SNL turns 40 - the best of Bill Murray
Saturday Night Live’s most famous alumni on acting, free time and Cinnabons.



Saturday Night Live, the starting point for many of America's favourite comedians, has celebrated its 40th anniversary with a celebrity-packed episode.
However there was one moment which stood out above the rest as actor extraordinaire Bill Murray reprised his lounge singer alter ego Nick Ocean, to belt out the "Love theme from Jaws".
The raucous reprise had the SNL audience in stitches as the actor and comedian performed in front of an iconic clip on loop from Steven Spielberg's epic.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Murray who took over from Chevy Chase as a regular on the show in 1977, is widely credited with the upturn in fortunes that meant Saturday Night Live became a regular fixture on American televisions.
Murray has since gone on to be one of America’s treasures of the silver screen. Here are six of his most memorable quotes:
"I love independent films but it’s fun to do studio movies, too. You should do both. You don’t want to be like, “Oh he’s an independent film guy.” It sounds like he makes his own dresses or something you know? It just doesn’t sound right."
"I've never made any horrible, horrible movies. If you don't ruin your reputation, you can always get work"
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"theweek_content_narrow","fid":"82404","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"307","width":"460"}}]] "You gotta be able to play straight to play funny. If you can play straight to play funny, playing straight is not a big thing at all"
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"theweek_content_narrow","fid":"82405","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"307","width":"460"}}]]
"I do absolutely nothing. I go home and stay there. I wash and scrub up each day, and that’s it. One month I actually grew a moustache, just so I could say that I’d done something"
"I kinda like this Jay-Z thing, where he's retired, but he keeps doing shows. I think I beat him to that. If you say you're retired, people don't bother you so much, and then if you want to do something, you can do it."
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"theweek_content_narrow","fid":"82407","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"307","width":"460"}}]]
"Everyone loves Cinnabons"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Brazil has a scorpion problem
Under The Radar Venomous arachnids are infesting country's fast-growing cities
-
Why Rikers Island will no longer be under New York City's control
The Explainer A 'remediation manager' has been appointed to run the infamous jail
-
California may pull health care from eligible undocumented migrants
IN THE SPOTLIGHT After pushing for universal health care for all Californians regardless of immigration status, Gov. Gavin Newsom's latest budget proposal backs away from a key campaign promise
-
Movies to watch in October, from 'Joker: Folie à Deux' to 'Saturday Night'
The Week Recommends Joaquin Phoenix as Joker, a new Jason Reitman comedy and a buzzy Palme d'Or winner
-
The remarkable comedy of Julio Torres
The Explainer His latest endeavor, "Problemista," continues his peerless artistic run
-
When will your favorite show be back now that the writers strike is over?
The Explainer Here's when to expect new episodes of the late-night shows, 'SNL,' and more
-
The story behind Sinéad O’Connor’s iconic Saturday Night Live performance
Under the Radar Singer ‘stepped into culture-war infamy’ after tearing photograph of the Pope live on air
-
SNL's Donald Trump compares himself to Jesus, favorably, in special Easter cold open
Speed Read
-
Sport on TV guide: Christmas 2022 and New Year listings
Speed Read Enjoy a feast of sporting action with football, darts, rugby union, racing, NFL and NBA
-
A history of presidential parodies on Saturday Night Live
Speed Read From Gerald Ford to Joe Biden and everyone in between
-
SNL mocks Trump's NFT trading cards 'scam,' says goodbye to Cecily Strong
Speed Read