Michael Murphy (actor)

For other people named Michael Murphy, see Michael Murphy (disambiguation).

Michael Murphy
Murphy at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Michael George Murphy (1938-05-05) May 5, 1938 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1963–present
Spouse	Wendy Crewson ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 2009)​
Children	2

Michael George Murphy (born May 5, 1938) is an American film, television and stage actor. He often plays unethical or morally ambiguous characters in positions of authority, including politicians, executives, and lawyers. He is also known for his frequent collaborations with director Robert Altman, having appeared in twelve films, TV series and miniseries directed by Altman from 1963 to 2004, including the title role in the miniseries Tanner '88. He had roles in the films Manhattan, An Unmarried Woman, Nashville, The Year of Living Dangerously, Phase IV, The Front, Shocker, Magnolia, M*A*S*H and Batman Returns, among others.

Early life

Murphy was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Georgia Arlyn (née Money), a teacher, and Bearl Branton Murphy, a salesman. After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Murphy attended the University of Arizona and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

He taught English and drama at University High School (Los Angeles) before pursuing an acting career.

Career

Murphy is best known for his performances as Jill Clayburgh's adulterous husband Martin in Paul Mazursky's An Unmarried Woman (1978), as Woody Allen's morally ambiguous best friend Yale in Manhattan (1979), as ethically enigmatic lawyer Alan Kligman in Magnolia (1999), and as the star of Garry Trudeau and Robert Altman's HBO miniseries Tanner '88.

Murphy worked frequently with Altman, including as Captain Ezekiel Bradbury "Me Lay" Marston, IV, in M*A*S*H (1970), as Frank Shaft in Brewster McCloud (1970), as John Triplette in Nashville (1975), and as the title character in Tanner '88 (a role he reprised in the 2004 miniseries Tanner on Tanner). Other Altman films and television series in which Murphy appeared include the World War II TV series Combat! (in which Murphy appeared in 1963, on the show's second of its five seasons), Countdown (1968), That Cold Day in the Park (1969), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1988) and Kansas City (1996).

Other notable film roles include The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Salvador (1986), Silver City (2004), and According to Greta (2009). His television roles include guest appearances on Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, L.A. Law and Judging Amy.

Murphy has also narrated many episodes of the PBS historical documentary series The American Experience and the public television travel series Weekends with Yankee. He appeared in Canadian film and television, including This Is Wonderland, for which he won two Gemini Awards, in 2004 and 2005, and was nominated for a third, in 2006. He also appeared in the 2004 Canadian film Childstar.

Personal life

Murphy was married to Canadian actress Wendy Crewson from 1988 until their divorce in January 2009. They have two children, Maggie (born 1989) and John (born 1992).

Murphy currently resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Selected filmography

• Double Trouble (1967) as Morley
• Countdown (1968) as Rick
• The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968) as Mark Peter Sheehan
• That Cold Day in the Park (1969) as The Rounder
• The Arrangement (1969) as Father Draddy
• The Lawyer (1970) as Intern in Legal Office (uncredited)
• Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) as Paul
• M*A*S*H (1970) as Capt. Ezekiel Bradbury "Me Lay" Marston V
• Brewster McCloud (1970) as Det. Lt. Frank Shaft
• McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) as Sears
• The Crooked Hearts (1972) as Frank Adamic
• What's Up, Doc? (1972) as Mr. Smith
• The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973) as Ted
• The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman as Quentin Lerner
• I Love You...Good-bye (1974) as Alec Shield
• Phase IV (1974) as James R. Lesko
• Nashville (1975) as John Triplette
• The Making of "The Front" (1976) as Self
• The Front (1976) as Alfred Miller
• Bell, Book and Candle (1976) as Alex Brandt
• The Great Bank Hoax (1977) as Reverend Manigma
• An Unmarried Woman (1978) as Martin Benton
• 3 by Cheever: O Youth and Beauty! (1979) as Cash Bentley
• Manhattan (1979) as Yale
• Strange Behavior (1981) as John Brady
• The Rules of Marriage (1982) as Alan Murray
• The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) as Pete Curtis
• Hot Money (1983) as Burt / Tom
• Talk to Me (1984) as Ross
• Countdown to Looking Glass (1984) as Bob Calhoun
• Cloak & Dagger (1984) as Rice
• My Letter to George (1985) as Reverend Wilson
• Salvador (1986) as U.S. Ambassador Thomas Kelly
• Tanner '88 (1988) as Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (1988) as Captain Blakely
• Shocker (1989) as Det. Lt. Don Parker
• The Making of "Shocker" (1989) as Self
• Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy (1989) as Richard Burt
• Folks! (1992) as Ed
• Batman Returns (1992) as The Mayor
• Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster (1992) as U.S. EPA Administrator William Reilly
• Clean Slate (1994) as Dr. Doover
• Bad Company (1995) as William V. 'Smitty' Smithfield (uncredited)
• Truman (1995) as Dinner Speaker (uncredited)
• Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (1996) as Pete Louganis
• Kansas City (1996) as Henry Stilton
• Special Report: Journey to Mars (1996) as Dean Rumplemeyer
• The Ultimate Lie (1996) as Malcolm McGrath
• Private Parts (1997) as Roger Erlick
• The Irish in America: Long Journey Home (1998) as Narrator
• The Island (1998) as President John F. Kennedy
• The Life and Crimes of William Palmer (1998) as Smith
• Indiscretion of an American Wife (1998) as Russell Burton
• Sleeping Dogs Lie (1998) as Edgar Tratt
• Magnolia (1999) as Alan Kligman, Esq.
• The Art of War (2000) as Politician (uncredited)
• The Only Living Boy in New York (2000) as Rudy
• Enlisted: The Story of "M*A*S*H" (2000) as Self
• Tart (2001) as Mike Storm
• The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001) as Michael Deaver
• American Experience – Mount Rushmore (2002) as Narrator
• Live from Baghdad (2002) as Tom Johnson
• American Experience – Transcontinental Railroad (2003) as Narrator
• Footsteps (2003) as Robbie
• In the Dark (2003) as George Speller
• Tricks (2004) as Arthur
• Childstar (2004) as Reed Harrison
• American Masters – Julia! America's Favorite Chef (2004) as Narrator
• Silver City (2004) as U.S. Senator Judson Pilager
• Tanner on Tanner (2004) as Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner
• H₂O (2004) as U.S. Ambassador Conrad
• Tilt (2005) as Jimmy Malloy
• Heights (2005) as Jesse
• Mayday (2005) as Captain Randall Williams
• American Experience – Las Vegas: An Unconventional History, Part I (2005) as Narrator
• American Experience – Las Vegas: An Unconventional History, Part II (2005) as Narrator
• X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) as Warren Worthington II
• Away From Her (2006) as Aubrey
• The Path to 9/11 (2006) as U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen
• Playing House (2006) as Hubbard
• The Wind in the Willows (2006) as Judge
• American Experience – Jesse James (2006) as Narrator
• American Experience – The Gold Rush (2006) as Narrator
• Caring for Your Parents (2008) as Narrator
• Depression: Out of the Shadows (2008) as Narrator
• The Quality of Life (2008) as Charles Greenborne
• American Experience – Kit Carson (2008) as Narrator
• The Trotsky (2009) as Frank McGovern
• According to Greta (2009) as Joseph
• American Experience – Wyatt Earp (2010) as Narrator
• Angle of Attack: How Naval Aviation Changed the Face of War (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Billy the Kid (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Panama Canal (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Dinosaur Wars (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Triangle Fire (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Custer's Last Stand (2012) as Narrator
• American Experience – Grand Coulee Dam (2012) as Narrator
• Great Scot Beer (2012) as Randy
• White House Down (2013) as Vice President Alvin Hammond
• The Making of "Nashville" (2013) as Self
• American Experience – Silicon Valley (2014) as Narrator
• American Experience – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (2014) as Narrator
• American Experience – The Rise and Fall of Penn Station (2014) as Narrator
• Altman (2014) as Self
• Fall (2014) as Father Sam Ryan
• They Came Together (2014) as Roger
• American Experience – Edison (2015) as Narrator
• American Experience – The Forgotten Plague (2015) as Narrator
• American Experience – Last Days in Vietnam (2015) as Narrator
• American Experience – Bonnie & Clyde (2016) as Narrator
• American Experience – Mine Wars (2016) as Narrator
• American Experience – Murder of a President (2016) as Narrator
• American Experience – Space Men (2016) as Narrator
• American Experience – Tesla (2016) as Narrator
• American Experience – The Battle of Chosin (2016) as Narrator
• Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond (2016) as Self
• McCabe & Mrs. Miller: Way Out on a Limb (2016) as Self
• American Experience – The Race Underground (2017) as Narrator
• Indian Horse (2017) as Father Quinney
• Two Plains & a Fancy (2018) as Rancher
• American Experience – The Circus: Part 1 (2018) as Narrator
• American Experience – The Circus: Part 2 (2018) as Narrator
• American Experience – Sealab (2019) as Narrator
• American Experience – The Feud (2019) as Narrator
• Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019) as The Politician
• American Experience – The Man Who Tried to Feed the World (2020) as Narrator
• A Vampire in L.A. (2022) as Self

External links

• Michael Murphy at IMDb