Murray Hamilton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Murray Hamilton
Hamilton in 1975
Born	(1923-03-24)March 24, 1923 Washington, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	September 1, 1986(1986-09-01) (aged 63) Washington, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1944–1986
Spouse(s)	Terri DeMarco (m. 1953)
Children	1

Murray Hamilton (born March 24, 1923 – died September 1, 1986) was a talented American actor. He played many different kinds of characters in movies, TV shows, and on stage. You might know him best from famous films like Jaws, The Graduate, and The Amityville Horror.

Early Life and Start in Acting

Murray Hamilton was born in Washington, North Carolina. Even when he was young, he loved performing. He showed a lot of interest in acting while he was in high school.

When World War II started, Murray wanted to join the military. But he had bad hearing, so he couldn't enlist. Instead, at 19 years old, he moved to New York City. He wanted to start a career on the stage.

Murray Hamilton's Acting Career

Murray Hamilton became a well-known actor. He worked with many famous stars throughout his career.

Working on Stage

One of Murray's first big roles was in a play called Mister Roberts. He acted alongside the famous actor Henry Fonda. Later, in 1960, he worked with Fonda again in another play, Critic's Choice. A newspaper critic said he was "properly obnoxious as the director," which means he played his part very well!

Famous Movie Roles

Murray Hamilton is probably most famous for playing Mayor Larry Vaughn in the thrilling movie Jaws (1975). In the film, he played the mayor of a town called Amity. He also played the mayor again in the sequel, Jaws 2, in 1978. Sadly, he passed away before he could be in the third Jaws movie.

He also had important roles in other big movies:

• In Anatomy of a Murder (1959), he played a bartender named Al Pacquette. He worked with James Stewart in this film.
• He also appeared with James Stewart in The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) and The FBI Story (1959).
• Murray played Mr. Robinson in the classic movie The Graduate (1967), starring Dustin Hoffman.
• He was in The Hustler (1961) with Paul Newman. Murray played Findley, a rich person who gambled a lot in billiards.
• He worked with Robert Redford in The Way We Were (1973) and Brubaker (1980).

TV Appearances

Murray Hamilton was a very busy actor. He appeared in many TV shows.

• In 1958, he was in an episode of Perry Mason.
• He also appeared in Gunsmoke in 1957 and 1959, playing different characters.
• In 1959, he was in The Untouchables.
• He also appeared in an early episode of Rod Serling's famous show, The Twilight Zone, called "One for the Angels". He played Mr. Death!
• In 1959-1960, he co-starred in the TV show Love and Marriage.
• Later, in 1986, he played Curtis "Big Daddy" Hollingsworth on The Golden Girls. He was the father of the character Blanche Devereaux.

Murray often played serious or tough characters. He once said that after playing a "heavy" (a bad guy) on The Untouchables, it was hard to get other types of roles. But he did get to do some funny parts too! He was in the comedy movie No Time for Sergeants (1958) with Andy Griffith. He also appeared in Steven Spielberg's comedy 1941 (1979).

Stage Recognition

Even with all his film and TV work, Murray Hamilton was a very important stage actor. He was even nominated for a Tony Award in 1965. A theater critic once praised his acting, saying he had a "steel-like spirit" that made his characters feel real.

Towards the end of his life, when he was sick, his friend and co-star George C. Scott helped him get a role in a TV movie called The Last Days of Patton (1986).

Later Life and Passing

Murray Hamilton passed away on September 1, 1986, at the age of 63. He died from lung cancer. He is buried in his hometown of Washington, North Carolina. Murray was married to Terri DeMarco Hamilton, and they had one son named David.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Murray Hamilton para niños