Tom Murphy (actor)
Encyclopedia
Tom Jordan Murphy was an Irish
theatre and film
actor
best known for his 1998 Tony Award
winning performance in The Beauty Queen of Leenane
.
In 1996, Murphy created the role of Ray Dooley, the impatient, harmless young "bad boy" in Martin McDonagh
's play The Beauty Queen of Leenane
. This production started life at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway
directed by Garry Hynes
and presented in association with the Druid Theatre Company
. It also played at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre
and in London
's West End
. In 1998, the play transferred to off-Broadway
and later made its Broadway
debut at the Walter Kerr Theater. Nominated for six Tony Award
s in total, the production won four including the Best Featured Actor in a Play award for Murphy. New York Times theater critic, Ben Brantley
, praised Murphy for his role in the play at the time, "Mr. Murphy offers comic relief without ever presenting it as such...His, more than any other character, must embody the provincial society beyond the women's home, and Ray's irritable restlessness is eloquent on the subject."
Murphy made his professional acting debut playing the Artful Dodger in Noel Pearson's production of Oliver!
in 1980 aged 12. During his career he performed in theatres all over Ireland and the UK including the Abbey Theatre
, the Gate Theatre
and Royal Court Theatre
in London (in Shining City
by Conor McPherson
). Murphy made his feature film breakthrough with 2004's Adam and Paul
, co-starring (and written by) Mark O'Halloran
, in which he played a Dublin drug addict and junkie
. Variety Magazine, which reviewed the movie, wrote that Murphy's performance "steals the show."
Murphy also appeared in a number of other Irish films including, Intermission
, Michael Collins
, The General
and Man About Dog
. He also played the part of Seamie in the popular RTE
television drama series, Pure Mule
.
Tom Murphy died of MRSA contracted in a Dublin hospital after successful treatment for lymphatic cancer on October 6, 2007. He was 39 years old. Audiences all over Dublin the same day (during the Dublin Theatre Festival
) gave Murphy a standing ovation
following the announcement of his death.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
theatre and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
best known for his 1998 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winning performance in The Beauty Queen of Leenane
The Beauty Queen of Leenane
The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a 1996 black comedy by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh which was premiered by the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, Ireland...
.
In 1996, Murphy created the role of Ray Dooley, the impatient, harmless young "bad boy" in Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:...
's play The Beauty Queen of Leenane
The Beauty Queen of Leenane
The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a 1996 black comedy by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh which was premiered by the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, Ireland...
. This production started life at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
directed by Garry Hynes
Garry Hynes
Garry Hynes is an Irish theatre director. She holds the distinction of being the first female to win the prestigious Tony Award for direction of a play.Hynes was born in Ballaghadereen, Roscommon County and educated at St...
and presented in association with the Druid Theatre Company
Druid Theatre Company
The Druid Theatre Company, founded in Galway in 1975, was the first Irish professional theatre company to be established outside Dublin. The theatre company was founded by Garry Hynes, Marie Mullen and Mick Lally after the three had met and put on productions together while members of the...
. It also played at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre
Gaiety Theatre
The Gaiety Theatre is a theatre on South King Street in Dublin, Ireland, off Grafton Street and close to St. Stephen's Green. It specialises in operatic and musical productions, with occasional dramatic shows.-History:Designed by architect C.J...
and in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. In 1998, the play transferred to off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
and later made its Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut at the Walter Kerr Theater. Nominated for six Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s in total, the production won four including the Best Featured Actor in a Play award for Murphy. New York Times theater critic, Ben Brantley
Ben Brantley
Benjamin D. "Ben" Brantley is an American journalist and the chief theater critic of The New York Times.-Life and career:...
, praised Murphy for his role in the play at the time, "Mr. Murphy offers comic relief without ever presenting it as such...His, more than any other character, must embody the provincial society beyond the women's home, and Ray's irritable restlessness is eloquent on the subject."
Murphy made his professional acting debut playing the Artful Dodger in Noel Pearson's production of Oliver!
Oliver!
Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
in 1980 aged 12. During his career he performed in theatres all over Ireland and the UK including the Abbey Theatre
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
, the Gate Theatre
Gate Theatre
The Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by European and American dramatists...
and Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
in London (in Shining City
Shining City
Shining City is a play by Conor McPherson, set in Dublin which was first performed in London's West End at the Royal Court Theatre in June 2004....
by Conor McPherson
Conor McPherson
Conor McPherson is an Irish playwright and director.-Life and career:McPherson was born in Dublin, . He was educated at University College Dublin, McPherson began writing his first plays there as a member of UCD Dramsoc, the college's dramatic society, and went on to found Fly By Night Theatre...
). Murphy made his feature film breakthrough with 2004's Adam and Paul
Adam and Paul
Adam and Paul is a 2004 Irish film centred around a day in the life of two Dublin drug addicts, Adam and Paul. Adam is the taller and slightly smarter of the two while Paul is his sidekick...
, co-starring (and written by) Mark O'Halloran
Mark O'Halloran
Mark O'Halloran is an Irish scriptwriter and actor. He is a native of Ennis, County Clare. He has written award-winning screenplays for the films Adam and Paul and Garage and the RTE mini-series Prosperity....
, in which he played a Dublin drug addict and junkie
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
. Variety Magazine, which reviewed the movie, wrote that Murphy's performance "steals the show."
Murphy also appeared in a number of other Irish films including, Intermission
Intermission (film)
Intermission is a 2003 Irish comedy crime film directed by John Crowley which tells a story of a young couple and people surrounding them. The film is set in Dublin, Ireland and is filmed in a TV drama style with several storylines crossing over one another during the course of the film.Mark O'Rowe...
, Michael Collins
Michael Collins (film)
Michael Collins is a 1996 historical biopic written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson as General Michael Collins, the Irish patriot and revolutionary who died in the Irish Civil War. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival....
, The General
The General (1998 film)
The General is a British-Irish crime film directed by John Boorman about Dublin crime boss Martin Cahill, who pulled off several daring heists in the early 1980s, and attracted the attention of the Gardaí, PIRA, and UVF. The film was shot in 1997 and released in 1998...
and Man About Dog
Man About Dog
Man About Dog is a 2004 Irish comedy film starring Allen Leech, Ciaran Nolan and Tom Murphy. The film was distributed by Redbus Film Distribution and directed by Paddy Breathnach.- Plot :...
. He also played the part of Seamie in the popular RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
television drama series, Pure Mule
Pure Mule
Pure Mule was an Irish six-part drama mini-series aimed at a young audience and broadcast on RTÉ Two as part of RTÉ's autumn schedule in 2005, shot and screened in 2004–2005 in County Offaly....
.
Tom Murphy died of MRSA contracted in a Dublin hospital after successful treatment for lymphatic cancer on October 6, 2007. He was 39 years old. Audiences all over Dublin the same day (during the Dublin Theatre Festival
Dublin Theatre Festival
The Dublin Theatre Festival is Europe's oldest specialized theatre festival. It was founded by theatre impresario Brendan Smith in 1957 and has, with the exception of two years, produced a season of international and Irish theatre each autumn. It is one of a number of key post-World War II events...
) gave Murphy a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
following the announcement of his death.