‘Caddyshack’ star Bill Murray expected to tee up for McGuire
By Cindy Wojdyla Cain ccain@stmedianetwork.com August 23, 2012 12:50PM
Bill Murray will play President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Updated: September 25, 2012 10:44AM
Actor and comedian Bill Murray is coming to a Joliet Country Club golf outing, but he won’t be chasing gophers as he did in the cult comedy classic “Caddyshack.”
Murray will be here to support friend and state Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Joliet, who was appointed to the 43rd District seat in February and is running for election to the post in November.
McGuire’s golf outing fundraiser is scheduled for Sept. 24. Proceeds will go to his senate campaign. Murray and McGuire know each other through Jim Downey, McGuire’s childhood friend and classmate when the two were growing up in Joliet.
Downey was hired as a writer and Murray was hired as a performer during the second season of TV show “Saturday Night Live,” McGuire said.
This is not the first time Murray has helped McGuire’s campaign. Murray donated $10,000 to McGuire’s campaign for Will County treasurer in 2006.
McGuire said he and Murray talk regularly on the telephone and during a recent conversation, Murray asked how he could help the campaign. McGuire, who is facing Republican Sandy Johnson of Manhattan in the election, said he is not sure when Murray will arrive during the fundraiser or if he will play a round of golf.
“I’ll be grateful to everyone who attends,” he said. “I hope people enjoy the day, and I hope they enjoy meeting Bill Murray.”
A lot of people don’t realize that Murray has a serious side and is interested in politics in his home state of Illinois, McGuire added.
“He’s serious about getting Illinois back on its feet,” McGuire said.
Murray also has given McGuire pointers about public speaking as an elected official.
“He told me how to stay calm and not let your emotions override your thoughts,” McGuire said. “He places a great value on being calm and observant.”
McGuire said he realizes there may be some “Caddyshack” jokes when people learn Murray, who played gopher-chasing groundskeeper Carl Spackler in the 1980 comedy, is heading to the Joliet golf course.
“There are people who have that movie memorized,” McGuire said.
But McGuire is not one of them, he confessed.
“I’ve never seen ‘Caddyshack,’” he said. “Bill and I don’t connect on the comedy side, we connect on the serious political side.”
