Aziz Ansari’s already troubled directorial debut,Being Mortal, is once again undergoing turbulence in light of the recent allegations against actor Bill Murray. Now, Keke Palmer, co-star of the film, has weighed on the future of the project.
Back in April, production onBeing Mortalwas paused by Searchlight Pictures (owned byDisney) after allegations of inappropriate conduct were made against Murray by a female crew member. According to reports, while near a bed on set, Murray allegedly straddled the crew member, kissed her body, and kissed her on the mouth while they were both wearing face masks. In an interview later that month, Murray admitted that his behavior was “so inappropriate” but did not elaborate further.
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Palmer, who is set to star inBeing Mortalalongside Murray, Seth Rogen, and Ansari, stated that if the production was to move ahead, it would require “major rewrites.” Speaking toVarietyPalmer expressed her uncertainty about the future of the film’s release. “If somebody could figure it out, it would be Aziz,” she said. “Obviously, we got cut short at a certain point, but I will say that I am pretty devastated. It’s an amazing film. If there is some way to be able to complete, salvage it, I would want to do it.” Palmer tactfully avoided the main issues surrounding Murray but went on to say, “[Ansari] would probably have to do a major rewrite, but I know what we got was gold.”
In recent days, further incidents have been reported regarding Murray by some high-profile Hollywood stars. In her upcoming memoirDying of Politeness,A League of Their Ownstar Geena Davis details her time working with Murray on the set ofQuick Change.During their initial meeting, Murray allegedly greeted Davis with a massage device he called The Thumper, which he insisted on using on her despite her protests. Davis then details Murray screaming at her for being late while she was waiting for her wardrobe in her trailer and continuing the tirade in front of the cast and crew.
In a recent episode of the YouTube comedy showGood Mythical Morning, Seth Green told hosts Rhett and Link about a timewhen he was an extra onSNLat 9 years old. According to Green, he was backstage with Eddie Murphy and was sitting on the arm of a chair when Murray came in and demanded he move, stating that he was “in his seat.” When Green didn’t move he alleges that Murray grabbed him by the ankles and dangled him upside down while calling him trash. Murray then allegedly dropped Green in the trash can, leaving the young actor to run and hide in his dressing room.
With all of these stories coming out regarding Murray in recent weeks and no status update on production resuming onBeing Mortal, if Searchlight Pictures and parent company Disney do restart production it is likely to continue without Murray.
