Michael Murphy

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 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.

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, 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.

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), 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.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1967 Double Trouble Morley Film debut Countdown Rick 1968 The Legend of Lylah Clare Mark Peter Sheehan 1969 That Cold Day in the Park The Rounder The Arrangement Father Draddy 1970 The Lawyer Intern in Legal Office Uncredited Count Yorga, Vampire Paul M*A*S*H Capt. Ezekiel Bradbury "Me Lay" Marston V Brewster McCloud Det. Lt. Frank Shaft 1971 McCabe & Mrs. Miller Eugene Sears 1972 Screwball Comedies... Remember Them? Self Short film What's Up, Doc? Mr. Smith 1973 The Thief Who Came to Dinner Ted 1974 Phase IV Dr. James R. Lesko 1975 Nashville John Triplette 1976 The Front Alfred Miller 1977 The Great Bank Hoax Reverend Everett Manigma 1978 An Unmarried Woman Martin Benton The Class of Miss MacMichael Martin Best 1979 Manhattan Yale Pollack 1981 Strange Behavior Chief John Brady AKA Dead Kids, Small Town Massacre, Shadowlands and Human Experiments 1982 The Year of Living Dangerously Pete Curtis 1983 Hot Money Burt / Tom AKA Getting Centred, Never Trust an Honest Thief, Dinheiro Vivo, Zen Business, El gran robo, Going for Broke and The Great Madison County Robbery 1984 Talk to Me Ross Cloak & Dagger Rice 1985 My Letter to George Reverend Wilson AKA Mesmerized and Shocked 1986 Salvador U.S. Ambassador Thomas Kelly 1989 Shocker Det. Lt. Don Parker 1992 Folks! Ed Batman Returns The Mayor 1994 Clean Slate Dr. Anthony Doover 1995 Bad Company William V. "Smitty" Smithfield Uncredited 1996 Kansas City Henry Stilton 1997 Private Parts Roger Erlick 1998 The Island President John F. Kennedy AKA Norma Jean, Jack & Me 1999 Magnolia Alan Kligman, Esq. 2000 The Art of War Politician Uncredited cameo Enlisted: The Story of "M*A*S*H" Self 2001 Tart Mike Storm 2004 Childstar Reed Harrison Silver City U.S. Senator Judson Pilager Tricks Arthur 2005 Heights Jesse Cameo 2006 X-Men: The Last Stand Warren Worthington II Away From Her Aubrey 2008 A War in Hollywood Alfred Miller Uncredited; archive footage from The Front 2009 The Trotsky Frank McGovern According to Greta Joseph 2011 Mulroney: The Opera Col. Robert R. McCormick 2013 White House Down Vice President Alvin Hammond 2014 Altman Self Fall Father Sam Ryan They Came Together Roger 2016 Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond Self 2017 Indian Horse Father Quinney 2018 Two Plains & a Fancy Rancher Cameo 2019 Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese The Politician, Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner 2024 Robert Altman: America's Rebel Director John Triplette Uncredited; archive footage from Nashville Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano Self

Television Year Title Role Notes 1963 Combat! 1st Tanker / Soldier in Hospital 2 episodes 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 1978 Midday with Bill Boggs Self/Guest 1 episode 1979 3 by Cheever: O Youth and Beauty! Cash Bentley TV movie 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 1984 Countdown to Looking GlassBob Calhoun TV movie 1987 Hard Copy Andy Omart 11 episodes 1988 The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial Captain Blakely TV movie Tanner '88 Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner Miniseries 1989 Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Richard Burt TV movie 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 (uncredited cameo) TV movie 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 1997 Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story Pete Louganis TV movie 1998 The Irish in America: Long Journey Home Narrator Miniseries 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 ShotWhite 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 movie2002-2020 The American Experience Narrator 35 episodes 2003 Bury the Lead Arthur 1 episode Footsteps Robbie Lowendahl TV movie In the Dark George Speller TV movie 2004 LAX Emmet 1 episode American Masters – Julia! America's Favorite Chef Narrator TV movie Behind the Scenes: Tanner on Tanner Self TV movie Tanner on Tanner Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner Miniseries What's Happened Since '88 Self TV movie The Path to 9/11 U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen Miniseries H2O U.S. Ambassador Conrad Miniseries 2004-2006 This Is Wonderland Judge Maxwell Fraser 39 episodes 2005 Tilt Jimmy Molloy 9 episodes 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 (cameo) TV movie 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 episodesLiving 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 John Brady (uncredited - archive footage from Strange Behavior) 1 episode 2015 3rd Canadian Screen Awards Self/Nominee/Presenter TV special Rogue George Kelly 10 episodes 2018-2019 Weekends with Yankee Narrator 26 episodes 2019Street Legal Henry Czernik 2 episodes

Theatre

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

Accolades

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)