Donald Patrick Murray (July 31, 1929 – February 2, 2024) was an American actor, screenwriter, and film director. His debut film role as Bo Decker in Bus Stop (1956), opposite Marilyn Monroe, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He subsequently had several major leading and supporting roles in films during the 1950s and '60s, including A Hatful of Rain (1957), Shake Hands with the Devil (1959, with James Cagney), One Foot in Hell (1960, with Alan Ladd), Advise & Consent (1962, with Henry Fonda and Charles Laughton), and Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965, with Steve McQueen and Lee Remick).
Murray also starred in several television series, notably as Earl Corey on The Outcasts (1968–69), Sid Fairgate on Knots Landing (1979–81), and Bushnell Mullins on Twin Peaks (2017). He also played a villain in the science-fiction film Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and the father of Kathleen Turner's character in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986). His screenwriting credits include The Hoodlum Priest (1961), a biopic of Jesuit priest Dismas Clark he also starred in and co-produced. In 1970, he wrote and directed The Cross and the Switchblade, based on the life of evangelists David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz.
Early life and education Donald Patrick Murray was born in Los Angeles on July 31, 1929, the second of three children, to Dennis Aloisius Murray, a Broadway dance director and stage manager, and Ethel Murray (née Cook), a former Ziegfeld Follies performer.
Murray attended East Rockaway High School (class of 1947) in East Rockaway, New York, where he played football and was on the track team. He was a member of the student government and glee club, and joined the Alpha Phi chapter of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity. After graduating, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Soon after graduating from the AADA, he made his Broadway debut as Jack Hunter in The Rose Tattoo (1951).
A member of the Church of the Brethren, Murray registered as a conscientious objector during the Korean War, when many young American men were being drafted into the armed forces. Murray was assigned to alternative service in Europe, where he helped orphans and war casualties.
Career In 1954, Murray returned from Europe to the U.S. and acting. He starred alongside Mary Martin in the stage version of The Skin of Our Teeth. Upon seeing his performance in the play, director Joshua Logan cast him in 20th Century Fox's film adaptation of William Inge's play Bus Stop. Murray's role as Beauregard "Beau" Decker in Bus Stop (1956) marked his film debut. He starred alongside Marilyn Monroe, who played Cherie, the object of his desire. His performance as the innocent cowboy determined to get Cherie was well received, and he was nominated for a BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer and for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1957, Murray starred as reserved, married bookkeeper Charlie Sampson in The Bachelor Party. That same year he had one of his most successful roles, the morphine-addicted Korean War veteran Johnny Pope in the drama A Hatful of Rain. Despite director Fred Zinnemann's intention to cast Murray as the comical brother Polo, Murray insisted on playing the lead. The film was one of the first to show the effects of drug abuse on addicts and the people around them.
Murray starred as a blackmailed United States senator in Advise & Consent (1962), a film version of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Allen Drury. The movie was directed by Otto Preminger and co-starred Henry Fonda and Charles Laughton. Murray co-starred with Steve McQueen in Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965) and played the ape-hating Governor Breck in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972).
In 1976, Murray starred in the film Deadly Hero. In addition to acting, he directed a film based on the book The Cross and the Switchblade (1970). He starred with Otis Young in the ABC western television series The Outcasts (1968–69), featuring an interracial bounty hunter team in the post-Civil War West.
In 1979, Murray starred as Sid Fairgate on the prime-time soap opera Knots Landing. He also scripted two episodes of the show in 1980. In 1981, Murray left the series after two seasons either to concentrate on other projects, or, according to some sources, 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 season two's cliffhanger in which Sid's car careened off a cliff. To make viewers doubt the character had actually died, Murray was listed in the credit sequence for season three; in fact, season three revealed that Fairgate had survived the plunge off the cliff (thus temporarily reassuring the viewers), but died shortly afterward in a hospital. Although he effectively distanced himself from the series after that, Murray contributed an interview segment for the 2005 reunion special Knots Landing: Together Again.
On Broadway, Murray played the title role in the short-lived musical Smith, was a replacement for Ted Bessell in the original run of Bernard Slade's Same Time, Next Year, and starred in Alan Ayckbourn's The Norman Conquests. In 1977-78, he starred in the national US touring production of Neil Simon's California Suite.
In 2017, 16 years after his last screen role, Murray came out of retirement to play Bushnell Mullins in the third season of Twin Peaks.
Retrospective
In July 2014, a retrospective of Murray's films was held at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco.
Personal life In 1956, Murray married Hope Lange, with whom he co-starred in Bus Stop. They had two children, Christopher and Patricia. They divorced in 1961. In 1962, he married Elizabeth Johnson. They had three children, Colleen, Sean, and Michael.
Murray was a lifelong member of the Democratic Party.
Death Murray lived in Goleta, California. He died at his home on February 2, 2024, at the age of 94.
Filmography Feature films
Year Title Role 1956 Bus Stop Beauregard "Bo" Decker 1957 The Bachelor Party Charlie Samson A Hatful of Rain Johnny Pope 1958 From Hell to Texas Tod Lohman 1959 These Thousand Hills Albert Gallatin "Lat" Evans Shake Hands with the Devil Kerry O'Shea 1960 One Foot in Hell Dan Keats 1961 The Hoodlum Priest Father Charles Dismas Clark 1962 Advise & Consent Senator Brigham Anderson Escape from East Berlin Kurt Schröder 1964 One Man's Way Norman Vincent Peale 1965 Baby the Rain Must Fall "Slim" 1966 Kid Rodelo "Kid" Rodelo The Plainsman Bill "Wild Bill" Hickok 1967 Sweet Love, Bitter David Hillary The Viking Queen Justinian 1969 Childish Things Tom Harris 1971 Happy Birthday, Wanda June Herb Shuttle 1972 Call Me by My Rightful Name DougJustin Morgan Had a Horse Justin Morgan Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Governor Breck 1973 Cotter Cotter 1975 Deadly Hero Lacy 1981 Endless Love Hugh Butterfield 1983 I Am the Cheese David Farmer 1985 Radioactive Dreams Dash Hammer 1986 Peggy Sue Got Married Jack Kelcher Scorpion Gifford Leese 1987 Made in Heaven Ben Chandler 1990 Ghosts Can't Do It Winston 2000 Internet Love Unknown 2001 Island Prey Parker Gaits Elvis Is Alive Unknown 2021 Promise Zacharias
Television Year Title Role Notes 1950 Studio One Biondello Episode: "The Taming of the Shrew" Kraft Television Theatre George Episode: "January Thaw" 1952 Booth Episode: "Mr. Lazarus" Lux Video Theatre Jimmy Episode: "Welcome Home, Lefty" 1955 Producers' Showcase Henry Antrobus Episode: "The Skin of Our Teeth" The Philco Television Playhouse Alex Nordman Episode: "A Man Is Ten Feet Tall" The Jane Wyman Show Ken Episode: "One Last September" 1956 The United States Steel Hour Don Episode: "Moment of Courage" 1957 Playhouse 90 Bob Munson Episode: "For I Have Loved Strangers" 1959 The DuPont Show of the Month Billy Budd Episode: "Billy Budd" 1960 Playhouse 90 Randy Bragg Episode: "Alas, Babylon" 1968–69 The Outcasts Earl Corey 26 episodes 1972 Disneyland Justin Morgan 2 episodes 1973 Police Story Jack Bonner Episode: "The Big Walk" Orson Welles Great Mysteries Jack Stanley Episode: "The Power of Fear" Love Story Neil Kaplan Episode: "The Roller Coaster Stops Here" 1974 Amy Prentiss Connor Episode: "The Desperate World of Jane Doe" 1975 Police Story Sergeant Stiles Episode: "Headhunter" 1977 How the West Was Won Anderson 3 episodes 1979–81 Knots Landing Sid Fairgate 34 episodes 1986 T.J. Hooker Senator Stuart Grayle Episode: "Blood Sport" 1987 Matlock Albert Gordon Episode: "The Billionaire" Hotel Sam Burton Episode: "Controlling Interests" 1989 ABC Afterschool Special Jack Karpinsky Episode: "My Dad Can't Be Crazy... Can He?" 1989–90 Brand New Life Roger Gibbons 6 episodes 1991 Sons and Daughters Bing Hammersmith 6 episodes 1993 ABC Afterschool Special Frank Morrow Episode: "Montan Crossroads" Murder, She Wrote Wally Hampton Episode: "Bloodlines" 1995 Wings Dad Episode: "Burnin' Down the House: Part 2" 1996 The Single Guy Chip Bremley Episode: "Distance" 1998 The Wonderful World of Disney Reporter Episode: "Mr. Headmistress" 1999 Soldier of Fortune, Inc. John James / Colonel Quentin Shepherd Episode: "White Dragon" 2017 Twin Peaks Bushnell Mullins 8 episodes
Television films and miniseries Year Title Role 1959 Winterset Mio 1967 The Borgia Stick Tom Harrison 1969 Daughter of the Mind Dr. Alex Lauder 1970 The Intruders Sam Garrison 1973 The Girl on the Late, Late Show William Martin 1974 The Sex Symbol Senator Grant O'Neal 1975 A Girl Named Sooner Sheriff Phil Rotteman 1978 Rainbow Frank Gumm 1979 Crisis in Mid-Air Adam Travis 1980 If Things Were Different Robert Langford The Boy Who Drank Too Much Ken Saunders Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop Sergeant Jack Leland Fugitive Family Peter Ritchie 1981 Return of the Rebels Sonny Morgan 1983 Thursday's Child Parker Alden Branagan and Mapes Dan Branagan Quarterback Princess Ralph Maida 1984 License to Kill Tom Fiske A Touch of Scandal Benjamin Gilvey 1986 Something in Common Theo Fontana 1987 Stillwatch Sam Kingsley The Stepford Children Steven Harding Mistress Wyn 1996 Hearts Adrift Lloyd Raines 1998 Mr. Headmistress Reporter
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1956 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Bus Stop 1956 British Academy Film Awards Most Promising Newcomer to Film 1994 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special ABC Afterschool Special 2009 TV Land Awards Anniversary Award Knots Landing For his contributions to motion pictures, Murray has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6385 Hollywood Boulevard.
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