Bill Murray blasts Bob Woodward, defends John Belushi’s legacy

Bill Murray has joined the chorus of critics condemning Bob Woodward’s ’Wired: The Short Life & Fast Times of John Belushi,’ taking sharp aim at the book’s portrayal of his late friend. 

In a recent interview with Joe Rogan, the “Ghostbusters” star didn’t mince words about the famed journalist’s 1984 biography of  Belushi, calling it a hatchet job that made him question Mr. Woodward’s larger body of work.

“So when I read ’Wired’ by whatshisname, Bob Woodward, about John Belushi, I read like five pages of Wired and I went, ‘Oh my God, they framed Nixon,’” Mr. Murray, 74, said. “If he did this to Belushi, what he did to Nixon is probably soiled for me too.”

Mr. Murray revealed that Mr. Woodward had reached out for an interview while writing Wired, but he declined. “It smelled funny,” he said.

Released just two years after Belushi’s death at 33 from a heroin and cocaine overdose, “Wired” was met with widespread backlash from many who were well acquainted with the actor.

Director John Landis, fellow SNL alum Dan Aykroyd, and now Mr. Murray have all criticized the book’s depiction of the comedian, who became a cultural icon with “Animal House,” “The Blues Brothers” and his raucous Saturday Night Live performances.

Mr. Murray, a native of Wilmette, Illinois, called Belushi the most famous person to come out of nearby Wheaton — followed, he told Mr. Rogan, by Chicago Bears legend Harold “Red” Grange and Mr. Woodward himself. 

But while Mr. Grange was revered and Mr. Woodward became a household name, Belushi’s influence and generosity, according to Mr. Murray, went far deeper.

“He convinced a lot of us from Illinois to come to New York,” Mr. Murray said, recalling how Belushi opened doors for aspiring comedians and musicians alike. “He let us sleep on his couch for months at a time.”

Belushi’s passion for the blues, which led to the creation of The Blues Brothers alongside Mr. Aykroyd, was another part of his enduring fame. 

“He revived a whole genre of music,” Mr. Murray told Mr. Rogan.

As for Mr. Woodward, Mr. Murray made it clear that he believes the journalist has yet to fully reckon with the damage caused by Wired. 

“Woodward does other things, I’ve seen him on TV and be smart and everything but, you know, he’s going to have to answer for that,” he said, adding that he couldn’t bring himself to finish the book. “You don’t get away with that, you don’t get a free pass. Not with my friend.”