Groundhog Day Turns 25!

Twenty-five years ago Bill Murray found himself trapped in a GROUNDHOG DAY time warp, doomed to repeat the same day over and over for eternity. It’s a soul-destroying Westworld-esque loop he’d remain within until remedying his misery-guts attitude and realizing that life wasn’t as dreary as he thought.

Thankfully for Bill (or Phil, rather), it only took a couple of repetitive puddle fails (and a few slaps) to realize that nothing would change if he didn’t; a revamp of spirit that lead him toward hooking up with ’90s sweetheart Andie McDowell.

The movie is based on the yearly tradition of Groundhog Day, which draws from folklore and predicts the coming of the seasons every February 2. According to the tradition, if the groundhog emerges and doesn’t see its shadow, spring will come early. But if the groundhog sees its shadow, it will retreat back to its burrow and winter will remain for another six weeks. It’s this eternal winter that Bill Murray was stuck within.

Thankfully, as the decades passed, Murray and the other actors who took part in the ’93 classic have emerged on the sunny side of that fateful blizzard warp. But what have they been up to since? Let’s take a look:

Phil – Bill Murray

Since GROUNDHOG DAY: What movie hasn’t Bill Murray been in? From Wild Things to The Royal Tenenbaums, Murray has kept himself busy and only increased his fanbase. Most recently, Murray has shown up in or provided voices to THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, A VERY MURRAY CHRISTMAS and the upcoming ISLE OF THE DOGS.

Neurologist – Harold Ramis

Since GROUNDHOG DAY: Ramis directed and wrote the screenplay for Groundhog Day and appeared in the film briefly, too. He sadly passed away in 2014. He is best known for playing Egon Spengler in GHOSTBUSTERS, Russell Ziskey in Stripes and writing and directing CADDYSHACK, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION and ANALYZE THIS.

Rita – Andie MacDowell

Since GROUNDHOG DAY: MacDowell has always bridged TV and film work, even before the days of Peak TV. She’s in FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, MULTIPLICITY, MUPPETS FROM SPACE, CRUSH, LONE STAR, 30 Rock, and the series Cedar Cove, with a key appearance in Magic Mike XXL.

Larry – Chris Elliott

Since GROUNDHOG DAY: Elliott, who made his name appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman, followed Groundhog Day by writing and starring in CABIN BOY. He had a stint on Saturday Night Live, and showed up in THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, SCARY MOVIE 2, The Weber Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, King of the Hill, Eagleheart, How I Met Your Mother, Schitt’s Creek. He was just at Sundance with the film’s Clara’s Ghost, written and directed by his daughter Bridey Elliott.

Ned – Stephen Tobolowsky

Since GROUNDHOG DAY: Stephen Tobolowsky is one of our great character actors, with roles in just about every TV show you’d want to see him in, and plenty of movies besides. He’s in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Memento, Malcolm in the Middle, Freaky Friday, Deadwood, Heroes, Community, Glee, Justified, Californication, The Goldbergs, Justice League Action, just to name a few. For almost a decade he has created the storytelling podcast The Tobolowsky Files, sharing his personal and career experiences.