastal elites are thinking, so what? They'll rule on what? Whether it's legal to marry your cheese or whatever the the issues are in Wisconsin? Well, yes, that is part of it, but also it will determine whether abortion is legal in Wisconsin and how to redraw election districts, which could even determine which party controls Congress. And that's why the weather report for Wisconsin is calling for Raaaaaaaa. $100 million. That's how much money could be spent on a state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin. And that would make it the most expensive judicial election in US History. The race pairing Judge Susan Crawford from.

[Bill Murray]

Liberal hotbe, conservative Judge Brad Schimmel from Waukesha has big money.

[Roy Chang]

Outside donors like George Soros, J.B. pritzker, and Elon Musk opening their wallets. Trump's close ally and financial backer, Musk.

[Grace Coolensmith]

Has gone all in on Schimmel's campaign, the tech billionaire.

[Roy Chang]

And groups aligned with him have poured more than $20 million into the state. Now, I know $20 million sounds like a lot, but remember that elon has over $300 billion. $20 million is like one of his kids. It means, yes, this race has turned into a billionaire royal rumble. I mean, they're spending $100 million, which is obscene. I mean, you Know, for that kind of money, you could have bought tens of thousands of Wisconsin residents their first ever salad. Instead, they're spending it on ads like this.

[Ronny Chieng]

This street's like any other in Wisconsin, but the new neighbor is a pedophile, thanks to Judge Susan Crawford's sweetheart sentence.

[Roy Chang]

How corrupt is Brad Schimmel?

[Bill Murray]

Schimmel gave a ple to a man.

[Roy Chang]

Caught with child porn.

[Ronny Chieng]

Crawford let the predator out in just four years.

[Bill Murray]

Brad Schimmel let a sex predator loose on our kids. Letting the rapist walk free while rapists.

[Ronny Chieng]

Walk free called Crawford's negligence utterly disgusting.

[Bill Murray]

That's disgusting.

[Ronny Chieng]

Criminals are praying Susan Crawford gets elected.

[Bill Murray]

If you want them to be safe, don't vote for him.

[Roy Chang]

Wow. Why is SVU wasting his time in New York? I mean, you. You got at least 20 seasons down there in Wiscons. I mean, if you got this many pedophiles in Wisconsin, maybe the problem is Wisconsin. Because for me watching this on the outside, I'm like, should the rest of us put a wall up around Wisconsin to keep all the pedophiles in there? I mean, I know it'll trap the kids in there too, but the kids are probably also pedophiles, so it should be fine. I mean, there's so many pedophiles that if you want to win, you should probably be making pro pedophile ads because it seems like it's a big constituency over there. Like, why don't you do some outreach? But hey, I guess this is the story of American elections. Way too much money paying for way too many negative ads. In fact, Elon Musk is spending so much money on attack ads, he's not even paying attention to who the ads are attacking.

[Bill Murray]

An attack ad against Supreme Court justice candidate Susan Crawford is using a picture of a different Susan Crawford. An ad launched by a group backed by Elon Musk instead used a picture of Susan P. Crawford, who's a Harvard University University law professor.

[Roy Chang]

Okay, to be fair, if I'm ever talking to a white woman over 50 and I forget her name, I just call her Susan Crawford. And I'm usually right, like 80% of the time. But hey, maybe Elon just needs glasses. I mean, it could change everything. He'd be like, oh, my God, that cybertruck looks like shit. But. But Elon isn't just spending. Spending all that money on attack ads. He's also dusting off a tactic from the 2024 election. Voter self checkout. The Elon Musk backed America Political Action Committee asking Wisconsin voters to sign a Quote, petition in opposition to activist judges. The reward for each signature. $100. Yo. $100. Come on, Elon. It's going to take more than that for Americans to sell their souls to you.

[Ronny Chieng]

Elon Musk's political action committee has handed.

[Roy Chang]

Out $1 million to a voter in.

[Ronny Chieng]

Wisconsin just for signing a petition.

[Roy Chang]

A million dollars? Come on, Elon. It would have taken way less for Americans to sell their souls to you. All right. I would have done it for $2.50. For more on the flood of billionaire money, let's go live to Wisconsin with our very own Grace Coolensmith. Grace. Grace. Grace, Wait. Why. Why you dressed like the Monopoly Man?

[Grace Coolensmith]

Monopoly woman? Ronnie, it's 2025. Women can do anything men can do, including beating up an old man and stealing his monocle and top hat.

[Roy Chang]

What? You beat up an old man? Is he okay?

[Grace Coolensmith]

This race is really heating up, Ronnie. There's so much money pouring in right now, they're not even being subtle about it. Elon Musk is shooting gold bars out of a T shirt cannon.

[Roy Chang]

That sounds kind of dangerous. It is, but.

[Grace Coolensmith]

But the people it didn't kill are filthy rich.

[Roy Chang]

Okay, Grace, this is awful, all right? Billionaires should not have this level of influence in local elections.

[Grace Coolensmith]

Are you kidding? This is the best thing to happen to Wisconsin since Brett Favre's penis. Look at all this. They painted the whole city in gold. The street lamps are crystal chandeliers. The birds are diamond encrusted. Sure, they're dead, but they're beautiful.

[Roy Chang]

Okay, what? So Wisconsin doesn't mind the billionaires meddling in the elections?

[Grace Coolensmith]

No. In fact, they're trying to get billionaire money in all their elections, no matter how small. This morning, I saw an attack ad that said Mary Beth Kowalski should not be senior class president at Sheboygan High because she failed her driver's test.

[Roy Chang]

Look, this is disgusting.

[Grace Coolensmith]

I know. Her mom still drops her off at school.

[Roy Chang]

No, no, no. I mean, it's outrageous for Wisconsin to shift its entire economy to depend on billionaire election money.

[Grace Coolensmith]

Uh, okay. If you can think of a better way to transfer billionaire money back to society, I'm all ears.

[Roy Chang]

What about taxes?

[Grace Coolensmith]

Huh?

[Roy Chang]

Taxes?

[Grace Coolensmith]

What?

[Roy Chang]

Taxes?

[Grace Coolensmith]

Speak up.

[Roy Chang]

Taxes.

[Grace Coolensmith]

One more time.

[Roy Chang]

Taxes.

[Grace Coolensmith]

Two more times.

[Roy Chang]

Taxes. Taxes.

[Grace Coolensmith]

Taxes.

[Bill Murray]

What?

[Grace Coolensmith]

Ronnie, I don't know what language you just slipped into, but I. That old man is waking up, and I got to finish the job.

[Roy Chang]

All right. Don't hurt him, Grace. Kuhlan Smith, everyone. All right, when we come back, America goes after its 61st state. So don't go away.

[Ronny Chieng]

Introducing Instagram teen accounts. A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow. Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on. All right, buckle up. Good job. New Instagram Instagram teen accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see.

[Roy Chang]

Geico's motorcycle expertise means I'm covered by people who know bikes like I do. I'm happy as a clam.

[Bill Murray]

No, conclusive scientific research has shown clams can experience happiness.

[Roy Chang]

I just meant that I feel really good about my coverage.

[Bill Murray]

I mean, even if you took the clam out for the best day ever, visiting the zoo, taking a scenic ride, knowing you're insured by specialists, and sharing a strawberry ice cream cone together, the clam would not feel happy. And your strawberry cone would taste sorta clammy. Geico's motorcycle specialists who know bikes like you do, assume no liability for clammy ice cream cones. Geico expertise for your motorcycle.

[Roy Chang]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. Look, I know there's a lot of Trump haters out there who are like, this guy can't focus. He's got the attention span of a golden retriever on cocaine, which sounds like a great idea for a movie, but it's not, and I call dibs. Well, you couldn't be more wrong. Okay. Three months into his term, President Trump is still laser focused on the single most important issue affecting most Americans. Invading Greenland.

[Bill Murray]

After weeks of speculation that he wants to take over Greenland, President Trump is doubling down on his suggestion that the US Will play a larger role in the island's future.

[Roy Chang]

We need Greenland for national security and international security. So I think we'll go as far as we have to go.

[Bill Murray]

We need Greenland.

[Roy Chang]

And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland. You heard that right. Denmark has to have us. Need to have Denmark. Have us have Greenland. It's very clear. So last week, President Trump announced that he would be sending a special delegation to the future 50 seconds state, led by a very special woman who Trump is definitely vaguely aware of. New this morning, Second Lady Usha Vance will go to Greenland. This week, the White House announced National Security Adviser Mike Waltz will join Mrs. Vance as part of the American delegation.

[Bill Murray]

She's a brilliant woman. She's a very nice woman. And she loves the concept of Greenland.

[Roy Chang]

She loves the concept of Greenland. I mean, green. She loves green. And land. Don't even get her started. Now, in some ways, Usha Vance is a great person for this trip. I mean, Greenland is pretty cold and lifeless. So being married to J.D. vance has left her very prepared. And if she was hoping a trip to Greenland would at least be a few days away from her boring husband, well, he had some. Some bad news for her.

[Ronny Chieng]

Hey, guys, it's J.D.

[Bill Murray]

Vance, the Vice President.

[Ronny Chieng]

And you know, there was so much excitement around Usha's visit to Greenland this Friday that I decided that I didn't want her to have all that fun by herself. And so I'm going to join her.

[Roy Chang]

JD Give her some space, okay? If you want to know what she's up to, don't worry, she's going with Mike Waltz, so the whole world is going to know every move she makes. But with this all star delegation, I'm sure Greenland is going to roll out the red carpet for American imperialism.

[Ronny Chieng]

When the Vice President and a high level US Delegation flies in tomorrow, there will be no big grand welcome, no American flags flying in the streets, and no photo ops with locals. 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be part of the United States, according to a recent poll.

[Roy Chang]

Would you like to be American?

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, no, not really. The leaders here have been clear. Greenland is not up for grabs and the American delegation is not invited.

[Roy Chang]

Wow. They're holding out signs that say Greenland belongs to indigenous people. America is like, oh, you have no idea how much we don't care about that. Here's some measles now. I mean, Greenland does not want to make America great again. In fact, they want the opposite.

[Bill Murray]

The idea prompting protests along with a different kind of MAGA hat. This one reading, make America go away.

[Roy Chang]

That's right. Make America go away. Uh, I do love the tone. It's very bitchy. I mean, they should make one that says, ugh, seriously, America, just kill yourself already. So basically, the people of Greenland really hate JD Vance in particular. Which means, as always, Donald Trump is right. They really are ready to be Americans. When we come back, some guy called Bill Murray will be joining me on the show. So don't go away.

[Ronny Chieng]

Introducing Instagram teen accounts. A new way to keep your teen safer as they grow. Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on. Alright, sweetie pie, buckle up. Good job. Or ring the bell on their bike. Okay, kid, give it a try. Nice. Or remember their elbow pads. Knees too. Okay. Yep, there you go. New Instagram teen accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see.

[Roy Chang]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is a comedy icon and an Academy Award nominated actor whose new film is called the Friend. I can't believe I get to say this, but please welcome the legend Bill Murray. We love you.

[Bill Murray]

Abe Lincoln, everybody. Abraham Lincoln.

[Roy Chang]

Thank you, Dave Murray. Wow. Thank you so much for being the only guest who put the merch on.

[Bill Murray]

Yeah, well, I don't know. They told me it was business casual, so. Business casual, you know, it's good.

[Roy Chang]

I know. We give it to everybody. No one ever does what they're told and wears it on stage. I also have to thank you for something else. I've never told this story on air, but I was lucky. A couple years ago, I was doing shows with Dave Chappelle in Ohio, and they said, hey, Ronnie, we have a plane for you back to New York, but do you mind dropping off Bill Murray along the way? And I was like, are you kidding me? I get to go on a plane with Bill Murray? Does he want me on? And like. No, no, he's great. Yeah, totally. He wants you on and you let me get on your plane so I could get out of Ohio. So I really appreciate that. Thanks so much.

[Bill Murray]

Hey, that goes for all of you.

[Roy Chang]

And the whole time I was on the plane with you, you were, you were very. So generous. You were so kind. You were very considerate. You're trying to. You were trying to time the flight so I wouldn't hit traffic in New York. And I couldn't believe, like, you were, you were talking to me. And the whole time I was like, oh, my God, I'm living one of these legendary Bill Murray stories right now. Like, I'm in the story that I keep hearing about. And so there's all these stories about you kind of popping up around America. And I just want to ask, like, is this kind of philosophy of life, of this live in the moment, randomness, is that something you kind of carry into your self expression?

[Bill Murray]

Well, I think most of our lives are accidental. As much as we think we're in charge, most of it's accidental. And it's just how you are able to live with the accidents that you, that you create, that you're part of.

[Roy Chang]

Right.

[Bill Murray]

But like, I kind of like the excitement of the, of the unknown and figuring, oh, well, now look what I've done. So that's. It's been fun.

[Roy Chang]

Yeah. But it is a conscious choice, right, to be present, because not many people can do it. I mean, you've said yourself you tried to make yourself more available.

[Bill Murray]

Well, the conscious choices come and go. They come and go, but yeah, sometimes they are. So that's why they're sometimes a through line. It looks like there's a Plan.

[Roy Chang]

Yeah, but. So I guess just in terms of Hollywood applying that philosophy to, you know, this crazy thing we call show business Hollywood. And, you know, you, you, your approach to it has always really intrigued me because you, you're someone who I feel is. Even though you're one of an icon in the Hollywood system, you still feel like you're. You purposely take yourself outside the system. I mean, is that a conscious choice for you to be?

[Bill Murray]

Well, I don't think I'm any good to anyone if I'm just in the system all the time. You know, if you don't, if you're not going out in the world and coming back with something, you're not doing any good to your family or your world, you know, you gotta go out there and leave.

[Roy Chang]

No, I agree with that. But you acknowledge that's not a common thing for most of these guys in Hollywood.

[Bill Murray]

I despise the rest of them. No, it's. No, you get excited. You get excited making a career and you start getting busy and it's hard. Everything's a distraction. So everything can take you away from trying to remember yourself and try to keep it together.

[Roy Chang]

Yeah. And I mean, sorry to harp on about it, but I just want to emphasize how strongly I feel this embodies your philosophy. And I feel like, because I think it was after Ghostbusters, I read that biggest movie in the world at the time. And you immediately kind of moved to France with your whole family and started studying at the Sorbonne just to get yourself out of it, I guess, like.

[Bill Murray]

Yeah, I knew I was a little too weak to. I mean, it was going to be a whole lot of fame, like walking down the streets of New York when you've already saved New York, you know, it's. I mean, Aaron Judge doesn't have that.

[Roy Chang]

Problem, you know, and the other thing, because you've been, you had such longevity in the business, you've been around. I feel like you're one of the few guys who is actually qualified to talk about this. So right now I feel like we keep looking at the past with these rose tinted glasses, just with culture. I mean, forget politics, whatever. Just culturally, when we talk about movies and you are part of this incredible run of American comedy films, like it was, you know, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Scrooge. You had this run of just stripes of hits. And we look back on that now as like this golden age in American comedy film. When you were in that era, were you looking back at previous eras and going, that was the golden age? Or were you like? Nah, I'm the king right now. This is the best.

[Bill Murray]

I wasn't really. I mean, I look back now more than I did then. Back then, we were just excited to be having a good time, you know, people didn't take it so darn seriously. We would. You know, we change the script every day. We'd just go out there and have fun. We'd knock ourselves out. And as long as you're tired at the end of the day, it means you worked hard. You know, you try to be exhausted at the end of every day and, like, always trying to find new things to do and just a way to work, you know? And also, it's a funny kind of living making movies. You're in a kind of a gypsy world with like, 150 people for about three months, and you live very intimately, and then you never see each other again, maybe, you know, so it's very. You have to be very devoted to the whole process. Everybody's a part of the solution. Anyone can fix. Any can find the answer to the problem. So you're all really connected. So it's. That kind of living is very demanding. I love it. I really do like movies. I like making. I realized just recently. God, I really like making movies. Yeah.

[Roy Chang]

Well, good news for you. Everyone wants you in that movie.

[Bill Murray]

Yeah, yeah, this movie is good. Yeah, yeah, this movie's good. And I made another movie that's good called Riff Raff that just came out that's really weird. Not like anything I've ever seen before.

[Roy Chang]

With Pete Davidson.

[Bill Murray]

Is with Pete Davidson with Pete Davidson. And Ed Harris and Gabby Union, a lot of good people. Jennifer Coolidge is insanely funny in that movie, too. But this is a good movie. This has got Naomi Watts. This. Naomi Watts in this movie, the Friend. It's the best performance I've seen by an actress in so long, I can't even remember. It's unbelievable what she does in this movie, right?

[Roy Chang]

Yo, that deserves a round of applause. I mean, Mommy Watson's killer. Yeah, I love. I love how you started promoting this movie and then you had to quickly promote this other movie.

[Bill Murray]

Well, I was promoting that movie, and I was promoting this movie while I was promoting that movie. I really like. I, you know, I want people to go to movie theaters and see movies in movie theaters. Because look at this. You're in a group of people. You know, we had a couple of years where you couldn't be in a group of people. And it's like. It's the shared experience. It goes back to The Greeks, you know, it's a theater. And you all get together and we share our humanity together.

[Roy Chang]

Yeah, it's the best. It's really the best life being together. Yeah. Which brings me to this other question I had. Like, you were talking about the movies you're doing now, the Friend and Riff Raff. I mean, these are. These are indie movies. And I guess just talking about your career again, there was a moment when after all these blockbusters and you were the biggest name on the planet, you kind of, like, you went away for a bit and you shifted into this, like, you basically ushered in this new golden age of American independent film with Lost in Translation and, you know, all these Wes Anderson movies. And I guess, was that. Was that planned?

[Bill Murray]

Ronnie, I swear to you, there's no plan. There is no plan. There's no plan. It's just. I just like to do what I like, you know? And it happened that those great people like Sophia and Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch, these are people who have a real integrity, a real powerful integrity and a real love and history of film culture. They wanted to make movies. And because, you know, I always say, like, I didn't embarrass myself too badly. So that's why they hired me. You know, I had.

[Roy Chang]

And I know you're living in the moment, and it's very Buddhist, and I appreciate that, and I try to live that philosophy. But. But I'm just saying, you have to acknowledge, at the time when you did these indie movies, you had a lot of clout, and you were risking it. Whether you cared about that or not, you were risking it on these kind of unproven, talented directors a lot. And was that a conscious choice to, like, I want to give people a chance, or were you just attracted to the material?

[Bill Murray]

Well, you know, Ron, when you see the script, you know, they, like, I got the script for Rushmore, which is Wes Anderson's movie, or Sophia's movie, Lost in Translation, or especially Rushmore. They said, you want to meet the guy? I said, no, you don't want to meet the guy? I said, no, let's. He knows exactly what he wants to do. Let's go. I didn't need to meet him. I was like, I'll see you at work. I don't. We don't need to talk. He knows exactly what he wants to do. And Sophia's same way. And Jim Jarmer same way. They know exactly what they want to do. Their script is so clear, like, what. What their intention is, that you have great confidence, you know, when you're watching a good movie, you know it in a minute because you just feel so confident with the way the camera moves, the way everything goes. And that's how their scripts read. They read like this. It reads like this is storytelling. This is real storytelling.

[Roy Chang]

Right. And you were, you know, oh, okay, someone's. We can applaud. Look, it's fine to applaud every word this guy says. Cause I'm doing it too, but yeah.

[Bill Murray]

Oh, I should say. But. So these guys wrote a good movie. I should mention the reason we're here, sort of, but David Siegel and Scott McGehee, they took this book written by a New York girl lady named Sigrid Nunez and who's really funny. You should have her on the show sometime. She's really cool. They took her book, which is a great book, and it won the National Book Award, whatever, and made a great screenplay out of it. Well, whatever they give those writers, you know, but they made a great script, and they directed this script together. And it's really good.

[Roy Chang]

No, it's a good movie. I watched it. It's good. It's very touching. It deals with some pretty sad topics. A very dramatic role for you, I would say. There's a. I don't know. I checked with the director. It's not a spoiler alert. You're essentially dead most of the movie.

[Bill Murray]

Yeah. Yeah, that's how they wanted it.

[Roy Chang]

Yeah, that's how they wanted it. Yeah, he's. You play a dead guy the whole movie, basically.

[Bill Murray]

Well, yeah, I'm alive some of the time. I'm alive.

[Roy Chang]

But it's very touching. It's very dramatic.

[Bill Murray]

It's a very well written story. It's really great. And there's a. There's an extra. Naomi Watts is great. And there's an amazing dog in the movie. That dog is. Is one of the most responsive animals I've ever seen in my life. When I first saw the first cut of the movie, you would see something would happen in a scene and there'd be this sort of emotional moment, and you would see the dog react to it. And I kept going. And someone who saw the movie said, that's AI. That's not a real dog. I said, that's the dog. The dog heard it and felt it and expressed it. It's extraordinary thing. So it's a Great Dane, and it's an amazing animal.

[Roy Chang]

Okay. Wow. Okay, sorry.

[Bill Murray]

All right.

[Roy Chang]

Yeah.

[Bill Murray]

And how do you stop them? How do you control them?

[Roy Chang]

No, you can't. They love you. Don't stop the love. Let the love come in. And I know you're gonna. I know you didn't plan this, but one of the themes I noticed in your career is that you have this kind of. There's these animals that pop up in a lot of your films a lot in a cool way. You know, like Groundhog Day and the friend, the dog. There's elephant. There's, you know, gophers.

[Bill Murray]

Gopher problems. Yeah.

[Roy Chang]

So I don't know. Do you think there's something. I know you're not thinking about that, but is there something. What is it about these animals that you're making?

[Bill Murray]

It is something to do with, like, there's a lot of actors that just don't want to work with me. So I've got to find. I've got to go into the animal kingdom to get a co star, but it works out okay for me. I don't know. It is funny that it keeps coming up like that. I should be worried. I don't know. I don't know. But the animals are the real ones. I mean, I got bit by the gopher in Groundhog Day. You know, the other, the gopher in Caddyshack blew the place up. This dog is really great. I rode an elephant in a movie that was fantastic. You know, I've, you know, I'm not, I'm not one of those guys, but I mean, this dog is smarter than many people that I've ever met. And the, and the elephant I worked with was smarter than virtually everyone I've ever met. You know, so they have, there's. Their intelligences were. Is, you know, it's a mystery to us. And it's, it's, you know, probably sort of, for me, it's entry level dealing. You know, I should. They say if you, you know, before you try to have children, you should have a pet, see if you can care for someone, take care of something, another creature. So probably, okay, I'll draw. I'm getting to it a little backwards.

[Roy Chang]

But I'll look for a pet elephant before. I haven't kids yet, but let me try to find one starter. And I mean, you, you, you, you're such a. You came up. Not only are you an American icon, but you came up through these iconic American institutions like SNL and, you know, create Ghostbusters and Second City. Second City, all these institutions. And my question to you is, you know, it feels like these institutions kind of don't have the kind of sheen that they used to have before in terms of attracting all the talent. Because now people are going to like TikTok and making a video on the toilet seat. And I guess my question to you, do you like that? Is that a good thing that these people are on their toilet making videos?

[Bill Murray]

And, you know, there shouldn't be any limits about what can be funny. You know, I've been watching a lot of south park lately. I never really got to watch a lot of South Park. It's brilliant. Yes, it really is.

[Roy Chang]

Oh, south park is brilliant.

[Bill Murray]

It really is brilliant. And they, you know, they can be scatological, they can be anything, but they do it in such an intelligent way that it's constantly amusing to me.

[Ronny Chieng]

Me.

[Bill Murray]

But like, in terms of like the, the sheen of the great institutions like Second City or, or Saturday Night Live. Well, I, you know, I go back with them like Saturday Night Live. When I was there, there were seven of us in the cast. Now there's, you know, a couple dozen. So there's a lot of people. And Second City used to have like two casts, you know, now they have like a university, you know, they've, they've got like a seven story building or something with like people taking the classes. So, so it's sort of, it's not necessarily watered down. And like, you can't say Saturday night is sort of watered down, but there's a lot more people and it's a little harder to get traction if you're one of the actors. But Saturday Night Live any week there can be a sketch that's absolutely brilliant. Just like in the early days, any week they can make one that's absolutely perfect. But you know, it's just the group, it's a little harder to wrangle because they're, you know, it's a herd. They've got a herd of people.

[Roy Chang]

Yeah, but I guess my question, because I revered American institutions, American comedy institutions specifically, that's why I'm here in America. And I came here because my dream was always to be take part in it.

[Bill Murray]

Well, look, I'm here.

[Roy Chang]

I'm lucky and you know, I'm lucky that these guys gave me a shot. But I guess I always saw the value of these institutions.

[Bill Murray]

Well, there's a huge value if you can go through those things, if you can go from one. I always say if you can go through Second City and Saturday Night Live, you can do anything, right? You can do anything. Because the intent, the. I shouldn't say pressure, because I believe pressure is sort of imaginary, but the demand to be attentive to what you're doing and every professional On Saturday Night Live, like, every guy on a camera, every prop man, every single person is the top guy, the top woman in their field. So everybody's excellent. So if I screw up, he's looking at me like, nice, nice, you know, so. And that's. That's what it was. You were in this environment of real, like a, like, of just a transformative spot where you had to.

[Roy Chang]

It was an elite pressure cooker. It was an elite pressure cooker.

[Bill Murray]

Well, it wasn't exactly, I wanted to say pressure cooker, but I want people to get off of pressure. I don't sort of believe in pressure. I think it's sort of imaginary. I think it's just, it's emotion that you can't control, and that's why it sort of gets up and it feels like the top of your head's coming off. But it's really just there's a demand to show up, you know, and you have to relax. Otherwise that pressure comes up to your brain and then you don't work so well.

[Roy Chang]

Well, speaking of American Institutions, Mr. Bill Murray, your institution. Thank you. Thank you so much for the movies you did. Thank you very much. You are one of the people that my mom is excited. I'm interviewing if when we were kids in Manchester, New Hampshire, we would watch your movies. It brought my family together. If my dad was still around, he would have loved this. He would have loved that I got to meet you.

[Bill Murray]

I'm sorry. If my dad were around, he'd love it, too.

[Roy Chang]

Thanks so much. Mr. Bill Murray, everybody. The Friend opens in New York March 28th and nationwide April 4th. Mr. Bill Murray, we're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back after this. Hey, that's our show for the night. Now here it is, your moment of Zen happening. Now it is a Trump bump.

[Grace Coolensmith]

We appear to be heading into a Trump slump.

[Roy Chang]

I think that's because of a little bit of a Trump bump. Do you agree that we're heading into a Trump slump?

[Bill Murray]

I called it the Trump pump.

[Roy Chang]

What was a Trump bump is now a Trump slide slump.

[Bill Murray]

You still got that Trump pump on, brother.

[Ronny Chieng]

Many are seeing what is now the.

[Bill Murray]

Market Trump slump as the risk of a looming Trump session.

[Roy Chang]

Explore more shows from the Daily show.

[Bill Murray]

Podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount.

[Roy Chang]

Plus.

[Ronny Chieng]

Paramount Podcasts.

[Roy Chang]

De San Jones Bay Conun Pantalon En El Godon owns Simple Sweatery Jeans De Hay and I en quentre al bolso de lis claiborne quesien pras querido y san Dalios que conveno.