Biography for
Brian Murray (I) More at IMDbPro »

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Mini Biography

This wonderfully witty, enormously talented, classically-trained theatre actor has yet to find THE film project to transition into twilight screen stardom; yet, at age 70 plus, there is still a glimmer of hope for Brian Murray if one fondly recalls the late-blooming adulation bestowed upon such illustrious and mature stage stars Judi Dench, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy.

Born Brian Bell in September of 1937 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Shakespearean titan attended King Edward VII School while there. It must have been a sign. He made his stage bow in 1950 as Taplow in "The Browning Version" and continued on the South African stage until 1957. Though he made his film debut fairly early in his career with The League of Gentlemen (1960) and showed strong promise and presence in The Angry Silence (1960), his first passion was, and is, the theatre and instead chose to join the Royal Shakespeare Company where his impressively youthful gallery of credits included those of Romeo, Horatio in "Hamlet", Cassio in "Othello" Edgar in "Lear" and Lysander in "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Eventually Broadway (off- and on-) took notice of this mighty thespian and utilized his gifts quite well over the years. A three-time Tony nominee (for "Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead", "The Little Foxes" and "The Crucible"), not to mention a recipient of multiple Obie ("Ashes" and "The Play About the Baby") and Drama Desk ("Noises Off", "Travels with My Aunt" and "The Little Foxes") awards, this lofty veteran continues to mesmerize live audiences with a wide range of parts, both classical and contemporary. Two of his later roles, that of Sir Toby Belch in "Twelfth Night" and Claudius in "Hamlet", were taken to TV and film. A more recent movie project was a nice change of pace -- voicing the flamboyant role of John Silver in the animated feature, Treasure Planet (2002).

Trivia

Has been nominated three times for Broadway's Tony Award: as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic), in 1968 for Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead;" and as Best Actor (Featured Role - Play), in 1997 for a revival of Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes" and in 2002 for a revival of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible."

Was considered for the role of Roper in director Fred Zinnemann's film of A Man for All Seasons (1966).

He was nominated for a 1975 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Director of a Play for "The Cherry Orchard" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

He was nominated for a 1975 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "The Philanthropist" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

He was nominated for a 1976 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Supporting Role in Play for his role in "The Devil's Disciple" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

He was nominated for a 1977 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "Design for Living" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

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