i woulda wrote this article - were i smarter...

is bill murray hollywood's most gifted actor?

Many actors have undertaken a similar crossing of genres, budgets and salaries in their careers, but what makes Bill Murray stand out is that he never seems out of place. He's able to put forth a range and a depth that makes him equally believable as a hedonistic slob or a depressed movie star. As Murray's aged, he's developed the ability to portray more than one layer at a time, earning him reviews not generally bestowed upon ex-"SNL" stars.

Would John Belushi have matured as a performer if he'd lived? Possibly. Chevy Chase has never successfully played anything other than slight variations on himself. Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey have both made forays into deeper material, with moderate success (more for Carrey), but they both still feel like they're (cue Master Thespian impression) acting when they do a project like "Punch-Drunk Love" or "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Murray is a far more intuitive actor.

funny thing i remember when he was the new kid on the block on snl and didn't think he'd fill chevy's shoes...hah! i'm willing to admit being wrong on that one!