Donna Murphy

Donna Murphy (born March 7, 1959) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in musical theater. A five-time Tony Award nominee for Best Actress in a Musical, she has won twice: for her role as Fosca in Passion (1994–1995) and as Anna Leonowens in The King and I (1996–1997). She was also nominated for her roles as Ruth Sherwood in Wonderful Town, Lotte Lenya in LoveMusik (2007), and Bubbie/Raisel in The People in the Picture (2011).

Murphy made her Broadway debut as a replacement in the 1979 musical They're Playing Our Song. Her other stage credits include the original Off-Broadway productions of Song of Singapore (1991) and Hello Again (1993), as well as the alternate to Bette Midler as the title character of Dolly Gallagher Levi in a Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! (2017–2018). In 1997, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special for her role in "Someone Had to be Benny", an episode of the HBO series Lifestories: Families in Crisis. Her film roles include Anij in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Rosalie Octavius in Spider-Man 2 (2004), Mother Gothel in the animated film Tangled (2010), and government agent Dita Mandy in The Bourne Legacy (2012). As of 2022, she portrays Caroline Schermerhorn Astor in the HBO series The Gilded Age.

Early life and education

Donna Murphy, the eldest of seven children, was born in Corona, Queens, New York, the daughter of Jeanne (née Fink) and Robert Murphy, an aerospace engineer. Murphy is of Irish, French, German, and Czech ancestry. Her family moved to Hauppauge, Long Island, New York. At age three, she asked for voice lessons, and she put on shows as a child in Hauppauge.

Career

Murphy dropped out of the New York University drama program in her sophomore year when she was cast to understudy the three backup singers in the 1979 Broadway musical They're Playing Our Song. In a 2007 interview, Murphy explained, "At the end of my sophomore year, I took a leave of absence. I needed to audition without cutting classes." She also studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.

She has appeared in many Off-Broadway productions, including the musical Francis in 1981 at the York Theatre at St. Peter's, The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 1985 at the Public Theater's Delacorte Theatre, Birds of Paradise in 1987 (Promenade Theatre), Privates on Parade (Roundabout Theatre) in 1989, the musical Song of Singapore in 1991, the Michael John LaChiusa musical Hello Again at the Lincoln Center Mitzi Newhouse Theater in 1993, Twelve Dreams at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater in 1995, and Helen at the Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival in 2002. In 2012, she appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods at The Public Theater's Delacorte Theatre as the Witch.

On Broadway, after They're Playing Our Song (1979), she was an understudy in the musical/opera The Human Comedy in April 1984 and played various roles in The Mystery of Edwin Drood from 1985 to 1987. She also played Audrey Fulquard in Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's Little Shop of Horrors. In 1994, she played the role of Fosca in Stephen Sondheim's and James Lapine's Passion, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance at the 48th Tony Awards. A year later she appeared in Lapine's revival, Twelve Dreams. In 1996, she played Anna Leonowens in the revival of The King and I alongside Lou Diamond Phillips, also recording a cast album. The role earned her a second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 50th Tony Awards. She appeared as Ruth Sherwood in a revival of Wonderful Town from 2003 to 2005 (having previously performed in the New York City Center Encores! 2000 staged concert of that musical), and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 58th Tony Awards and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. In 2007, she appeared in LoveMusik as Lotte Lenya, opposite Michael Cerveris as Kurt Weill, receiving a Tony Award nomination at the 61st Tony Awards as well as a Drama Desk Award nomination. She appeared in the 2007 New York City Center Encores! staged concert of Follies as Phyllis. She appeared in the Roundabout Theatre production of a new musical, The People in the Picture, which opened on April 28, 2011, and closed on June 19, 2011. She was nominated for a 2011 Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical for her role in the production at the 65th Tony Awards.

She appeared in the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! as Dolly Gallagher Levi, the alternate to Bette Midler on Tuesday evenings and other select performances. She played her last performance on January 7, 2018. Murphy returned to Hello, Dolly! for six performances (July 22 and 29, August 5, 12, 19, and 20) when Midler rejoined the musical before it closed on August 25, 2018.

Murphy's film roles include Anij, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)'s love interest, in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998); in the film Center Stage, as Juliette Simone, a ballet teacher (2000); as Rosalie Octavius, wife of Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), the film's villain in Spider-Man 2 (2004); as Betty, a surgical research assistant in Darren Aronofsky's film The Fountain (2006), and Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson)'s mother Judy Braddock in The Nanny Diaries (2007). In her voice role as Mother Gothel in the animated musical film Tangled (2010), Murphy sang the song "Mother Knows Best". She also played Kathleen Walker, Corinne Walker (Vera Farmiga)'s mother in Higher Ground (2011) and Marie in Dark Horse (2011). In 2012, she appeared as government secretary Dita Mandy in The Bourne Legacy.

On television, Murphy appeared on the NBC soap opera Another World from 1989 through 1991 as District Attorney Morgan Graves. She won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special at the 24th Daytime Emmy Awards in 1997, for playing Armanda Agrelo in "Someone Had to be Benny" (1996), an episode of the HBO series Lifestories: Families in Crisis. Other television series roles include a recurring role as Abigail Adams on Liberty! The American Revolution (1997), Murder One (1995–1996), Law & Order as Carla Tyrell in a recurring role (2000), Hack (2002–2003), Trust Me (2009) and Quantico (2017). Her voice-over work in TV commercials, includes the Le Vian chocolate diamonds series for Jared Jewelry. In 2022, Murphy joined the cast of HBO's The Gilded Age as Caroline Schermerhorn Astor.

Personal life

Murphy was married to actor and singer Shawn Elliott from 1990 until his death in March 2016. She is the stepmother of Elliott's two daughters. In 2005, they adopted a daughter from Guatemala.

Stage

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes 1995 Jade Detective Karen Heller 1998 October 22 Carole Star Trek: Insurrection Anij 1999 The Astronaut's Wife Natalie Streck 2000 Center Stage Juliette Simone 2004 The Door in the Floor Frame Shop Owner Spider-Man 2 Rosalie Octavius 2006 Ira & Abby Dr. Betsy Goldman World Trade Center Judy Jonas The Fountain Betty 2007 The Nanny Diaries Judy Braddock 2008 Sherman's Way Evelyn Black 2010 Tangled Mother GothelVoice 2011 Higher Ground Kathleen Walker Dark Horse Marie 2012 The Bourne Legacy Dita Mandy 2016 No Pay, Nudity Pearl 2020 Anastasia: Once Upon a Time Yara the Enchantress 2023 Nowhere Men NarratorVoice

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1987 Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's June Television film1988 All My ChildrenJean FlynnEpisode: "1.4888"1991 Another World Morgan Graves 7 episodes 1993–2000 Law & Order Karen Unger / Carla Tyrell 3 episodes 1995–1996 Murder One Francesca Cross 6 episodes 1996 Lifestories: Families in Crisis Armanda Agrelo Episode: "Someone Had to Be Benny" Remember WENN Ruth Geddy Episode: "Behind Every Great Woman" Passion Fosca Television film 1997 Nothing Sacred Camille Episode: "Spirit and Substance" Liberty! The American Revolution Abigail Adams Miniseries; 6 episodes 1998 The Practice Marie Hanson Episode: "Axe Murderer" Ally McBeal Marie Hanson Episode: "The Inmates" The Day Lincoln Was Shot Mary Todd Lincoln Television film 2000 The Last Debate Joan Naylor Television film 2000–2001 What About Joan? Dr. Ruby Stern Main cast (21 episodes) 2002 The Education of Max Bickford Esther Weber Episode: "The Good, the Bad, and the Lawyers" 2002–2003 Hack Heather Olshansky Main cast (16 episodes) 2005 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Captain Annie Krame Episode: "Hollywood Brass" 2006 The Book of Daniel Dr. Libby Webster Episode: "God's Will" Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Blair Episode: "Pilot" 2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Maureen Pagolis Episode: "Albatross" Damages Nancy Episode: "Do You Regret What We Did?" 2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dr. Raye Massey Episode: "Retro" 2009 Trust Me Denise Goodman 5 episodes 2010 Ugly Betty Eve Episode: "Million Dollar Smile" 2012 Made in Jersey Darlene Garetti Main cast (7 episodes) 2013 The Mentalist Diandra Sunderland Episode: "Behind the Red Curtain" House of Versace Maria Television film 2014 The Good Wife Judge Alice Adelson Episode: "A Material World" Royal Pains Berta Episode: "Steaks on a Plane" 2014–2015 Resurrection Angela Forrester 8 episodes 2015 Hindsight Georgie Brady 4 episodes 2016–2017 Mercy Street Jane Green Main cast (12 episodes) 2017 Doubt District Attorney Grace Russo 2 episodes Quantico Rebecca Sherman Episode: "Mktopaz" 2017–2020 Tangled: The Series Mother Gothel Voice, 6 episodes 2019 The Blacklist Sophia Quayle Episode: "The Pawnbrokers (No. 146/147)" The Bravest Knight Trulla Voice, episode: "Cedric & the Troll" 2019–2020 Power Loretta Walsh 5 episodes 2021–2022 Gossip Girl Headmistress Vivian Burton 4 episodes 2022 Inventing Anna Donna Zaveri Episode: "Two Birds, One Throne" 2022–present The Gilded Age Caroline Schermerhorn Astor Main cast (11 episodes) 2024–present Brilliant Minds Muriel Landon 7 episodes

Video games

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1992 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Song of Singapore Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical 1993 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Hello Again 1994 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Passion Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical 1996 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical The King and I Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Drama League Award Distinguished Performance CableACE AwardBest Actress in a Dramatic Series of SpecialLifestories: Families in Crisis ("Someone Had to be Benny") 1997 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special 2004 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Wonderful Town Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical 2007 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical LoveMusik Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical 2011 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical The People in the Picture Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Alliance of Women Film Journalists AwardBest Animated FemaleTangled 2013 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Into the Woods 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series The Gilded Age