Geena Davis has not stopped speaking out about the sexual harassment she endured at the hands of Bill Murray during the audition process for the 1990 film “Quick Change.” The Academy Award-winning actress disclosed this information in a previously published passage from her upcoming memoir titled “Dying of Politeness.” She said that Murray wanted to meet with her in a hotel room and then compelled her to allow him to use a massage device known as “The Thumper” on her.
During an interview for the promotion of the book, Davis stated, “That was terrible.” “Based on his demeanor during our first encounter… I ought to have either walked out of it or given a very thorough defense of myself; in either case, I wouldn’t have gotten the part. If I had known how to react or what to do at the audition, I would have been able to avoid being treated in that manner. But you have to understand that I am not the type of person to start a fight, so I didn’t.”
Because of her remarks against Murray, an old video clip of the two actors promoting the movie “Quick Change” on an episode of “The Arsenio Hall Show” was unearthed and shared online. During the course of the conversation, Murray can be seen repeatedly pulling down Davis’ dress strap and stroking her arm. Davis also discusses their first encounter, which took place in a hotel room. She relates the anecdote in a jovial tone while maintaining a cheerful expression on her face as if the interaction had been devoid of any inappropriateness.
“Did you feel him touching you quite a bit during the audition?” Hall asked Davis.
In response, Davis stated, “Yeah, and I swear to it.” “The first thing he did was take my shirt off and start tickling my stomach while my pants were still on,” I recounted.
During a recent interview with I magazine, Davis was questioned about the video clip, and she expressed sorrow for describing the traumatic event in such a lighthearted manner.
“Isn’t it stunning? Davis commented on how terrible the Arsenio Hall interview was by saying “it’s awful.” That slipped my mind. When I told it in that manner, just as a comical yarn, I must have thought, “Well, it’s eventually amusing, or makes for a wonderful story,” when in reality, it was so terrible.
Davis stated her belief, which she shared in a recent interview with ABC News, that Murray’s inappropriate behavior stemmed from a desire to intimidate her and establish a clear power dynamic. Davis’s comments were made in reference to the interview.
“I found out afterward that it was because I had just won an Oscar,” she added. “I had no idea at the time that that was the reason.” And with that in mind, he reasoned to himself, “I’m not going to cast her unless I know she’s not going to believe she’s all that.”