In the late 1990s, Hollywood began work on a big-screen adaptation of the beloved 1970s action
series Charlie’s Angels. The film was released in the year 2000, and became a huge hit! Starring
Lucy Liu, Drew Barrymore, and Cameron Diaz, the film was so successful that it spawned a sequel
three years later. Bill Murray played the character of Bosley in the first film,
though he chose not to return for the sequel. Bill was said not to have returned due to a
couple of altercations that he had taken part in on the first film’s set, including one with costar
Lucy Liu. Join Facts Verse as we explore why Lucy Liu and Bill Murray will never work again.
During the filming of 2000’s Charlie’s Angels, stars Lucy Liu and Bill Murray apparently got into
an altercation on set that made production very uncomfortable. The film was an adaptation of the
beloved 1970s television series of the same name. Lucy Liu played Alex Munday, while Bill Murray
played the character of Bosley. Besides Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore played the film’s
other two Angels. The film also boasted a unique supporting cast, featuring such actors as Sam
Rockwell, Matt LeBlanc, Tom Green, and Crispin Glover, not to mention Bill Murray. Like the
television series that inspired it, the film followed the exploits of its three titular Angels,
which was the codename given to a group of female spies working for a man named Charlie.
The film became a massive success upon its release, pleasing both fans of the series and
newcomers alike despite not being a big hit with critics. Part of what made the film work was its
eclectic cast, though it appears that some of the cast members didn’t always get along. Though
Charlie’s Angels was successful enough to generate a sequel in 2003, Bill Murray didn’t return for
it. One of the reasons often suggested as to why the actor chose not to return for the sequel is
that he didn’t want to work with Lucy Liu again. However, he has claimed that this isn’t the case.
There were always rumors that something had gone down between Lucy Liu and Bill Murray
on the set of Charlie’s Angels, and the actress herself has recently substantiated these rumors.
While the altercation was oftentimes rumored to have ended with Lucy Liu physically attacking
Bill Murray, both stars have since claimed that this wasn’t the case. Instead, the altercation
between the two stars on the set of the film is said to have been purely verbal in nature.
According to Lucy Liu, the altercation between her and Bill Murray was sparked
by the fact that the latter had made changes to the script that he hadn’t run by any of
the creative department. Because of Bill’s immense stature in Hollywood,
his script changes were allowed. However, the script changes put pressure on the other actors,
given the fact that they had already rehearsed and memorized the script as it was written.
Lucy ended up confronting Bill during filming, believing that he was abusing his power
and overstepping his boundaries by rewriting the script without asking for anyone's approval. In
response to this, Bill began chastising Lucy, calling her a television actress.
Lucy Liu had recently come out of television, and her role in Charlie’s Angels proved one of
her early big breaks in film. The actress had yet to achieve the same star power as the actresses
playing her fellow two Angels, let alone Hollywood legend Bill Murray. Lucy was infamously paid
millions of dollars less than her costars but took the opportunity anyway, knowing that it was going
to be good for her career. On top of all of this, there was the fact that Lucy is Asian American and
had to overcome stigma in her career in order to attain the position that she had at that point.
This context made it so that Lucy Liu took being called a television actress by Bill
Murray very personally. Witnesses, including Lucy and Bill themselves,
remain adamant that no physical altercation ever took place. However, it would be hard to
blame Lucy for lashing out after such an insult! Filming continued, and no further altercations
were said to have taken place… at least, between the two stars. In more recent years,
Lucy and Bill have apparently been able to get along when they run into each other in public,
though Lucy stands firm in her belief that she did the right thing.
Although Lucy and Bill seem to have made peace by the time that the filming of 2000’s Charlie’s
Angels was over, Bill Murray still didn’t return for the film’s 2003 sequel. If his feud with
Lucy Liu wasn’t the reason Bill didn’t return for the sequel, then it could’ve been his even worse
feud with the film’s director. That director is the strangely named McG, whom Bill was rumored
to have headbutted during Charlie’s Angels’ production. If you’re enjoying this video so far,
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After Lucy Liu recently revealed more details about the altercation that occurred between
her and Bill Murray on the set of Charlie’s Angels, costar Drew Barrymore came out to
give her support. Allegedly, Drew Barrymore offered up some kind of video evidence of
the altercation that proved Lucy didn't get physical and was in the right, though Lucy
claimed not to have needed it. Drew shared that she had supported Lucy on the set of the film
and still feels that her costar was in the right when defending herself against Bill.
However, she also shared her belief that Bill was simply letting his dark comedy get out of hand
and ended up being respectful to Lucy after she put him in his place verbally.
Whether Lucy Liu simply told Bill Murray off or legitimately physically attacked him,
whatever she did seems to have won the comedic legend’s respect. However, the same can’t be said
for whatever altercation went down between Bill Murray and Charlie’s Angels director,
McG. Like Lucy and Bill, Bill and McG were rumored to have gotten into a
physical altercation on the set of the film, though this altercation seems to
have left a much more negative impression on Bill that lasted past the film’s production.
When director McG was hired to direct the first big-screen adaptation of Charlie’s Angels,
he had never directed a feature film before. Instead, the director had only ever helmed
music videos up until that point. While McG had been incredibly successful in the realm of music
videos, directing hits for bands such as Smash Mouth and Barenaked Ladies,
no one knew if he could successfully helm a whole entire movie. The film turned out to be a success,
and McG was hired back on to direct the 2003 sequel. However, McG’s lack
of experience made him the easy victim of bullying on the original feature’s set.
If Bill Murray didn’t have a huge problem with Lucy Liu by the end
of Charlie’s Angels’ production, it appears that he still had a problem with McG. When Bill Murray
provided unwanted script rewrites and forced them on the production staff,
McG was likely the most offended party of all. Bill and McG were said to have gotten into a
physical altercation on the set of the film that ended with Bill headbutting McG in the face.
However, it remains uncertain whether or not these rumors are any truer than the rumors
of Lucy attacking Bill. Still, Bill Murray and director McG certainly didn’t get along.
Bill Murray has claimed that he never headbutted his director on the set of Charlie’s Angels,
though he certainly hasn’t held back about his negative feelings towards him. According to Bill,
McG may not have deserved a headbutting, but he doesn’t mind the idea of the director
being physically attacked in some other way. Many critics at the time derided the film,
and its direction was one of the things that many pointed out as being flawed. Music video directors
are often looked down on in the world of film due to their preference for superficial aesthetics and
fast editing. While this vision seems to have worked well for audiences in the case of 2000’s
Charlie’s Angels, Bill Murray had a sensible reason for being skeptical of McG’s skills on set.
Whether due to the altercation he’d experienced with Lucy Liu, the altercation he’d experienced
with McG, or simply general ennui about the direction of the franchise, Bill Murray opted out
of returning for 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. Lucy Liu received a slightly bigger
paycheck for the sequel, though still made far less than either Cameron Diaz or Drew Barrymore.
Lucy’s star continued to rise in the years since, and she has recently ventured into directing.
When Bill Murray decided not to reprise the role of Bosley for Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, the
creative team went the interesting direction of hiring Bernie Mac to be his replacement.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle was received much more weakly than its predecessor in terms
of both critical and audience approval, and a second sequel was never made. Instead,
the franchise was given a reboot with a 2019 film that aimed to take the premise of the television
a little bit more seriously than the previous two adaptations had. Sadly, the film performed even
worse than Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, leaving the franchise’s future uncertain.
Although Lucy Liu and Bill Murray certainly got into a battle of words on the set of the 2000
film adaptation of Charlie’s Angels, both stars remain adamant that the altercation
never got physical. Now it’s time to hear from you: do you think that Lucy
Liu physically attacked Bill Murray on the set of 2000’s Charlie’s Angels, or do you
believe both stars’ claims that their disagreement was purely verbal? As always, like this video to
show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if
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