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Bill Murray was paid just $9,000 for his Golden Globe-nominated performance in 'Rushmore'

Bill Murray chose an unusual path with an independent film in order to relaunch his acting career

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Few come close to Bill Murray's accomplishments in terms of iconic roles in Hollywood movies. In addition to his outstanding portfolio of work, Murray is also known for his versatility in dramatic parts. Reportedly, 72-year-old Murray is dating 43-year-old 'Milkshake' singer, Kelis. The rumors began to circulate when Murray attended Kelis' concert at the Mighty Hoopla festival in South London over the weekend.

Over the years, Hollywood has offered moviegoers a lot of fantastic director/actor pairs. Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese, John Wayne and John Ford, and Wes Anderson and Bill Murray are a few examples. Although it wasn't a commercial hit, Anderson's 'Rushmore' garnered enough favorable publicity that Disney decided to take a bet on him with the 1998 comedy movie that introduced Murray to the fold. However, Anderson paid a pitiful amount to Murray for his performance in 'Rushmore,' which eventually earned Murray a Golden Globe nomination, as per The Things.

Wes Anderson paid Bill Murray only $9,000!

After attaining popularity, Murray's career was not as successful as it previously was because of his uneven box office performance. He had been a part of numerous excellent films, but things weren't as reliable for him as a leading man as they had once been. However, this was about to change with 'Rushmore's 1998 release in theaters. Murray was appearing in an indie film, which does not typically work out so well for actors, unlike many of the films he had previously worked on.

While 'Rushmore' helped in the development of Murray's career in indie movies, it didn't bring in a lot of money for him. Anderson claimed that he only paid Murray a pitiful $9,000 for the movie, but he was evidently eager to contribute more to its making. In addition, Murray wrote a check for $25,000 to supply a helicopter after Disney refused to pay for one for a scene in the movie; Anderson still retains the check, uncashed, as per Variety.

'Rushmore is the first movie that’s completely whole'

The Oscar-nominated actor once admitted that he appreciated playing the role in 'Rushmore' despite the smaller pay, adding, "I’ve liked most of the characters I’ve played, but writing-wise they weren’t all finished. I think Rushmore is the first movie I’ve done in a while that’s completely whole."

Murray added, "Groundhog Day was another that was exceptionally well-written. With Rushmore, it was great to be able to serve the story without waving a flag over my head, which you often have to do when you’re the lead and have to carry the film. So I enjoyed playing Blume because I really believe an actor’s job is to serve."

Murray went on to act in each of Anderson's subsequent movies. He doesn't always play a significant part; at times, all he does is play a glorified cameo. He is nonetheless consistently present, even in Anderson's animated films 'The Fantastic Mr Fox' and 'Isle of Dogs.' They most recently worked together on the comedy 'The French Dispatch,' which also stars Adrien Brody, Benicio Del Toro, Timothee Chalamet, and Tilda Swinton.

Bill Murray is dating 'Milkshake' singer Kelis

The ‘Ghostbusters’ star, 72, is reportedly dating Kelis, 43, famed for her 2003 hit 'Milkshake.' One of their friends told The Sun, "They’ve met up in the States before which got people in the industry talking, and now are meeting up in London while they’re both here. They’ve clearly hit it off. They were both seen at the same hotel, and he’s been to watch her perform several times before he went to Mighty Hoopla."

The unnamed friend added, "But they also both shared relatively recent bereavements and have that common bond between them. Whatever it is that has brought them together, and however unlikely it seems, they are both single and are having fun despite the fairly big age gap."