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Michael Murphy
Murphy at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Michael George Murphy (1938-05-05) 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 acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries Tanner '88.^[2] He had roles in the films M*A*S*H (1970), Brewster McCloud (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.

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]

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.^[1][2] 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, Lifestories, Here Comes the Brides, LAX, 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), 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 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.

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).^{[citation needed]}

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

• Take Her, She's Mine, Valley Music Theatre, Los Angeles, CA – 1964 (stage acting debut)
• Our Town, Huntington Hartford Theatre, Los Angeles, CA – 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, NY – 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

• 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 — Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Ensemble (2000)

• Magnolia — Winner — Golden Satellite Award Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Motion Picture 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 — Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Cast Ensemble (1999)

• Magnolia — Winner — National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble (1999)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Murphy.

• Michael Murphy at IMDb