Russell Crowe and Bill Murray: One movie star cool, one a tool

If there is one profession that is over rated to the point of hysteria, it’s “Movie Star.” Face it, it’s by far the easiest job in the world, especially when you factor in the obscenely large paychecks. For goodness sake, even a Scientologist can be a movie star.

Being a movie star is kind of like being a pampered dog. Everyone worships you, feeds your ego, and no matter how often you crap on the sofa, people tell you that you’re a “good dog.” The job consists of getting as many chances as you need to “emote” and then, even if you stink, you can always slug someone in a El Pollo Loco parking lot and people will go see your movie.

What makes it all even worse is that the average movie star doesn’t understand how talentless and pathetic they really are. They wander around with some grand sense of importance, talking about their craft and how they put so much of themselves into their roles. For the most part, however, the average movie star is a walking mannequin, provided said mannequin has 14 PR people and three makeup guys lodged deep up its hollow, soul-less body cavity.

There are some that get it, however. Some that understand what’s being asked of them, and enjoy it all, rather than sulkily wandering around debating their “art.” These are the ones to appreciate. And it wouldn’t surprise golfers one bit that the stars that are most grounded, also are big fans of our game.

May I present:

Exhibit 1: Russell Crowe

Crowe would likely be most comfortable if his life was but an endless interview on Inside the Actor’s Studio, with host James Lipton massaging his feet and asking him what type of pie he’d be, had he’d been born a pie. And the answer would most likely be something extremely complicated, involving emotions, technique and meringue. Self-important to the point that he nearly needs to name a capital and Prime Minister for himself, Crowe recently dumped the cheerleaders from his rugby team, because they were distracting everyone from the crappy, nightmare hug-fest that is rugby. Combining a fakeness of both macho and artistic integrity, he is universally disliked and considered a tool.

Exhibit 2: Bill Murray

Murray has an obvious love of golf, showing up annually at Pebble Beach, and even starring in the narcissistic, yet weirdly enjoyable goof-fest, “The Sweet Spot” along with his seven or eight dozen, look-a-like golfing brothers. Even at his best and most serious on the silver screen, such as 2003’s Lost in Translation, Murray just doesn’t appear to take things that seriously, which truly adds to his charm. Murray has no agent, doesn’t hang out with Hollywood types, and generally seems extremely comfortable in his own skin. He is universally admired and liked.
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It’s all as simple as that. When you see a movie star on the golf course, having fun and goofing off with the gallery, you can be pretty sure he’s a good guy that gets it. When you see a movie star trying to protect the integrity of rugby from cheerleaders, you can be pretty sure he’s a deluded, self-important fool.

–WKW