Michael Murphy (actor)

Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy
	Murphy at the; 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Michael George Murphy; May 5, 1938 (age 86); 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.^[1] 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.^[2] He had roles in the films Manhattan, An Unmarried Woman, Nashville, The Year of Living Dangerously, Phase IV, The Front, Shocker, Magnolia, Cloak & Dagger, Salvador, Away from Her, Strange Behavior, Fall, X-Men: The Last Stand, 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.^[3] After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps near the end of the Korean War,^[4] Murphy attended the University of Arizona and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).^[2]^[5]

He taught English and drama at University High School (Los Angeles) before pursuing an acting career.^[2]^[6]^[7]

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 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 title character in Tanner '88 (a role he 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 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 What's Up, Doc? (1972), The Front (1976), The Class of Miss MacMichael (1978), The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), My Letter to George (1986), Salvador (1986), Private Parts (1997), Silver City (2004), According to Greta (2009), White House Down (2013), They Came Together (2014). His television roles include guest appearances on Bonanza, Baretta, The Sixth Sense, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Judging Amy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Family Law, 12 O'Clock High, Life Stories, Salty, Here Comes the Brides and L.A. Law.

Though usually cast in supporting roles and character actor 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 2015 Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actor--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.

Murphy has narrated numerous documentaries, including many episodes of the PBS historical documentary series The American Experience, and the public television travel series Weekends with Yankee. He has appeared in Canadian film and television, including the dramady series This Is Wonderland, for which he was nominated for three Gemini Awards, winning twice, successively, in 2004 and 2005, and nominated for a third in 2006.^[1]^[2] He has also appeared in the television films Sleeping Dogs Lie (1998), The Life and Crimes of William Palmer (1998), H₂O (2004), and theatrically-released features including Folks! (1992), Childstar (2004), Away from Her (2006) and The Trotsky (2008).

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).^{[citation needed]}

Murphy currently resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.^[8]

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 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 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
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)
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies (1995) (uncredited - archive footage from Nashville and Manhattan)
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
Robert Altman: Giggle and Give In (1996) as Self
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
Twentieth Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years (2000) (uncredited – 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
Tanner on Tanner (2004) as Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner
The Path to 9/11 (2004) as U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen
H₂O (2004) as U.S. Ambassador Conrad
This is Wonderland (2004-2006) as Judge Maxwell Fraser
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
A War in Hollywood (2008) (archive footage – from The Front)
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, 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 Self