Michael George Murphy (born May 5, 1938) is an American film, television, stage and voiceover actor. He often plays unethical or morally ambiguous characters in positions of authority, including executives, politicians, law enforcement agents, lawyers, judges, military commanders, academics, doctors and clerics. He is also known for his frequent collaborations with director Robert Altman, having appeared in twelve film and television productions directed by Altman between 1963 and 2004, including the 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), The Great Bank Hoax (1977), 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."Michael Murphy Biography (1938–)". Film Reference. Retrieved June 9, 2016. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Murphy attended the University of Arizona and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)."Michael Murphy Biography". Yahoo! Movies.
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 Benton in Paul Mazursky's An Unmarried Woman (1978), as Woody Allen's morally ambiguous best friend Yale Pollack in Allen's Manhattan (1979), as the serial killer-chasing Det. Lt. Don Parker in Wes Craven's Shocker (1989), as The Mayor of Gotham City in Tim Burton's Batman Returns (1992), as attorney Alan Kligman, Esq. in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia (1999), as the "mutant" Angel's human father Warren Worthington II in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and as the eponymous star of Garry Trudeau and Robert Altman's 1988 HBO cable 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 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!, Countdown (1968), That Cold Day in the Park (1969), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (1988) and Kansas City (1996).
Other 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), Folks! (1992), Clean Slate (1994), Private Parts (1997), Silver City (2004), According to Greta (2009), White House Down (2013), They Came Together (2014) and Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019).
Though usually cast in supporting roles and character parts, Murphy has also had leading turns in theatrical films Phase IV (1974), Manhattan (1979), Strange Behavior (1981), Hot Money (1983), Shocker (1989), The Island (1998) and the 2014 film Fall—in a performance that garnered him a nomination for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Performance in a Drama Film in 2015, as well as in television films 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), Indiscretion of an American Wife (1998) and In the Dark (2003).
In addition to his roles in the HBO Films original productions Tanner '88, Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy, and Countdown to Looking Glass, Murphy has also appeared in the historical biopics Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster (1992), Truman (1995) and Live from Baghdad (2002).
Murphy starred in two primetime series: as Dr. Art Armstrong on the ABC family drama Two Marriages (1983-1984), and as 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 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. He was cast as casino executive Jimmy Molloy on the American ESPN drama Tilt (2005), as veteran law enforcement superior, Chief Ed Wycoff, on the Canadian CTV police drama The Bridge (2010), and as George Kelly, the father of Ethan Kelly, in the third season of the Canadian-British-American DirecTV police drama Rogue in 2015.
Murphy guest-starred on television series 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 Canadian television films and miniseries Sleeping Dogs Lie (1998), The Life and Crimes of William Palmer (1998), H2O (2004), Hunt for Justice (2005), Playing House (2006), The Quality of Life (2008) and Great Scot Beer (2012), as well as a number of theatrically-released features including 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 been a narrator of documentary films, including several dozen episodes of the PBS historical documentary series The American Experience, as well as the public television travel series Weekends with Yankee.
Personal life Murphy was married to Canadian actress Wendy Crewson from 1988 until their divorce in January 2009. They have two children.
Murphy resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1967 Double Trouble Morley Film debut; appeared opposite Elvis Presley Countdown Rick First film collaboration with Robert Altman 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 role Count Yorga, Vampire Paul AKA The Loves of Count Iorga, Vampire M*A*S*H Capt. Ezekiel Bradbury "Me Lay" Marston V AKA MASH and M★A★S★H Brewster McCloud Det. Lt. Frank Shaft 1971 McCabe & Mrs. Miller Eugene Sears 1972 Screwball Comedies... Remember Them? Self / Mr. Smith (archive footage from What's Up, Doc?) Documentary featurette What's Up, Doc? Mr. Smith 1973 The Thief Who Came to Dinner Ted 1974 Phase IV Dr. James R. Lesko Leading role 1975 Nashville John Triplette 1976 The Front Alfred Miller First collaboration with Woody Allen 1977 The Great Bank Hoax Reverend Everett Manigma AKA The Great Georgia Bank Hoax and Shenanigans 1978 An Unmarried Woman Martin Benton The Class of Miss MacMichael Martin Best 1979 Manhattan Yale Pollack Leading role; only black-and-white screen appearance 1981 Strange Behavior Chief John Brady Leading role; AKA Dead Kids; Small Town Massacre; Shadowlands and Human Experiments 1982 The Year of Living Dangerously Pete Curtis 1983 Hot Money Burt / Tom Leading role; first Canadian film appearance; 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 The Making of "Shocker" Self / Interviewee / Det. Lt. Don Parker (archive footage from Shocker) Video documentary featurette Shocker Det. Lt. Don Parker Leading role; AKA Shocker: No More Mr. Nice Guy; Wes Craven's Shocker; Shocker: 100,000 voltios de terror 1992 Folks! Ed Batman Returns The Mayor 1994 Clean Slate Dr. Anthony Doover 1995 Bad Company William V. "Smitty" Smithfield Uncredited role 1996 Kansas City Henry Stilton 1997 Private Parts Roger Erlick AKA Howard Stern's Private Parts 1998 The Island President John F. Kennedy Leading role; AKA Norma Jean, Jack & Me 1999 Magnolia Alan Kligman, Esq. 2000 The Art of War Politician Uncredited cameo role Enlisted: The Story of "M*A*S*H" Self / Capt. Ezekiel Bradbury "Me Lay" Marston V (archive footage from M*A*S*H) Video documentary featurette 2001 Tart Mike Storm Cameo role; AKA Party Girl; Jet Set Kids; Teenage Seduction; Beautiful People and Fűvel-fával 2004 Childstar Reed Harrison Silver City U.S. Senator Judson Pilager Tricks Arthur AKA Three Janes 2005 Heights Jesse Cameo role 2006 X-Men: The Last Stand Warren Worthington II Away From Her Aubrey 2008 A War in Hollywood Alfred Miller (archive footage from The Front) Documentary feature Not Quite Hollywood: Deleted Scenes Chief John Brady (archive footage from Strange Behavior) Video documentary feature; AKA Not Quite Hollywood: Deleted and Extended Scenes 2009 The Trotsky Frank McGovern According to Greta Joseph AKA Greta 2011 Mulroney: The Opera Col. Robert R. McCormick 2013 White House Down Vice President Alvin Hammond The Making of "Nashville" Self / John Triplette (archive footage from Nashville) Video documentary featurette 2014 Altman Self/Interviewee Documentary feature Fall Father Sam Ryan Leading role They Came Together Roger 2016 Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond Self/Interviewee Documentary feature McCabe & Mrs. Miller: Way Out on a Limb Self/Interviewee Video documentary featurette 2017 Indian Horse Father Quinney 2018 Two Plains & a Fancy Rancher Cameo role 2019 Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese The Politician, Fmr. U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner Cameo role 2022 A Vampire in L.A. Paul (archive footage from Count Yorga, Vampire) Video documentary featurette 2023 Film Geek Martin Benton (archive footage from An Unmarried Woman) Video Film Essay - Robert Altman's "Brewster McCloud" Det. Lt. Frank Shaft (archive footage from Brewster McCloud) Video 2024 Evolutions: The Making of "Phase IV" Self / Dr. James R. Lesko (archive footage from Phase IV) Video documentary featurette Robert Altman: America's Rebel Director Self / John Triplette (archive footage from Nashville) Documentary feature Cruel, Usual, Necessary: The Passion of Silvio Narizzano Self/Interviewee Documentary feature 2026 Clever by Half: Michael Murphy on "Dead Kids" Self / Interviewee / Chief John Brady (archive footage from Dead Kids/Strange Behavior) Video documentary featurette
Television