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, administrators, clerics, doctors, law enforcement agents, 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 acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries Tanner '88. He had roles in the films M*A*S*H (1970), What's Up, Doc? (1972), Phase IV (1974), Nashville (1975), The Front (1976), An Unmarried Woman (1978), The Class of Miss MacMichael (1978), Manhattan (1979), Strange Behavior (1981), The Year of Living Dangerously (1983), Cloak & Dagger (1984), Salvador (1986), Shocker (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Magnolia (1999), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Away from Her (2007), and Fall (2014), 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 U.S. Marine Corps near the end of the Korean War, 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 The Mayor of Gotham City in Batman Returns (1992), as ethically enigmatic lawyer Alan Kligman, Esq. in Magnolia (1999), as the "mutant" Angel's human father (and crusading cure-developer) Warren Worthington II in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and as the star of Garry Trudeau and Robert Altman's groundbreaking 1988 miniseries Tanner '88.

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 the eponymous, fictitious former U.S. Congressman and presidential aspirant, Jack Tanner, in Tanner '88, a role he later reprised in the 2004 follow-up 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, twice, in 1963, on the show's second of 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 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), Private Parts (1997), Silver City (2004), According to Greta (2009), White House Down (2013), and They Came Together (2014).

Though usually cast in supporting roles and character parts, Murphy has not been relegated solely to such work. He has also had leading turns in a variety of theatrical films including Phase IV (1974), Strange Behavior (1981), Hot Money (1983), Shocker (1989), The Island (1998) and the 2014 film Fall--in an acclaimed performance that garnered him a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Lead Performance in a Drama Film in 2015--as well as starring turns in television films like 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) and In the Dark (2003), in addition to others.

In addition to his starring turns in the HBO Films original productions Tanner '88, Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy, and Countdown to Looking Glass, Murphy has also frequently appeared in other films for the cable giant, including the historical biopics Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster (1992), Truman (1995), and Live from Baghdad (2002).

Murphy has been cast in leading roles in network television series, such as Dr. Art Armstrong on the ABC family drama Two Marriages (1983-1984), and as jaded veteran reporter Andy Omart on the short-lived CBS newspaper drama Hard Copy (1987).

He has also been a regular supporting cast member on a number of other television series. He has appeared extensively in Canadian film and television, including the legal dramady series This Is Wonderland, co-starring as longtime judicial veteran Judge Maxwell Fraser. For his work on the show, Murphy would go on to be nominated for three Gemini Awards, winning twice, successively, in 2004 and 2005, and nominated for a third in 2006. He was cast as monolithic casino executive Jimmy Malloy on the American ESPN competitive poker drama Tilt (2005), as veteran law enforcement superior Ed Wycoff on the Canadian CTV police drama The Bridge (2010), and as George Kelly, the father of ex-soldier-turned-thief Ethan Kelly (played by Cole Hauser) in the third season of the Canadian-British-American DirecTV police drama Rogue in 2015.

His guest-starring turns on television span more than half of a century, including guest appearances on such series as 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, Life Stories, Here Comes the Brides, Person of Interest, and L.A. Law.

He has appeared in numerous Canadian television films and miniseries, such as Sleeping Dogs Lie (1998), The Life and Crimes of William Palmer (1998), H₂O (2004), and Playing House (2006), as well as theatrically-released features including Folks! (1992), Tart (2001), Childstar (2004), Away from Her (2006), The Trotsky (2008), and Indian Horse (2017).

Murphy has also enjoyed a hugely prolific career as a narrator of documentary films, including several dozen episodes of the popular, landmark PBS historical documentary series The American Experience, as well as the public television travel series Weekends with Yankee.

Personal life

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

Murphy currently resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

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 Officer 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 (1974) as Quentin Lerner
• I Love You...Good-bye (1974) as Alec Shield
• Phase IV (1974) as Dr. 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
• The Class of Miss MacMichael (1978) as Martin Best
• 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 (1986) as Reverend Wilson
• Salvador (1986) as U.S. Ambassador Thomas Kelly
• 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 Assistant U.S. Secretary of State 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)
• The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies (1995) as John Triplette / Yale (uncredited - archive footage from Nashville and Manhattan)
• Truman (1995) as Dinner Speaker (uncredited)
• Kansas City (1996) as Henry Stilton
• Special Report: Journey to Mars (1996) as Dean Rumplemeyer
• The Ultimate Lie (1996) as Malcolm McGrath
• Robert Altman: Giggle and Give In (1996) as Self
• Private Parts (1997) as Roger Erlick
• Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (1997) as Pete Louganis
• 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
• Altman on His Own Terms (2000) as Self
• Enlisted: The Story of "M*A*S*H" (2000) as Self
• Twentieth Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years (2000) as Martin Benton (archive footage from An Unmarried Woman)
• Tart (2001) as Mike Storm
• The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001) as White House Deputy Chief of Staff 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
• Behind the Scenes: Tanner on Tanner (2004) as Self
• The Path to 9/11 (2004) as U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen
• H₂O (2004) as U.S. Ambassador Conrad
• 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
• 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
• A War in Hollywood (2008) as Alfred Miller (uncredited - archive footage from The Front)
• Not Quite Hollywood: Deleted Scenes (2008) as Self (archive footage)
• The Trotsky (2009) as Frank McGovern
• According to Greta (2009) as Joseph
• China Rises (2009) as Narrator
• American Experience – Wyatt Earp (2010) as Narrator
• Mulroney: The Opera (2011) as Col. Robert R. McCormick
• India Reborn (2011) as Narrator
• Angle of Attack: How Naval Aviation Changed the Face of War (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Robert E. Lee (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Dinosaur Wars (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Panama Canal: Gateway to the New Century (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – The Greely Expedition (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Triangle Fire (2011) as Narrator
• American Experience – Billy the Kid (2012) 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
• American Experience – Ruby Ridge (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, Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner
• American Experience – The Man Who Tried to Feed the World (2020) as Narrator
• A Vampire in L.A. (2022) as Paul (archive footage from Count Yorga, Vampire)
• Evolutions: The Making of Phase IV (2024) as Self
• Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano (2024) as Self

Television series

• Combat! (1963) as 1st Tanker / Soldier in Hospital – 2 episodes
• Ben Casey (1964-1965) as Dr. J. Wells Savage / Dr. Paul Galloway / Andy Andrews – 3 episodes
• Here Come the Brides (1968) as Ethan – 1 episode
• The Sixth Sense (1972) as David Ford – 1 episode
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1965) as Intern – 1 episode
• Hogan's Heroes (1965) as Corporal Walter Comminsky (uncredited) – 1 episode
• 12 O'Clock High (1966) as Sergeant Marven – 1 episode
• Bonanza (1968) as Will Holt – 1 episode
• Premiere (1968) as William Smith – 1 episode
• Salty (1975) as Stock – 1 episode
• Baretta (1975) as Mike Parsons – 1 episode
• Midday with Bill Boggs (1978) as Self/Guest – 1 episode
• Tomorrow Coast to Coast (1981) as Self/Guest – 1 episode
• Two Marriages (1983-1984) as Dr. Art Armstrong – 10 episodes
• Hard Copy (1987) as Andy Omart – 6 episodes
• Tanner '88 (1988) as Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner – 11 episodes
• Lifestories (1990) as Frank Brody – 1 episode
• E.N.G. (1990) as Steve Kurtz – 1 episode
• Screen One (1992) as Bill Rally – 1 episode
• L.A. Law (1993) as Bobby Lewis – 1 episode
• Judging Amy (2000) as Judge Alistair McNeil – 1 episode
• Family Law (2000) as Ian Lumberg – 1 episode
• Law and Order (2001) as Nolan Tinsdale – 1 episode
• Law and Order: Criminal Intent (2002) as Judge Peter Blakemore – 1 episode
• The American Experience (2002-2020) as Narrator – 34 episodes
• Bury the Lead (2003) – 1 episode
• LAX (2004) as Emmet – 1 episode
• Tanner on Tanner (2004) as Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner – 4 episodes
• This is Wonderland (2004-2006) as Judge Maxwell Fraser – 39 episodes
• Tilt (2005) as Jimmy Malloy – 7 episodes
• Living in Your Car (2010) as Frank – 1 episode
• The Bridge (2010) as Ed Wycoff – 10 episodes
• Michael: Every Day (2011) as Stanley Dyer – 1 episode
• Person of Interest as U.S. Congressman Jim Hallen (2011) – 1 episode
• Pop Culture Beast's Halloween Horror Picks (2014) as John Brady (uncredited - archive footage from Strange Behavior) – 1 episode
• Rogue (2015) as George Kelly – 10 episodes
• Weekends with Yankee (2018-2019) as Narrator – 26 episodes

Theatre

• Take Her, She's Mine, Valley Music Theatre, Los Angeles, 1964 (stage acting debut)
• Our Town, Huntington Hartford Theatre, Los Angeles, 1970
• Rat's Nest, Vandam Theatre (then known as Grove Street Theatre), New York City, NY, 1978 (stage directorial debut)
• The Hotel Play, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, New York City, 1981
• Playing in Local Bands, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1983
• Curse of the Starving Class, Portland Stage Company, Portland, ME, 1985
• Goodbye Freddy, Manhattan Punch Line Theatre, INTAR Theatre, New York City, NY, 1985
• Near the End of the Century, George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, NJ, 1992

Accolades

• Mid-Lifetime Achievement Award — Winner — Maine International Film Festival (2015)

• Fall — Nominee — Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Drama Film (2015)

• This is Wonderland — Nominee — Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series (2006)

• This is Wonderland — Winner — Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series (2005)

• This is Wonderland — Winner — Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series (2004)

• Magnolia — Winner — Golden Satellite Award Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble (2000)

• Magnolia — Winner — National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble (2000)

• Magnolia — Winner — Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Ensemble (2000)

• Magnolia — Nominee — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble (2000)

External links

• Michael Murphy at IMDb