Bill Murray’s 76th birthday came with a very different kind of present from his longtime friend and Ghostbusters co-star Dan Aykroyd.

Instead of a simple birthday message, Aykroyd looked back at decades of friendship, comedy and unforgettable adventures — including one particularly chaotic night during the making of Ghostbusters II. What happened in Central Park involved two production motorcycles, flashing lights, sirens and a park that had been closed for filming.

The story, shared by Aykroyd several days after Murray’s September 21, 2026 birthday, offered fans a rare glimpse into the off-camera relationship between two actors whose partnership helped define the Ghostbusters franchise.

Dan Aykroyd Calls Bill Murray “the Murricane”

Aykroyd’s tribute was warm, personal and unmistakably playful.

The Ghostbusters co-creator took to social media to celebrate Murray, affectionately referring to his longtime friend as “the Murricane.” The nickname was fitting for a performer whose career has often been associated with an unpredictable, dry and effortlessly chaotic comedic presence.

But behind the joke was genuine admiration.

Aykroyd wrote:

“The greatest comedy leading man of our time. So many adventures over the years.”

Those few words captured the extraordinary length of their professional relationship.

Murray played Dr. Peter Venkman, while Aykroyd portrayed Dr. Raymond Stantz. Their partnership began with the original Ghostbusters in 1984 and continued through Ghostbusters II and later appearances in the franchise.

Sony Pictures identifies both actors among the principal stars of Ghostbusters II, which reunited the original team for the 1989 sequel.

Yet Aykroyd’s birthday message was not simply a look back at their movies.

The actor had a much stranger memory to share.

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The Ghostbusters II Story Involving Two Police Motorcycles

The most unexpected part of Aykroyd’s birthday tribute came when he remembered one night during production on Ghostbusters II.

According to Aykroyd, he and Murray took two fully equipped police motorcycles belonging to the movie production and rode them around a closed Central Park.

And they apparently did not keep things quiet.

Aykroyd recalled that the pair spent an hour chasing one another through the park while the motorcycles’ lights and sirens were operating.

His description was remarkably casual:

“One night shooting GB2, we appropriated two fully equipped police motorcycles from the movie’s motor pool and spent an hour chasing each other around a closed Central Park with full lights and sirens. No consequences. After all, we were Ghostbusters.”

It is exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes story that feels almost too perfectly suited to Ghostbusters.

The important context, however, is that Aykroyd was describing a closed Central Park during a film production. His anecdote is a recollection of something that happened during the making of the movie, rather than an account of an ordinary public outing.

For fans, that distinction makes the story even more intriguing: it provides a glimpse into the atmosphere surrounding the production while Aykroyd and Murray were working together on one of the franchise’s earliest films.

What Happened During Ghostbusters II?

Released in 1989, Ghostbusters II brought the original Ghostbusters team back together in New York.

Murray, Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson returned as the core team, with Murray again playing Peter Venkman and Aykroyd returning as Raymond Stantz.

Sony Pictures describes the sequel as following the group as they return to paranormal investigations in Manhattan after their earlier success had left them out of business.

This time, their investigation centered on a supernatural threat connected to an ancient tyrant and a mysterious river of slime beneath New York City.

The film reunited the central cast from the original 1984 movie, making the production an important continuation of the story that had turned the characters into cultural icons.

More than three decades later, Aykroyd’s motorcycle memory adds a completely different layer to that period.

The film itself was filled with paranormal chaos on screen.

Apparently, there was plenty of unconventional energy behind the scenes too.

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Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd’s Long Ghostbusters Partnership

The motorcycle story also highlights just how far back Aykroyd and Murray’s professional relationship goes.

Their Ghostbusters partnership began with the original 1984 movie and continued into the 1989 sequel. Their chemistry became an important part of the franchise’s identity, with Aykroyd’s earnest fascination with the paranormal contrasting with Murray’s dry and unpredictable comedic style.

That dynamic helped make Peter Venkman and Raymond Stantz such recognizable members of the original team.

The relationship between the actors has also remained connected to the franchise across generations.

Murray later returned as Venkman in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, while Aykroyd has remained closely associated with the series he helped create.

That long history makes the birthday tribute feel more significant than a routine celebrity social-media post.

Aykroyd was not simply congratulating another actor on reaching 76.

He was looking back on a friendship and creative partnership that stretches across more than four decades.

Bill Murray’s 76th Birthday Arrived During a Busy Time for Aykroyd

Murray turned 76 on September 21, 2026. He was born in Evanston, Illinois, in 1950.

His career includes Saturday Night Live, Caddyshack, Stripes and Groundhog Day, as well as numerous collaborations with filmmakers including Wes Anderson.

For Aykroyd, meanwhile, the birthday message arrived during a particularly busy period.

Only days earlier, the actor had shared a serious personal update concerning emergency foot surgery and the release of his upcoming novel, Soulhider.

On September 12, Aykroyd explained that he had undergone emergency surgery to treat an infection in his foot.

He said:

“Two weeks ago I underwent emergency foot surgery to clean out an infection,”

He then explained why the procedure had forced a change to his plans:

“Recovery time for this prevents me from touring with the book in October. I want to get out there because I am proud of it. So we have postponed the release until May 18 when I expect to be fully healed.”

The book is now scheduled for release on May 18, 2027.

Dan Aykroyd’s Recent Updates at a Glance

Date	Event	Details
September 12, 2026	Emergency surgery update	Aykroyd revealed he had undergone emergency foot surgery to clean out an infection.
October 2026	Original Soulhider tour period	Aykroyd had planned to tour for the book but said recovery would prevent him from doing so.
May 18, 2027	New Soulhider release date	The novel has been postponed until Aykroyd expects to be fully healed.
September 21, 2026	Bill Murray’s 76th birthday	Murray celebrated his 76th birthday.
September 2026	Aykroyd’s birthday tribute	Aykroyd celebrated Murray and recalled the wild Ghostbusters II motorcycle story.

Soulhider Marks Another Chapter for Dan Aykroyd

Aykroyd’s upcoming book represents another major chapter in his career.

Current listings identify Soulhider as his literary debut and describe it as a speculative adventure involving aliens, human souls and an ordinary insurance adjuster who becomes involved in an extraordinary interdimensional conflict.

Aykroyd is also set to narrate the audiobook himself, according to the current publishing information.

The October promotional tour was therefore something Aykroyd had been looking forward to.

As he explained in his September 12 statement, he wanted to get out and promote the book because he was proud of it. His recovery, however, meant the release had to be postponed until May 18, 2027.

That serious update provides an interesting contrast to his later birthday message.

One moment, Aykroyd was discussing emergency surgery and a delayed book.

Days later, he was reminiscing about chasing Bill Murray around a closed Central Park on production motorcycles.

A Birthday Tribute That Turned Into a Ghostbusters Memory

For Ghostbusters fans, that contrast is part of what makes Aykroyd’s message so memorable.

Murray’s 76th birthday could have passed with a straightforward tribute celebrating his career.

Instead, Aykroyd offered something much more personal.

He called Murray “the greatest comedy leading man of our time”, referred to him as “the Murricane”, and then reached back into the Ghostbusters II years for a story involving two police motorcycles, a closed Central Park and fully operating lights and sirens.

It is also a reminder of how much time has passed since the original Ghostbusters era.

The first film arrived in 1984. Ghostbusters II followed in 1989. Murray later returned to the character in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, while Aykroyd continued to be closely linked to the franchise.

For two actors who have spent so much of their careers connected to one of comedy’s most recognizable supernatural worlds, the memory feels remarkably on-brand.

Why Dan Aykroyd’s Story Stands Out

There is something especially entertaining about hearing an established actor revisit a bizarre moment from a major movie production decades later.

Aykroyd’s account does not simply describe what audiences saw on screen. It points toward the unusual experiences that can happen away from the cameras while a production is underway.

And in this case, the memory involves two of the film’s biggest stars apparently turning a closed section of New York into their own temporary playground.

The story also fits the history between Aykroyd and Murray.

Their Ghostbusters partnership was built around two very different comedic energies, but their careers became closely intertwined through the franchise.

That history is what gives Aykroyd’s birthday message its emotional weight.

It was funny.

It was nostalgic.

And underneath it was an obvious sense of affection for a longtime friend and creative partner.

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Conclusion

Dan Aykroyd’s belated birthday tribute to Bill Murray became much more than a simple celebration of the actor turning 76.

By calling Murray “the Murricane” and “the greatest comedy leading man of our time,” Aykroyd reflected on a friendship that has lasted through decades of comedy and Ghostbusters history.

But it was his Ghostbusters II memory that truly stole the moment: two production police motorcycles, a closed Central Park, full lights and sirens, and two co-stars chasing each other around for an hour.

Meanwhile, Aykroyd is preparing for the May 18, 2027 release of Soulhider after emergency foot surgery forced the book’s release and October tour plans to be postponed.

For fans, though, his latest message offered something uniquely nostalgic — a strange, funny memory from the years when Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray were helping turn Ghostbusters into a cultural phenomenon.

Disclaimer

This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided with the original material, including the supplied statements attributed to Dan Aykroyd and the referenced studio, publishing and entertainment sources. The Ghostbusters II motorcycle incident is presented as Aykroyd’s personal recollection of events during production. The article reflects the information available from those provided sources and does not imply independent verification beyond that material.

Sources

• Ghostbusters News — Dan Aykroyd Wishes Bill Murray a Happy Birthday, Shares Wild Ghostbusters II Story
• Sony Pictures — Ghostbusters II official movie page
• Sony Pictures — Ghostbusters franchise anniversary information
• Apple Books — Soulhider by Dan Aykroyd
• Google Books — Soulhider: A Novel by Dan Aykroyd
• E! — Dan Aykroyd Undergoes Emergency Foot Surgery, Postpones Book Tour
• Rotten Tomatoes — Bill Murray biography and career information

Featured Image Credit: Bernard Gotfryd / Public domain