Don Murray was an actor nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962) film “Bus Stop,” and unwilling to be typecast as a tough guy, he went on to more eclectic roles.
- Died: February 2, 2024 (Who else died on February 2?)
- Details of death: Died in Goleta, California, at the age of 94.
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Don Murray’s legacy
Born in Los Angeles to parents who worked in entertainment – his father, Dennis, was a Broadway dancer and stage manager, and his mother, Ethel, performed in Ziegfeld Follies – Murray began his own path to performing in high school. He later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and debuted in 1951 on Broadway in “The Rose Tattoo.”
Murray’s screen debut came in 1956, when he starred alongside Marilyn Monroe in “Bus Stop.” Monroe was already a major star at the time and the film was a success. Playing a tough guy cowboy, Murray was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as for a BAFTA. The role set Murray up for success as a rough leading man, but he preferred more nuanced roles and wanted the freedom to act on stage, too. In 1962, he won further praise for his role in “Advise & Consent,” in which he played a closeted lawmaker.
By the time he played Governor Breck in 1972’s “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes,” Murray’s big screen work had slowed, and he transitioned to television. Through the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, he began appearing more often on television, with appearances on such shows as “Murder, She Wrote” and “Matlock,” as well as a prominent role as Sid Fairgate on “Knots Landing.” He also appeared in 8 episodes of 2017’s “Twin Peaks,” playing Bushnell Mullins.
In addition to his Academy Award and BAFTA nominations, Murray was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for his work in the 1994 ABC Afterschool Special “Montana Crossroads.”
Tributes to Don Murray
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
