Biography of Rosemary Murphy

Rosemary Murphy (13 January 1925 in Munich; died 5 July 2014 in New York City) was an American stage, film and television actress. Her work ranged from Broadway productions to To Kill a Mockingbird and television films such as Eleanor and Franklin, for which she received a Primetime Emmy in 1976.

Childhood in Europe

Murphy was born in Munich, where her father, Robert D. Murphy, served as an American diplomat. She grew up mainly in Europe, including France, and came to the United States in 1939. She later studied acting at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and in New York with Sanford Meisner.

Broadway

Murphy made her Broadway debut in 1950 in The Tower Beyond Tragedy. She continued to work on New York stages for several decades. She received Tony nominations for Period of Adjustment, Any Wednesday and Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance. In Look Homeward, Angel, The Ballad of the Sad Café, Ladies at the Alamo, Coastal Disturbances and Waiting in the Wings, she brought a calm, clear stage presence.

Film

On screen, Murphy reached a wide audience in 1962 as Miss Maudie Atkinson in To Kill a Mockingbird. The character is Atticus Finch's neighbour and gives the children in Harper Lee's story a quiet moral orientation. Murphy later appeared in Any Wednesday, Julia, September, Mighty Aphrodite, The Savages and Synecdoche, New York.

Television

Murphy worked early in 1950s live television, including programmes such as Robert Montgomery Presents. Her television role as Sara Delano Roosevelt in Eleanor and Franklin brought her the 1976 Emmy; Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years brought another nomination. Further work connected her with George Washington, A Woman Named Jackie, Lucas Tanner, Frasier and other series.

Later years

Murphy remained present on screen in later years. Her roles in the 2000s continued a career that connected theatre, television and cinema. Rosemary Murphy died on 5 July 2014 in New York City. She was 89.