Donald Patrick "Don" Murray, a renowned American actor, was born on July 31, 1929, in Hollywood, California. He attended East Rockaway High School, graduating in 1947, where he was an accomplished athlete, played football and track, and was an active member of the student government, glee club, and Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity.
Following high school, Murray enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, laying the foundation for his successful acting career. Throughout his long and varied career, he appeared in numerous films and television shows, including the iconic prime-time soap opera Knots Landing, where he played the role of Sid Fairgate from 1979 to 1981.
Murray received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal in Bus Stop (1956),a film that co-starred Marilyn Monroe. He also starred in Advise & Consent (1961),a film adaptation of Allen Drury's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, alongside Henry Fonda and Charles Laughton.
In addition to his acting work, Murray ventured into directing with the film The Cross and Switchblade (1970),starring Pat Boone and Erik Estrada. He also scripted two episodes of Knots Landing in 1980. Murray's extensive acting credits include films such as Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965),co-starring Steve McQueen, and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972),where he played the role of Governor Breck.
Murray's television credits include the groundbreaking ABC western series The Outcasts (1968-1969),which featured an interracial bounty hunter team in the post-Civil War West, alongside Otis Young. He decided to leave Knots Landing after two years to focus on other projects, although some sources suggest he departed due to a salary dispute.
The character's death in the second episode of season three was a notable event, as it was rare for a star character to be "killed off" at the time. To alleviate viewer concerns, Murray was listed in the new credit sequence for season three, only to have his character die shortly after in the hospital.
Although Murray distanced himself from the series after his departure in 1981, he contributed an interview segment to Knots Landing: Together Again, a non-fiction reunion special made in 2005. Prior to his acting career, Murray was the first husband of actress Hope Lange, with whom he had two children, including actor Christopher Murray.
