Bill Murray Remembers the "Insane" Task Bruce Willis Had as NBC Page at SNL
The former cast member praised the Die Hard star — who'd go on to host SNL twice — and shared memories from his pre-fame days in 30 Rock.
Friends Bill Murray and Bruce Willis were both household names by the late 1980s — but Murray came up a few years earlier, after rising to fame as a Saturday Night Live cast member. But according to Murray, he and Willis did technically work together before the latter's Die Hard days: As the actor remembered it during a March 31 Watch What Happens Live appearance, Willis had a stint as an NBC page.
Murray shared his memories of that time circa 1980 after reminiscing about working with Bruce Willis on Wes Anderson's Moonlight Kingdom film. "Bruce Willis is a good guy. A good f---ing guy," Murray said, growing serious as he honored Willis's March 19 birthday. Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in February 2022 and is retired from acting. Murray called Willis "a good friend."
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Bill Murray says Bruce Willis had fond memories of being an NBC page at Saturday Night Live
“Bruce Willis was a page at NBC when I was on Saturday Night Live," Murray told his The Friend costar Naomi Watts and WWHL Host Andy Cohen." Murray was an SNL cast member from 1977-1980, joining midway through Season 2.
"This sounds like insane s---, but his job was to come and go to the dressing rooms and refill the M&Ms and pretzels kind of thing in the actors’ rooms," Murray recalled. You've got to start somewhere!
Per Murray, Willis remembered these days, too. "I remember when I met him, after he was already a successful guy, he said, "you and Gilda Radner were nice to me,” the Ghostbusters star shared. "I always thought 'Okay, I'm good with this guy.'"
Though he never spoke publicly about working at NBC, New Jersey native Willis did indeed move to New York City in 1977 to make it in show business, also famously working as a hotshot bartender in Manhattan (under the nickname Bruno). Guess you might say that Willis was...Moonlighting as a bar worker.
When was Bruce Willis on SNL?
Bruce Willis hosted Saturday Night Live twice: On September 30, 1989, and again on October 12, 2013.
He also made two cameos: On then-wife Demi Moore's November 12, 1988 episode and during the SNL15 anniversary special the following year.
In his SNL hosting debut, Willis poked fun at his blues-y Seagram's wine cooler ads in the sketch "Man & His Music." Watch below.
