Movies - TV
Bill Murray's Little Shop Of Horrors Casting Was A Major Point Of Contention
By MATT RAINIS
Bill Murray did not have a major part in "Little Shop of Horrors," but his masochistic character who visits a dentist's office for a "long, slow root canal" certainly leaves an impression on the viewer. Knowing Murray's reputation, that his inclusion in the movie, even in such a minor part, was a point of contention, is unsurprising.
According to an oral history of the film done by The Hollywood Reporter, director Frank Oz and producer David Geffen argued over Murray's casting. Oz said, "I did not cast Bill. I wanted to cast somebody else, but David had already cast Bill. I got very upset — not that Bill had been cast, but David and I had an agreement that we both had to sign off on whoever was cast."
Ultimately, despite these problems, "Little Shop of Horrors" went on to great success, a sweet horror flick with absolutely infectious songs. The finished product, like much of Murray's work, looked fantastic, and despite his reputation in other movies, for once it wasn't actually Murray's fault that he started fights behind the scenes.