Why Bill Murray Didn't Return For Caddyshack 2 (But Chevy Chase Did)
Bill Murray & Chevy Chase were vital components of Caddyshack's ensemble cast. But why didn't Murray return for the sequel, especially when Chase did?
1980's Caddyshack famously featured big names like Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, and Bill Murray - so why didn't the latter actor return for Caddyshack 2? Directed by Harold Ramis, the raunchy, irreverent, and fun-loving film chronicles some of the events at Bushwood Country Club. The comedy has become a well-known cult classic since its release, and part of that, of course, has to do with its star-studded cast. Interestingly though, when Caddyshack 2 was released as a follow-up eight years later, legendary actor Bill Murray didn't return in the sequel with another appearance as country club groundskeeper Carl Spackler - even though his co-star, Chevy Chase, did.
The original Caddyshack follows an interesting cast of characters. One of the central players in the Bill Murray-starring comedy is teenager Danny Noonan (Michael O'Keefe), who labors, and enjoys himself, against the backdrop of his titular summer job as a caddy out on Bushwood's course. In addition to teenage shenanigans from the caddies, and comedian Rodney Dangerfield's memorable performance as wealthy, brash, and good-time-seeking country club member Al Czervik, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase are also important characters within Caddyshack's story. As previously mentioned, the former actor played goofy and bizarre groundskeeper Carl Spackler. Chase, on the other hand, played the equally funny (yet far more conventionally "normal") character of Bushwood member (and son of one of the club's co-founders) Ty Webb. Of course, plenty of laugh-provoking silliness ensues, including a high-stakes golf match and Spackler's famous rivalry with a course-dwelling gopher.
Caddyshack 2 brought fans back to Bushwood in 1988, offering a sequel to the widely-beloved original. Naturally, with this entry, things are switched up a bit. Though the film keeps some of its goofy sports comedy vibes similar to the franchise's debut, the cast is a tad different. Most notably, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield's characters are absent. Actor Chevy Chase returns as Webb, and the sequel does feature some new high-profile names (such as fellow Hollywood legend Dan Aykroyd, Robert Stack, and comedian Jackie Mason). However, it's certainly strange to see Chase's return without Murray as a fellow cast member. Many Caddyshack lovers have been confused and/or dismayed about this over the years, with some attributing the absence as one of the reasons the sequel is widely seen as sub-par in comparison to the original. Even so, according to a 2006 article from geoffshackelford.com, Murray remarked about the original Caddyshack and its '88 sequel:
"You know, Caddyshack was a great thing. There were some extraordinary people in it, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, the guy who played the bishop, these are people who have passed away. They were great people, great actors and lots of fun, and it was an unusual thing. Can't you be happy with having seen it and watched it?"
Though Caddyshack 2's release is now decades in the past, Bill Murray's views on the franchise's need, or lack thereof, for a follow-up seems to align with those of many fans. Interestingly, both he and Chase had an infamous feud in late 1970 after Chase's departure from Saturday Night Live. At one point, this even turned into a physical altercation on the aforementioned show's set. Naturally, it would seem as though these tensions may have lingered and possibly informed events (or, in this case, an absence) like Murray's decision to not return in Caddyshack 2. However, this wasn't the case.
For one thing, although they only had one scene together in Caddyshack, the comics did work together on the first film. This, of course, gifted both Chevy Chase and Bill-Murray-led movie fans with an incredibly memorable and absurd scene between Webb and Spackler in the latter character's living space. It's also widely documented that the two stars have since made up. Ultimate Classic Rock has even quoted Chase as saying that the "tension was short-lived," and that he has "nothing but admiration and affection for Bill." It seems that Murray's absence was most likely more an issue with not seeing the need for a Caddyshack sequel - especially one that was dropping from an R rating to a PG one - than the result of any bad blood with creative shot-callers or co-stars like Chevy Chase.