Michael Murphy

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), 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.

• Name — Michael Murphy • Birth Name — Michael George Murphy • Born — 5 May 1938 • Birthplace — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1963–present • Height — 6'1" • 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, academics, doctors and clerics. He is also known for his frequent collaborations (more than any other performer) with director Robert Altman, having appeared in twelve film and television productions directed by Altman in a period spanning 1963 to 2004, including his leading titular role in the HBO cable miniseries Tanner '88. 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), 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.

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, Murphy attended the University of Arizona and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He taught English and drama at University High School before pursuing an acting 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 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 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! (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 also had leading turns in theatrical films including Phase IV (1974), Manhattan (1979), Strange Behavior (1981), Hot Money (1983), Shocker (1989), The Island (1998) and the 2014 film Fall—in an acclaimed performance that garnered him a nomination for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Drama Film in 2015—as well as his having had 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 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 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 had starring turns in two major primetime series: 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 appeared extensively in Canadian film and television, including co-starring on the legal dramady series This Is Wonderland, as longtime judicial veteran 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. He was cast as monolithic casino executive Jimmy Molloy on the American ESPN competitive poker 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 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 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. He has appeared in Canadian television films and miniseries Sleeping Dogs Lie (1998), The Life and Crimes of William Palmer (1998), H 2 O (2004), Hunt for Justice (2005), Playing House (2006) and The Quality of Life (2008), as well as a number of theatrically released features including Folks! (1992), 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, and a variety of various American- and Canadian-produced documentary films.

Murphy was married to Canadian actress Wendy Crewson from 1988 until their divorce in January 2009. They have two children. Murphy resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref(s) Reference(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 movie • Bell, Book and Candle — Alex Brandt — TV movie; leading role • 1978 — Midday with Bill Boggs — Self/Guest — 1 episode • 1979 — 3 by Cheever: O Youth and Beauty! — Cash Bentley — TV movie; leading role • 1981 — Tomorrow Coast to Coast — Self/Guest — 1 episode • 1982 — The Rules of Marriage — Alan Murray — TV movie • 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 • 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 • 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 movie • 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 • Sleeping Dogs Lie — Edgar Tratt — TV movie • 2000 — The Only Living Boy in New York — Rudy — TV movie • Altman on His Own Terms — Self — TV movie • Twentieth Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years — Martin Benton (archive footage from An Unmarried Woman) — TV movie • 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 movie • 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 movie • Behind the Scenes: Tanner on Tanner — Self / Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner (archive footage from Tanner '88 and Tanner on Tanner) — TV movie • Tanner on Tanner — Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner — Miniseries; leading role; final professional collaboration with Robert Altman • What's Happened Since '88 — Self / Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner (archive footage from Tanner '88 and Tanner on Tanner) — TV movie • The Path to 9/11 — U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen — Miniseries • H 2 O — 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 • 2008 — 80th National Board of Review Awards — Self — TV special • Caring for Your Parents — Narrator — TV movie • Depression: Out of the Shadows — Narrator — TV movie • The Quality of Life — Charles Greenborne — TV movie • 2009 — China Rises — Narrator — TV movie • 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 movie • Angle of Attack: How Naval Aviation Changed the Face of War — Narrator — TV movie • 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

• Take Her, She's Mine, playing "Alex Loomis", Valley Music Theatre, Los Angeles, CA – 1964 (stage acting debut) • Our Town, playing "Sam Craig" and "Baseball Player", Huntington Hartford Theatre, Los Angeles, CA; ANTA Playhouse, New York City, NY; The Plumstead Playhouse (at The Coconut Grove Playhouse), Coconut Grove, FL – 1969-1970 • Rat's Nest, director, Vandam Theatre (then known as Grove Street Theatre), New York City, NY – 1978 (stage directorial and producorial debut) • The Hotel Play, playing "Psychiatrist", La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, New York City, NY – 1981 • Playing in Local Bands, playing "Michael", Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT – 1983 • Curse of the Starving Class, director, Portland Stage Company, Portland, ME – 1985 • Goodbye Freddy, playing "Hank", Manhattan Punch Line Theatre, New York City, NY; INTAR Theatre, New York City, NY – 1985 • Near the End of the Century, playing "Richard", George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, NJ – 1992

• Magnolia — Winner — National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble (1999) • Magnolia — Winner — Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Cast Ensemble (1999) • Magnolia — Winner — Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Ensemble (2000) • Magnolia — Winner — Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Ensemble (2000) • Magnolia — Nominee — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble (2000) • Magnolia — Winner — Satellite Award - Special Achievement Award - Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble (2000) • Magnolia — Nominee — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture (2000) • This is Wonderland — Winner — Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series (2004) • 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 — Nominee — Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series (2006) • Fall — Nominee — Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Drama Film (2015) • Mid-Lifetime Achievement Award — Winner — Maine International Film Festival (2015)

Michael Murphy is recorded as actor and film producer.