William Albert Murray (born 6 October 1941) is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006.
Often known for portraying "hard man" characters, he has also starred in McVicar (1980), Essex Boys (2000), One in the Chamber (2012), We Still Steal the Old Way (2016), Nemesis (2021) and the Rise of the Footsoldier film series (2007–2021).
Early life Murray was born in Forest Gate, Essex and grew up in Upton Park, east London, one of three children of Timothy and Vera Murray; his father was a plasterer, nightclub bouncer and a boxing champion. Murray attended St. Edward's Catholic Primary and St Bonaventure's Catholic School. After leaving school at fourteen, Murray worked as a shelf-stacker at a Co-Op supermarket in Canning Town and at the local docks cleaning the dirt out of oil tankers. He also had football trials for West Ham United and boxed for the Reggie and Ronnie Kray-owned West Ham Boxing Club. Murray became good friends with the Krays to the extent that he accompanied them on holiday to Spain. The Kray twins paid £400 for him to go to East 15 Acting School as a teenager, because they "liked his attitude".Daily Mirror, 23 January 2005. They never asked for the money back, and Murray later appeared as a character witness for Charlie Kray who had been accused of smuggling cocaine.
Career Murray made his acting debut playing a minor uncredited role in the 1963 film The Wrong Arm of the Law, followed by minor uncredited roles in What a Crazy World (1963) and Two Left Feet (1965). He started playing larger roles in the films Poor Cow (1967), Corruption (1968), Up the Junction (1968) and Performance (1970). From the 1970s through to the early 1990s, he made appearances in a wide variety of television series such as Softly, Softly, The Sweeney, The Professionals, Minder, Bergerac and Casualty. He was also among those considered for the role of Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the BBC TV series Only Fools and Horses before it finally went to David Jason. Other notable film roles include the role of Joey in the hit 1980 film McVicar (1980).
In 1995, he took on the role of DS Don Beech in the ITV police drama series The Bill appearing as a regular cast member from early 1995 to late 2000. This was his second role in the series, as he had previously appeared in an episode as DI Jackson in 1989. In 2001, he reprised the role in a special episode entitled "Beech on the Run". This was followed by the six-part mini-series Beech is Back. In 2004, he made his final appearance as Beech for a guest stint in five episodes, in which his character escaped from prison and is now back 'on the run'.
In late 2004, he joined the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders and played gangland figure Johnny Allen. This was Murray's second role within the series, as he previously appeared as loan shark Mr. X for four episodes in 1991. Murray's character as Johnny Allen made his first appearance on 4 January 2005, and became the show's main antagonist upon terrorizing numerous characters on the programme - including Peggy Mitchell; her sons Phil Mitchell and Grant Mitchell; their cousin Billy Mitchell, whom Johnny initially employed in his criminal empire; Phil and Grant's ex-lover Sharon Watts; her godmother Pauline Fowler; his daughter's best friend Stacey Slater; and even his own henchman Jake Moon. During his time on the show, Johnny killed fellow mob boss Andy Hunter on the show's 20th anniversary episode by throwing him from a motorway bridge. His character later arranged for Jake's brother Danny Moon to kill Sharon's husband Dennis Rickman on New Year's Eve 2005. He departed from the show in March 2006 when his character was jailed after his daughter Ruby Allen forced him to confess to having Dennis murdered and killing Andy himself. He made a brief return to EastEnders in October 2006 when his character was killed off after he succumbed to a heart attack in prison, though not before trying to arrange the death of Ruby's boyfriend and Stacey's brother Sean Slater upon learning that he plans to extract her family assets. For his performance as Johnny Allen Murray won the 'Best Villain' award at the British Soap Awards in May 2006.
Following his departure from EastEnders, Murray appeared in several British films such as Rollin' with the Nines (2006), Doghouse (2009) and Dead Cert (2010). He also played Mickey Steele in three films from the Rise of the Footsoldier film series, those being Rise of the Footsoldier (2007), Rise of the Footsoldier 3: The Pat Tate Story (2017) and Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins (2021).
He also provided the voice of Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011) and fronted the adverts for Injury Lawyers 4 U, a compensation claims company in the UK.
Murray's later career has mainly consisted of film roles, including The Rise and Fall of a White Collar Hooligan (2012), One in the Chamber (2012) and We Still Steal the Old Way (2016). He headlined the crime film Nemesis (2021) and starred alongside Lee Majors, Danny Trejo and Ian Ogilvy in the action-thriller film Renegades (2022).
Personal life Murray has four children. A son and daughter from his first marriage to Maureen, and two daughters from his second marriage to Elaine. Jaime Murray, one of his daughters from his second marriage is an actress who is best known for starring in the television series Hustle, as well as playing Lila Tournay in season two of Dexter.
In 1998, Murray appeared in court after he and three other men allegedly attacked two men who they believed were supplying drugs to their daughters. Murray said that he suffered a nervous breakdown and slept rough on the set of The Bill for months as a court order banned him from living in his home county of Essex after he was charged with intimidating a witness involved in the case. He also admitted that the court case had put a strain on his marriage. Murray was cleared of assault, having claimed that at the time he was "suffering from a mouth abscess and a cracked collarbone and was in no condition to hit anyone". One of the men attacked was quoted as saying that they wished the case had never gone to court, stating "I deserved everything I got". In June of that year, his daughter Lizzie almost committed suicide via overdose. She survived and Murray was assured her life wasn't in any danger.
In April 2011, it was reported that Murray had been charged with assault of his wife and daughter. In July 2011, it was confirmed that the assault case against Murray had been dropped.
Outside of acting, Murray is involved in property investment and owns and rents out lock-ups, flats and garages across east London.
He is a West Ham United football club fan,Biography for Billy Murray (I), IMDb and a supporter of the Conservative Party.Celebrity X Factor – News. People. (28 March 2010). Retrieved 1 January 2011.
Filmography Film +YearTitleCharacterNotes1963The Wrong Arm of the LawCrook at Syndicate MeetingUncredited1963What a Crazy WorldYouth at DanceUncredited1965Two Left FeetGang MemberUncredited1967Poor CowTom's mate1968Up the JunctionRay1968CorruptionRik1970PerformanceThug 1980McVicarJoey Davis1991Buddy's SongHarry2000Essex BoysPerry Elley2004One Man and His DogD.C. Stevens2005Hell to PayLarry Malone2006Rollin' with the NinesDavid Brumby2007Rise of the FootsoldierMickey Steele2009DoghouseColonel2010Just for the RecordWilson Barnes2010Dead CertDante Livenko2010StalkerRobert2010FreightGabe Taylor2010The RaptureDI Bowden2011How to Stop Being a LoserDr. Leaner2012Strippers vs WerewolvesJack Ferris2012The Rise and Fall of a White Collar HooliganMr. Robinson2012One in the ChamberLeo Crosby2012AcceptanceEric2012AirborneCutter2013Essex Boys RetributionPrisoner2014What's the Score?The Producer2014The Disappearance of Lenka WoodDraper2016We Still Steal the Old WayVic Farrow2017Rise of the Footsoldier 3: The Pat Tate StoryMickey Steele2020VengeanceEric2021Nemesis John Morgan 2021Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins Mickey Steele 2022Renegades Woody
Television +YearTitleCharacterNotes1967VendettaCorsican RebelEpisode: "The Revolutionary Man"1967TrappedGerryEpisode: "Trapped: Au Pair Swedish Style"1969ITV Sunday Night TheatreEricEpisode: "Steve"1969The Root of All Evil?Terry MilwardEpisode: "The Long Sixpence"1970A Family at WarCorporal DeweyEpisode: "The Breach in the Dyke"1970MenaceLukeEpisode: "The Elimination"1971ITV Sunday Night TheatreJimEpisode: "The Silver Collection"1971Softly, Softly: Task ForceGeorgie BensonEpisode: "Better Than Doing Porridge"1972ITV Sunday Night TheatreWelderEpisode: "Time Lock"1972New Scotland Yard George ReadEpisode: "The Wrong-Un"1973BarlowCulverEpisode: "Informant"1973Two WomenClorindoEpisode: #1.41973Marked PersonalDon Bannion2 episodes1974New Scotland YardCharlie PalmerEpisode: "All That Glitters"1975The Sweeney Brian Cooney Episode: "Stoppo Driver"1975Suzi's PlanBertTelevision film1976Rock FolliesSpike6 episodes1976Barney's Last BattleLes PalmerTelevision film1977TargetRex AdcockEpisode: "Roadrunner"1977Rock Follies of '77Spike5 episodes1979HazellBig Dave CastleEpisode: "Hazell Gets the Boot"1979KidsDave BuckleyEpisode: "Laurie"1979The ProfessionalsMorganEpisode: "Runner"1981Honky Tonk HeroesDennisEpisode: "It's Only Make Believe"1981Private SchulzFredEpisode: #1.6 1982Saturday Night ThrillerBernieEpisode: "Grass"1983Jemima Shore InvestigatesBilly StandenEpisode: "A Promising Death"1984Crown CourtDet. Insp. MinshullEpisode: "Whisper Who Dares: Part 1"1984Missing from HomeChief Insp. MarsdenEpisode: #1.11984LettyEddie Waite2 episodes1985Dempsey and MakepeaceBilly KennawayEpisode: "The Hit"1984–1989MinderCharlie Pope Mick2 episodes1989–1990The BillDI Jackman2 episodes1991BergeracJohn KelpEpisode: "The Lohans"1991EastEndersMr. X3 episodes1992CasualtyDon CollinsEpisode: "Cascade"1992The Ruth Rendell MysteriesGunner JonesEpisode: "Kissing the Gunner's Daughter: Part One"1995A Touch of FrostBill BoxleyEpisode: "No Refuge"1995–2004The BillDS Don Beech186 episodes2000ITV Panto: AladdinPolice ChiefTelevision film2001Beech is BackDS Don Beech6 episodes2004DoctorsLarry BakerEpisode: "My Stepmother the Alien"2005–2006EastEndersJohnny Allen144 episodes2007The Grey ManGeorge RowlandsTelevision film2017Ransom's LawEwan Ransom6 episodes
Video games +YearTitleCharacterNotes2007Call of Duty 4: Modern WarfareCaptain John Price Voice2009Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 22011Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 32023Rise of the Footsoldier: The Mobile GameNarrator
References
External links
Billy Murray's EastEnders Profile The compensation claims company Billy Murray fronts