Image of Don Murray

Don Murray

Donald Patrick "Don" Murray (born July 31, 1929) is an American actor. Murray was born in Hollywood, California. He attended East Rockaway High School (class of 1947) in East Rockaway, New York where he played football and track, was a member of the student government and glee club and joined the Alpha Phi Chapter of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity. From high school he went on to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Murray had a long and varied career in films and television, including his role as Sid Fairgate in the long-running prime-time soap opera Knots Landing from 1979 to 1981. He was nominated for an Academy Award as best supporting actor in Bus Stop (1956) in which he co-starred with Marilyn Monroe. He starred as a blackmailed United States senator in Advise & Consent (1961), a film version of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Allen Drury that was directed by Otto Preminger and cast Murray opposite Henry Fonda and Charles Laughton. He also co-starred with Steve McQueen in the film Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965) and played the ape-hating Governor Breck in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972). In addition to acting, Murray directed a film based on the book The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) starring Pat Boone and Erik Estrada, and he scripted two episodes of Knots Landing ("Hitchhike" parts 1 & 2) in 1980. Murray starred with Otis Young in the ground breaking ABC western television series The Outcasts (1968-69) featuring an interracial bounty hunter team in the post-Civil War West. Murray decided to leave Knots Landing after two years to concentrate on other projects, although some sources say he left over a salary dispute. The character's death was notable at the time because it was considered rare to "kill off" a star character. The death came in the second episode of season three, following up on season two's cliffhanger in which Sid's car careered off a cliff. To make viewers off doubt the character would actually die, Murray was listed in the newly created credit sequence for season three; the character survived the plunge off the cliff (thus temporarily reassuring viewers), but died shortly afterwards in hospital. Although he effectively distanced himself from the series after his exit in 1981, Murray later contributed an interview segment for Knots Landing: Together Again, a non-fiction reunion special made in 2005. Murray was the first husband of actress Hope Lange. They had two children, including actor Christopher Murray.


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Born:
Jul 31, 1929 In Hollywood, California, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
85
First Appeared:
In the series The Ed Sullivan Show 1948-06-20
Latest Project:
Movie The Philly Sound... Heard 'Round the World 2023-09-23
Known For
Poster of Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers
Poster of Childish Things
Poster of Sweet Love, Bitter
Poster of Marilyn
Filmography
Movie The Philly Sound... Heard 'Round the World Self 2023-09-23
Movie Promise Zacharias 2021-04-06
Movie Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers Self 2017-12-05
Movie Tab Hunter Confidential Self 2015-03-15
Movie Marilyn Monroe: Death of an Icon Self 2010-02-10
Movie Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved Self 2010-02-10
Movie Hollywood Legenden Self 2004-01-01
Movie Island Prey Parker Gaits 2001-01-01
Movie Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man Self 1999-03-04
Movie Internet Love Self 1998-07-03
Movie Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years Self 1997-01-21
Movie Marilyn, divine et fragile Self 1996-12-31
Series The Single Guy Unknown 1995-09-21
Movie Marilyn Monroe: The Mortal Goddess Self 1994-10-17
Series Sons and Daughters Bing Hammersmith 1991-01-04
Movie Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker Self 1991-10-28
Movie Ghosts Can't Do It Winston 1989-10-17
Series Brand New Life 1989-10-01
Movie Stillwatch Sam Kingsley 1987-02-10
Movie Hollywood's Hidden Secrets Self 1987-01-01
Movie The Stepford Children Steven Harding 1987-03-15
Movie Hollywood Uncensored Self 1987-12-01
Movie Made in Heaven Ben Chandler 1987-11-06
Movie Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend Self 1986-04-19
Series Matlock Unknown 1986-03-03
Movie Radioactive Dreams Dash Hammer 1986-09-19
Movie Peggy Sue Got Married Jack Kelcher 1986-10-10
Movie License to Kill Tom Fiske 1986-12-16
Movie Scorpion Gifford Lease 1986-12-01
Movie Something in Common Theo Fontana 1986-11-02
Movie A Touch of Scandal Benjamin Gilvey 1984-11-27
Movie Thursday's Child Parker Alden 1983-02-01
Movie Quarterback Princess Ralph Maida 1983-12-03
Movie I Am The Cheese David Farmer 1983-11-11
Series Hotel Unknown 1982-08-21
Movie Endless Love Hugh 1981-07-17
Movie Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen Pimp 1981-02-13
Movie Return of the Rebels Sonny Morgan 1981-10-17
Movie If Things Were Different Robert Langford 1980-01-16
Movie The Boy Who Drank Too Much Ken Saunders 1980-02-06
Movie Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop Sergeant Jack Leland 1980-04-28
Movie Fugitive Family Peter Ritchie 1980-10-01
Movie Crisis in Mid-Air Adam Travis 1979-02-13
Movie Rainbow Frank Gumm 1978-11-06
Series How the West Was Won Unknown 1977-02-06
Movie A Girl Named Sooner Sheriff Phil Rotteman 1975-06-18
Movie Deadly Hero Edward A. Lacy 1975-12-14
Movie The Girl on the Late, Late Show William Martin 1974-04-01
Series Amy Prentiss Unknown 1974-12-01
Movie The Sex Symbol Sen. Grant O'Neal 1974-09-17
Series Police Story Unknown 1973-03-20
Series Orson Welles' Great Mysteries Unknown 1973-09-01
Movie Justin Morgan Had a Horse Justin Morgan 1972-02-06
Movie Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Breck 1972-06-29
Series ABC Afterschool Special Unknown 1972-10-04
Movie Happy Birthday, Wanda June Herb Shuttle 1971-12-09
Movie The Intruders Sam Garrison 1970-11-10
Movie Childish Things Tom Harris 1969-07-01
Movie Daughter of the Mind Dr. Alex Lauder 1969-12-09
Series The Outcasts 1968-09-23
Movie Sweet Love, Bitter David Hillary 1967-01-30
Movie The Viking Queen Justinian 1967-03-25
Movie The Borgia Stick Tom Harrison 1967-02-25
Movie Kid Rodelo Kid Rodelo 1966-01-01
Movie The Plainsman Wild Bill Hickok 1966-08-01
Movie Baby, the Rain Must Fall Deputy Sheriff Slim 1965-01-12
Movie One Man's Way Norman Vincent Peale 1964-02-26
Movie Marilyn Self ("Bus Stop") (archive footage) (uncredited) 1963-04-18
Movie Advise & Consent Senator Brigham Anderson 1962-06-06
Movie Escape from East Berlin Kurt Schröder 1962-10-22
Movie The Hoodlum Priest Father Charles Dismas Clark 1961-03-26
Movie Hedda Hopper's Hollywood Self 1960-01-10
Movie One Foot in Hell Dan Keats 1960-09-11
Movie These Thousand Hills Albert Gallatin 'Lat' Evans 1959-05-07
Movie Shake Hands with the Devil Kerry O'Shea 1959-06-24
Movie Winterset Mio 1959-10-26
Movie From Hell to Texas Tod Lohman 1958-04-29
Movie The Bachelor Party Charlie Samson 1957-04-09
Movie A Hatful of Rain Johnny Pope 1957-07-17
Movie Bus Stop Beauregard 'Bo' Decker 1956-08-31
Series Hallmark Hall of Fame Unknown 1951-12-24
Series Lux Video Theatre Unknown 1950-10-02
Series The Ed Sullivan Show Unknown 1948-06-20
Series Studio One Unknown 1948-11-07
Series The Philco Television Playhouse Unknown 1948-10-03