Michael Murphy (actor)
 |
Michael Murphy | |
|---|---|
 Murphy in 2006 | |
| Born | Michael George Murphy May 5, 1938 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Michael George Murphy (born May 5, 1938) is an American film, television, stage and voiceover actor. He often plays unethical or morally ambiguous characters in positions of authority, including executives, politicians, law enforcement agents, lawyers, judges, military commanders, academics, doctors and clerics.[1] He is also known for his frequent collaborations with director Robert Altman, having appeared in twelve film and television productions directed by Altman between 1963 and 2004, including the titular role in the HBO cable miniseries Tanner '88.[2]
Murphy has had roles in films M*A*S*H (1970), Brewster McCloud (1970), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), What's Up, Doc? (1972), Phase IV (1974), Nashville (1975), The Front (1976), The Great Bank Hoax (1977), An Unmarried Woman (1978), The Class of Miss MacMichael (1978), Manhattan (1979), Strange Behavior (1981), The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Cloak & Dagger (1984), My Letter to George (1985), Salvador (1986), Shocker (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Kansas City (1996), Private Parts (1997), Magnolia (1999), Silver City (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Away from Her (2006), White House Down (2013), and Fall (2014). Murphy's performance in Fall earned him a nomination for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Drama Film. His work on the Canadian television series, This is Wonderland, earned him two Gemini Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series in 2004 and 2005, and a third nomination in 2006.
Early life
[edit]Murphy was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Georgia Arlyn (née Money), a teacher, and Bearl Branton Murphy, a salesman.[3] After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Murphy attended the University of Arizona and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).[2][4]
He taught English and drama at University High School before pursuing an acting career.[2][5][6]
Career
[edit]Murphy is best known for his performances as Jill Clayburgh's adulterous husband Martin Benton in Paul Mazursky's An Unmarried Woman (1978), as Woody Allen's morally ambiguous best friend Yale Pollack in Allen's Manhattan (1979), as the serial killer-chasing Det. Lt. Don Parker in Wes Craven's Shocker (1989), as The Mayor of Gotham City in Tim Burton's Batman Returns (1992), as attorney Alan Kligman, Esq. in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia (1999), as the "mutant" Angel's human father Warren Worthington II in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and as the eponymous star of Garry Trudeau and Robert Altman's 1988 HBO cable miniseries Tanner '88.[citation needed]
Murphy worked frequently with Altman, including as Captain Ezekiel Bradbury "Me Lay" Marston V, in M*A*S*H (1970), as Det. Lt. Frank Shaft in Brewster McCloud (1970), as John Triplette in Nashville (1975), and as fictitious former U.S. Congressman and presidential aspirant, Jack Tanner, in Tanner '88, a role he later reprised in the 2004 Sundance Channel follow-up miniseries Tanner on Tanner. Other Altman films and television series in which Murphy appeared include the World War II TV series Combat!, Countdown (1968), That Cold Day in the Park (1969), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (1988) and Kansas City (1996).[citation needed]
Other film roles include Count Yorga, Vampire (1970), What's Up, Doc? (1972), The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973), The Front (1976), The Great Bank Hoax (1977), The Class of Miss MacMichael (1978), The Year of Living Dangerously (1983), Cloak & Dagger (1984), My Letter to George (1986), Salvador (1986), Folks! (1992), Clean Slate (1994), Private Parts (1997), Silver City (2004), According to Greta (2009), White House Down (2013), They Came Together (2014) and Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019).
Though usually cast in supporting roles and character parts, Murphy has also had leading turns in theatrical films Phase IV (1974), Manhattan (1979), Strange Behavior (1981), Hot Money (1983), Shocker (1989), The Island (1998) and the 2014 film Fall—in a performance that garnered him a nomination for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Drama Film in 2015,[citation needed] as well as in television films Bell, Book and Candle (1976), 3 by Cheever: O Youth and Beauty! (1979), Countdown to Looking Glass (1984), Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy (1989), The Ultimate Lie (1996), Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (1996), Indiscretion of an American Wife (1998) and In the Dark (2003).[citation needed]
In addition to his roles in the HBO Films original productions Tanner '88, Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy, and Countdown to Looking Glass, Murphy has also appeared in the historical biopics Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster (1992), Truman (1995) and Live from Baghdad (2002).
Murphy starred in two primetime series: as Dr. Art Armstrong on the ABC family drama Two Marriages (1983-1984), and as reporter Andy Omart on the short-lived CBS newspaper drama Hard Copy (1987).[citation needed]
He has appeared extensively in Canadian film and television, including co-starring on the legal dramady series This Is Wonderland, as Judge Maxwell Fraser. For his work on the show, Murphy was nominated for three Gemini Awards, winning twice, successively, in 2004 and 2005, and nominated for a third in 2006.[1][2] He was cast as casino executive Jimmy Molloy on the American ESPN drama Tilt (2005), as veteran law enforcement superior, Chief Ed Wycoff, on the Canadian CTV police drama The Bridge (2010), and as George Kelly, the father of Ethan Kelly, in the third season of the Canadian-British-American DirecTV police drama Rogue in 2015.
Murphy guest-starred on television series Bonanza, Ben Casey, Hogan's Heroes, The Sixth Sense, Premiere, Baretta, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Judging Amy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Family Law, 12 O'Clock High, Lifestories, Here Comes the Brides, LAX, Person of Interest and L.A. Law.[citation needed]
He has appeared in Canadian television films and miniseries Sleeping Dogs Lie (1998), The Life and Crimes of William Palmer (1998), H2O (2004), Hunt for Justice (2005), Playing House (2006), The Quality of Life (2008) and Great Scot Beer (2012), as well as a number of theatrically-released features including Tart (2001), Childstar (2004), Away from Her (2006), The Trotsky (2008) and Indian Horse (2017). Murphy's guest-starring turns on Canadian television series include E.N.G., Living in Your Car, Bury the Lead, Michael: Every Day and Street Legal.
Murphy has also been a narrator of documentary films, including several dozen episodes of the PBS historical documentary series The American Experience, as well as the public television travel series Weekends with Yankee.[citation needed]
Personal life
[edit]Murphy was married to Canadian actress Wendy Crewson from 1988 until their divorce in January 2009. They have two children.[citation needed]
Murphy resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.[7]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Double Trouble | Morley | Film debut; appeared opposite Elvis Presley | |
| Countdown | Rick | First film collaboration with Robert Altman | ||
| 1968 | The Legend of Lylah Clare | Mark Peter Sheehan | ||
| 1969 | That Cold Day in the Park | The Rounder | ||
| The Arrangement | Father Draddy | |||
| 1970 | The Lawyer | Intern in Legal Office | Uncredited role | |
| Count Yorga, Vampire | Paul | AKA The Loves of Count Iorga, Vampire | ||
| M*A*S*H | Capt. Ezekiel Bradbury "Me Lay" Marston V | AKA MASH and M★A★S★H | ||
| Brewster McCloud | Det. Lt. Frank Shaft | |||
| 1971 | McCabe & Mrs. Miller | Eugene Sears | ||
| 1972 | Screwball Comedies... Remember Them? | Self / Mr. Smith (archive footage from What's Up, Doc?) | Documentary featurette | |
| What's Up, Doc? | Mr. Smith | |||
| 1973 | The Thief Who Came to Dinner | Ted | ||
| 1974 | Phase IV | Dr. James R. Lesko | Leading role | |
| 1975 | Nashville | John Triplette | ||
| 1976 | The Front | Alfred Miller | First collaboration with Woody Allen | |
| 1977 | The Great Bank Hoax | Reverend Everett Manigma | AKA The Great Georgia Bank Hoax and Shenanigans | |
| 1978 | An Unmarried Woman | Martin Benton | ||
| The Class of Miss MacMichael | Martin Best | |||
| 1979 | Manhattan | Yale Pollack | Leading role; only black-and-white screen appearance | |
| 1981 | Strange Behavior | Chief John Brady | Leading role; AKA Dead Kids; Small Town Massacre; Shadowlands and Human Experiments | |
| 1982 | The Year of Living Dangerously | Pete Curtis | ||
| 1983 | Hot Money | Burt / Tom | Leading role; first Canadian film appearance; AKA Getting Centred; Never Trust an Honest Thief; Dinheiro Vivo; Zen Business; El gran robo; Going for Broke and The Great Madison County Robbery | |
| 1984 | Talk to Me | Ross | ||
| Cloak & Dagger | Rice | |||
| 1985 | My Letter to George | Reverend Wilson | AKA Mesmerized and Shocked | |
| 1986 | Salvador | U.S. Ambassador Thomas Kelly | ||
| 1989 | The Making of "Shocker" | Self / Interviewee / Det. Lt. Don Parker (archive footage from Shocker) | Video documentary featurette | |
| Shocker | Det. Lt. Don Parker | Leading role; AKA Shocker: No More Mr. Nice Guy; Wes Craven's Shocker; Shocker: 100,000 voltios de terror | ||
| 1992 | Folks! | Ed | ||
| Batman Returns | The Mayor | |||
| 1994 | Clean Slate | Dr. Anthony Doover | ||
| 1995 | Bad Company | William V. "Smitty" Smithfield | Uncredited role | |
| 1996 | Kansas City | Henry Stilton | ||
| 1997 | Private Parts | Roger Erlick | AKA Howard Stern's Private Parts | |
| 1998 | The Island | President John F. Kennedy | Leading role; AKA Norma Jean, Jack & Me | |
| 1999 | Magnolia | Alan Kligman, Esq. | ||
| 2000 | The Art of War | Politician | Uncredited cameo role | |
| Enlisted: The Story of "M*A*S*H" | Self / Capt. Ezekiel Bradbury "Me Lay" Marston V (archive footage from M*A*S*H) | Video documentary featurette | ||
| 2001 | Tart | Mike Storm | Cameo role; AKA Party Girl; Jet Set Kids; Teenage Seduction; Beautiful People and
Fűvel-fával |
|
| 2004 | Childstar | Reed Harrison | ||
| Silver City | U.S. Senator Judson Pilager | |||
| Tricks | Arthur | AKA Three Janes | ||
| 2005 | Heights | Jesse | Cameo role | |
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand | Warren Worthington II | ||
| Away From Her | Aubrey | |||
| 2008 | A War in Hollywood | Alfred Miller (archive footage from The Front) | Documentary feature | |
| Not Quite Hollywood: Deleted Scenes | Chief John Brady (archive footage from Strange Behavior) | Video documentary feature; AKA Not Quite Hollywood: Deleted and Extended Scenes | ||
| 2009 | The Trotsky | Frank McGovern | ||
| According to Greta | Joseph | AKA Greta | ||
| 2011 | Mulroney: The Opera | Col. Robert R. McCormick | ||
| 2013 | White House Down | Vice President Alvin Hammond | ||
| The Making of "Nashville" | Self / John Triplette (archive footage from Nashville) | Video documentary featurette | ||
| 2014 | Altman | Self/Interviewee | Documentary feature | |
| Fall | Father Sam Ryan | Leading role | ||
| They Came Together | Roger | |||
| 2016 | Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond | Self/Interviewee | Documentary feature | |
| McCabe & Mrs. Miller: Way Out on a Limb | Self/Interviewee | Video documentary featurette | ||
| 2017 | Indian Horse | Father Quinney | ||
| 2018 | Two Plains & a Fancy | Rancher | Cameo role | |
| 2019 | Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese | The Politician, Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner | Cameo role | |
| 2022 | A Vampire in L.A. | Paul (archive footage from Count Yorga, Vampire) | Video documentary featurette | |
| 2023 | Film Geek | Martin Benton (archive footage from An Unmarried Woman) | Video | |
| Film Essay - Robert Altman's "Brewster McCloud" | Det. Lt. Frank Shaft (archive footage from Brewster McCloud) | Video | ||
| 2024 | Evolutions: The Making of "Phase IV" | Self / Dr. James R. Lesko (archive footage from Phase IV) | Video documentary featurette | |
| Robert Altman: America's Rebel Director | Self / John Triplette (archive footage from Nashville) | Documentary feature | ||
| Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano | Self/Interviewee | Documentary feature | ||
| 2026 | Clever by Half: Michael Murphy on "Dead Kids" | Self / Interviewee / Chief John Brady (archive footage from Dead Kids/Strange Behavior) | Video documentary featurette |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Combat! | 1st Tanker / Soldier in Hospital | 2 episodes; first professional collaborations with Robert Altman | |
| 1964, 1965 | Ben Casey | Dr. J. Wells Savage / Dr. Paul Galloway / Andy Andrews | 3 episodes | |
| 1965 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Intern | 1 episode | |
| Dr. Kildare | Doctor at Meeting | 1 episode | ||
| Hogan's Heroes | Corporal Walter Comminsky (uncredited) | 1 episode | ||
| 1966 | 12 O'Clock High | Sergeant Marven | 1 episode | |
| 1968 | Bonanza | Will Holt | 1 episode | |
| Premiere | William Smith | 1 episode | ||
| Here Come the Brides | Ethan Weems | 1 episode | ||
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense | David Ford | 1 episode | |
| The Crooked Hearts | Officer Frank Adamic | TV movie | ||
| 1974 | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman | Quentin Lerner | TV movie | |
| I Love You...Good-bye | Alec Shield | TV movie | ||
| 1975 | Salty | Stock | 1 episode | |
| Baretta | Mike Parsons | 1 episode | ||
| 1976 | The Making of "The Front" | Self | TV documentary featurette | |
| Bell, Book and Candle | Alex Brandt | TV pilot movie; leading role | ||
| 1978 | Midday with Bill Boggs | Self/Guest/Interviewee | 1 episode | |
| 1979 | 3 by Cheever: O Youth and Beauty! | Cash Bentley | TV movie; leading role | |
| 1981 | Tomorrow Coast to Coast | Self/Guest/Interviewee | 1 episode | |
| 1982 | The Rules of Marriage | Alan Murray | Miniseries | |
| 1983-1984 | Two Marriages | Dr. Art Armstrong | 10 episodes; leading role; series regular | |
| 1984 | Countdown to Looking Glass | Bob Calhoun | TV movie; leading role | |
| 1987 | Hard Copy | Andy Omart | 11 episodes; leading role; series regular | |
| 1988 | The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial | Captain Blakely | TV movie; AKA Herman Wouk's The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial | |
| Tanner '88 | Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner | Miniseries; leading role | ||
| 1989 | Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy | Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Richard Burt | TV movie; leading role; AKA Coded Hostile | |
| 1990 | Lifestories | Frank Brody | 1 episode | |
| E.N.G. | Steve Kurtz | 1 episode | ||
| 1992 | Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster | U.S. EPA Administrator William K. Reilly | TV movie | |
| Screen One | U.S. EPA Administrator William K. Reilly | 1 episode | ||
| 1993 | L.A. Law | Bobby Lewis | 1 episode | |
| 1995 | The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies | John Triplette / Yale Pollack (uncredited - archive footage from Nashville and Manhattan) | TV documentary feature | |
| Truman | Dinner Speaker | TV movie; uncredited cameo role | ||
| 1996 | Robert Altman: Giggle and Give In | Self | TV special | |
| Special Report: Journey to Mars | Dean Rumplemeyer | TV movie | ||
| The Ultimate Lie | Malcolm McGrath | TV movie; leading role | ||
| 1997 | Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story | Pete Louganis | TV movie; leading role | |
| 1998 | The Irish in America: Long Journey Home | Narrator | Miniseries; leading role | |
| The Life and Crimes of William Palmer | Smith | Miniseries | ||
| Indiscretion of an American Wife | Russell Burton | TV movie; leading role | ||
| Sleeping Dogs Lie | Edgar Tratt | TV movie; AKA Le mystère d'Ambrose Small | ||
| 2000 | The Only Living Boy in New York | Rudy | TV movie | |
| Altman on His Own Terms | Self | TV documentary feature | ||
| Twentieth Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years | Martin Benton (archive footage from An Unmarried Woman) | TV documentary feature | ||
| Judging Amy | Judge Alistair McNeil | 1 episode | ||
| Family Law | Ian Lumberg | 1 episode | ||
| 2001 | Law & Order | Nolan Tinsdale | 1 episode | |
| The Day Reagan Was Shot | White House Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Deaver | TV movie | ||
| 2002 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Judge Peter Blakemore | 1 episode | |
| Woody Allen: A Life in Film | Yale Pollack (uncredited - archive footage from Manhattan) | TV documentary feature | ||
| Live from Baghdad | Tom Johnson | TV movie | ||
| 2002-2020 | The American Experience | Narrator | 35 episodes; leading role; series regular | |
| 2003 | Bury the Lead | Arthur | 1 episode | |
| Footsteps | Robbie Lowendahl | TV movie | ||
| In the Dark | George Speller | TV movie; leading role | ||
| 2004 | LAX | Emmet | 1 episode | |
| American Masters – Julia! America's Favorite Chef | Narrator | TV documentary feature | ||
| Behind the Scenes: Tanner on Tanner | Self / Interviewee / Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner (archive footage from Tanner '88 and Tanner on Tanner) | TV documentary featurette | ||
| Tanner on Tanner | Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner | Miniseries; leading role; final professional collaboration with Robert Altman | ||
| What's Happened Since '88 | Self / Interviewee / Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner (archive footage from Tanner '88 and Tanner on Tanner) | TV documentary featurette | ||
| The Path to 9/11 | U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen | Miniseries | ||
| H2O | U.S. Ambassador Conrad | Miniseries | ||
| 2004-2006 | This Is Wonderland | Judge Maxwell Fraser | 39 episodes; series regular | |
| 2005 | Tilt | Jimmy Molloy | 9 episodes; series regular | |
| Mayday | Captain Randall Williams | TV movie | ||
| Hunt for Justice | General Salinski | TV movie | ||
| 2006 | Playing House | Hubbard | TV movie | |
| The Wind in the Willows | Judge | TV movie; cameo role; AKA Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows | ||
| 2008 | 80th National Board of Review Awards | Self | TV special | |
| Caring for Your Parents | Narrator | TV documentary feature | ||
| Depression: Out of the Shadows | Narrator | TV documentary feature | ||
| The Quality of Life | Charles Greenborne | TV movie | ||
| 2009 | China Rises | Narrator | TV documentary feature | |
| 2010 | The Bridge | Chief Ed Wycoff | 13 episodes; series regular | |
| Living in Your Car | Frank | 1 episode | ||
| 2011 | Michael: Every Day | Stanley Dyer | 1 episode | |
| Person of Interest | U.S. Congressman Jim Hallen | 1 episode | ||
| India Reborn | Narrator | TV documentary feature | ||
| Angle of Attack: How Naval Aviation Changed the Face of War | Narrator | TV documentary feature | ||
| 2012 | Great Scot Beer | Randy | TV movie | |
| 2014 | Pop Culture Beast's Halloween Horror Picks | Chief John Brady (uncredited - archive footage from Strange Behavior/Dead Kids) | 1 episode | |
| 2015 | 3rd Canadian Screen Awards | Self/Nominee/Presenter | TV special | |
| Rogue | George Kelly | 10 episodes; short-term series regular | ||
| 2018-2019 | Weekends with Yankee | Narrator | 26 episodes; leading role; series regular | |
| 2019 | Street Legal | Henry Czernik | 2 episodes |
Theatre
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Take Her, She's Mine | Alex Loomis | Valley Music Theatre, Los Angeles, CA; stage acting debut | |
| 1969-1970 | Our Town | Sam Craig / Baseball Player | Huntington Hartford Theatre, Los Angeles, CA; ANTA Playhouse, New York City, NY; The Plumstead Playhouse (at The Coconut Grove Playhouse), Coconut Grove | |
| 1978 | Rat's Nest | director | Vandam Theatre (then known as Grove Street Theatre), New York City, NY – 1978; stage directorial and producorial debuts | |
| 1981 | The Hotel Play | Psychiatrist | La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, New York City, NY | |
| 1983 | Playing in Local Bands | Michael | Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT | |
| 1985 | Curse of the Starving Class | director | Portland Stage Company, Portland, ME | |
| Goodbye Freddy | Hank | Manhattan Punch Line Theatre, New York City, NY; INTAR Theatre, New York City, NY | ||
| 1992 | Near the End of the Century | Richard | George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, NJ |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Rizov, Vadim (22 June 2015). ""I Don't Ever Want to Cheat on a Woman Again": Actor Michael Murphy on An Unmarried Woman, Altman and The American Experience". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- 1 2 3 4 "Michael Murphy | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- ↑ "Michael Murphy Biography (1938–)". Film Reference. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
- ↑ "Michael Murphy Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Archived December 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ University High (2016-06-06). "Class of 1965 Chieftain Yearbook". UHEF. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- ↑ "University High School Class of 1965". www.unihi65.com. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- ↑ News Center Maine (February 21, 2018). How actor Michael Murphy went from manners school to Maine (Video). Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
External links
[edit]
- 1938 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Canadian Screen Award winners
- Living people
- Male actors from Los Angeles
- Military personnel from Los Angeles
- People from Cape Elizabeth, Maine
- United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War
- University of California, Los Angeles alumni
- University of Arizona alumni