Don Murray

A tall, fresh-faced leading man, Don Murray first made his mark on the Broadway stage in "The Rose Tattoo" (1951-52), co-starring with Eli Wallach and Maureen Stapleton. The son of a former Ziegfeld girl and a motion picture dance director, Murray was a conscientious objector during the Korean War and worked in Europe assisting refugees and orphans in lieu of military service. When he returned to the USA, he was cast alongside stage legend Mary Martin in Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth" (1955). Based on his performance, director Joshua Logan hired the actor for his first film.

"Bus Stop" (1956) provided Murray with a strong role as a naive, yet forceful, cowboy romancing a singer (Marilyn Monroe). For his efforts, the actor earned an Oscar nod as Best Supporting Actor. His two subsequent features, "The Bachelor Party" and "A Hatful of Rain" (1957) both provided meaty roles, but later efforts failed to capitalize on his early promise. Murray moved into producing and screenwriting with "The Hoodlum Priest" (1961), a true story about a clergyman who worked with criminals, in which he also starred. His 1970 directing debut, "The Cross and the Switchblade", was an earnest but uneven feature. A second feature, "Damien" (1977), a biopic of the priest who worked with lepers in Hawaii, has never been released theatrically. The 80s saw Murray in mostly paternal roles (e.g., "Endless Love" 1981; "Peggy Sue Got Married" 1986).

Murray has been a constant fixture on TV since the late 50s. He served as a celebrity panelist on "Made in America" (CBS, 1964) and starred in the Western series "The Outcasts" (ABC, 1968-69). TV viewers may remember him from the first two seasons of the CBS primetime soap "Knots Landing" (1979-81) as Michelle Lee's husband. Two later series, "Brand New Life" (NBC, 1989-90) and "Sons and Daughters" (CBS, 1991) were both short-lived. In his TV-movies, Murray has generally been cast in stalwart roles, generally as politicians or businessmen.

From 1956 to 1961, Murray was married to his "Bus Stop" co-star Hope Lange.

• Also Credited As:
  Don Deer, Donald Patrick Murray
• Born:
  July 31, 1929 in Hollywood, California, USA
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Director, Producer, Screenwriter

Family

• Daughter: Colleen Andrea Murray. mother Elizabeth Murray
• Daughter: Patricia Elda Murray. born 1958; mother Hope Lange
• Father: Dennis Aloisius Murray.
• Mother: Ethel M Murray.
• Son: Christopher Paton Murray. born 1957; mother Hope Lange
• Son: Michael Dennis Murray. mother Elizabeth Murray
• Son: Sean William Murray. mother Elizabeth Murray

Education

• American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York, New York

Milestones

• 1947 Appeared in summer stock productions in New York, Delaware and Connecticut
• 1956 Feature film debut as Bo opposite Marilyn Monroe in Bus Stop
• 1958 Early TV work included productions of The Hasty Heart and Billy Budd
• 1961 Made screenwriting and producing debut with The Hoodlum Priest ; also starred
• 1964 Was regular panelist on Made in America (CBS)
• 1969 Wrote, produced and starred in Childish Things
• 1970 Feature film directorial debut, The Cross and the Switchblade ; also wrote screenplay
• 1974 Co-starred with Connie Stevens in ABC TV-movie The Sex Symbol , loosely based on the life of Marilyn Monroe
• 1977 Returned to Broadway as co-star of long-running hit comedy Same Time, Next Year
• 1977 Wrote and directed Damien/Damien s Island (never released)
• 1978 Appeared in the national tour of Neil Simon s California Suite
• 1979 Toured as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago
• 1990 Last feature film to date, Ghosts Can t Do It
• 1991 Featured in the short-lived series Sons and Daughters (CBS)
• Co-starred as Sid Fairgate on the CBS primetime soap Knots Landing
• Co-starred with Barbara Eden in the limited series Brand New Life (NBC)
• Made Broadway debut in Tennessee Williams The Rose Tattoo
• TV series debut as regular, The Outcasts (ABC)
• Worked with a religious organization in Europe resettling refugees and orphans in lieu of military service