Yahoo Movies Oscar Nominee Paul Raci Says Bill Murray Wished Him Luck: 'That Really Did My Heart Well'
Paul Raci has a famous fan rooting for him during the 93rd Oscars on Sunday.
The 73-year-old actor will be attending the event as a first-time nominee after more than 30 years in the business. He's nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his moving performance as the head of a sober shelter for people who are deaf in the Amazon Studios drama Sound of Metal.
Raci tells PEOPLE a certain Ghostbusters star will be watching the show to see if Raci comes away with the prize.
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"I've been trying to stay out of this social media thing. Although it pulls me back in every time I let go," he says. "The one guy that my wife reached out to is Bill Murray who I love. Bill Murray was a big Cubs fan and I'm a big White Sox fan, so she reached out to him on Twitter and he responded. He said, 'We can agree to disagree on our hometown teams,' but he wished me a lot of luck and that really did my heart well, because God, I admire him so much."
Raci, who trained as a performer at the famed comedy troupe The Second City, just as Murray did, says the Groundhog Day star is "the one guy I've always thought to myself, 'God, I just want to act with that guy.'"
As for who Raci — who's appeared in a number of TV shows over the years including Parks and Recreation and ER — will be bringing as his date to the Oscars, he tells PEOPLE he's excited to share the night with his wife.
"My wife has been my agent for 20 years now and she's been in there fighting for me," he says beaming. "My wife Liz, she'll be there with me and she's my heart."
Listen below to the episode of our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day for more on the 2021 Oscars.
The 93rd Academy Awards will air live on Sunday, April 25 starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC.
