What Does Bill Murray Do When He's Bored? He Texts His FormerSNLCastmate, Says Laraine Newman (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Laraine Newman (left) and Bill Murray.Photo:Emma McIntyre/Getty; Frazer Harrison/Getty

Emma McIntyre/Getty; Frazer Harrison/Getty

Saturday Night LivealumLaraine Newmanopened up about her friendship with fellow castmateBill Murray.

Though it’s been years since the two shared theSNLstage, they’ve stayed in touch — mostly through text, with Murray reaching out whenever he’s feeling a little unoccupied.

“When he’s doing something where he’s bored, he texts me,” Newman, 72, who isset to hostHollywood, Health & Society’s 2024Sentinel Awardson Oct. 24, tells PEOPLE with a smile. “If he’s driving cross-country, we’ll have long text conversations.”

Their exchanges, she reveals, are delightfully random, covering everything from life updates to lighthearted banter.

Laraine Newman and Bill Murray on ‘SNL’ alongside Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and Jane Curtain.Marty Lederhandler/AP/Shutterstock

While Newman speaks warmly of her playful connection with Murray, she also expresses admiration for the currentSNLcast and the show’s evolving sketches that continue to resonate with audiences.

“I mean,Sarah Shermanon Weekend Update, anything she does is just brilliant,” Newman says. “AndBowen Yang, I love him so much, especially when he did the iceberg from the Titanic.”

Bowen Yang (left) and Sarah Sherman.Will Heath/NBC/NBCU/Getty (2)

Will Heath/NBC/NBCU/Getty (2)

Newman also reminisces about her late friend and belovedSNLcastmateGilda Radner, recalling a memorable incident during preparations for anSNLlive show in New Orleans.

“They forgot about us for four hours in a part of town we didn’t know. It was Gilda and me, just stuck there,” she remembers with a laugh. “I just loved Gilda very much.”

Another late friend of Newman’s is John Belushi, and she reveals her thoughts on what he and Radner might think ofSNL’s enduring legacy.

“Well, I think they’d be amazed,” Newman says thoughtfully. “It’s hard to know whether they would have been excited about the evolution of comedy tone, but I think they would be. Both Gilda and John had a very progressive perspective on the world, as well as comedy.”

Fom left: John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner on ‘SNL’ in 1976.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

“In format, that hasn’t changed,” Newman explains. “The behind-the-scenes function of pitching to the host, assigning sketches, writing all night, and preparing for the live show — that’s all the same.”

However, she acknowledges that the technological advancements in the production process would have been new territory for her late friends. “They have technology that we didn’t have,” she says, reflecting on the show’s progression.

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source: people.com