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Murray Westgate
Born (1918-04-16)April 16, 1918
Died August 27, 2018(2018-08-27) (aged 100)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nationality Canadian
Occupation Actor
Years active 1940s–1991
Spouse(s) Alice Hill (? - 1983)

Murray Westgate (born April 16, 1918 – died August 27, 2018) was a famous Canadian actor. He was best known for appearing in TV commercials for Esso gasoline. These ads were shown during Hockey Night in Canada in the 1950s and 1960s. He also acted in movies like Blue City Slammers and Two Solitudes. For Blue City Slammers, he was even nominated for a Genie Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Early Life and Military Service

Before he became an actor, Murray Westgate served his country. He was a radio operator in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. After the war, he moved to Vancouver. There, he joined a theater group called Everyman Theatre. Later, he started acting in radio plays for CBC Radio.

Acting Career Highlights

Murray Westgate started appearing in Esso commercials in 1952. Esso was the main sponsor for Hockey Night in Canada. He played the role of an Esso gas station attendant until 1968. Many people recognized him from these popular commercials.

Television and Film Roles

Besides commercials, Westgate acted in several TV shows. These included Jake and the Kid, R.C.M.P., and Seaway. He also had parts in movies. Sometimes, it was hard for him to get other roles because he was so well-known as the Esso attendant. This is called being typecast. In 1979, he won an ACTRA Award for his acting in the CBC Television film Tyler.

Awards and Final Role

In 2002, Murray Westgate was honored. He was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. His last acting job was in 1991. He was 72 years old. He played his famous Esso attendant character again for two new commercials. These ads were shown during the Stanley Cup playoffs. They even included old black-and-white clips from his original Esso ads.

Later Life and Passing

Murray Westgate lived a long life. He turned 100 years old on April 16, 2018. He passed away on August 27, 2018. He died at the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in Toronto. He had lived there for over ten years.

Personal Life

Murray Westgate was married to an actress named Alice Hill. She passed away in 1983.

Filmography

Here are some of the movies Murray Westgate appeared in:

Year Title Role
1957 A Dangerous Age Police Officer
1959 A Cool Sound from Hell Police Officer
1961 Jake and the Kid Jake
1969 The First Time Customs Officer
1969 Change of Mind Judge Stanton
1970 Homer Mr. Cochran
1972 The Rowdyman Mr. Lowe
1973 Class of '44 Principal
1973 Our Ms. Hammond
1974 To Kill the King Vincent O'Connell
1974 Sunday in the Country Conway
1977 Rituals Pilot
1978 Two Solitudes Prime Minister
1978 Tyler
1979 Running Mr. Finlay
1979 Fish Hawk Billie Firman
1979 Bye, See You Monday Pere de Lucie
1980 The Kidnapping of the President Archie Standler
1981 Happy Birthday to Me Gatekeeper
1981 Threshold Lecture Host
1981 Silence of the North Dr. Miller
1984 Heavenly Bodies Coach Hudson
1988 Blue City Slammers Bill
1991 Scanners II: The New Order George Kellum
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