---
name: "Rosemary Murphy"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/rosemary-murphy"
fi1m_id: "rosemary-murphy"
imdb_id: "nm0614677"
tmdb_id: 8492
wikidata_id: "Q2025392"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "13 January 1925"
died: "5 July 2014"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-24T07:03:11.478956+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Rosemary Murphy

## Identity

Rosemary Murphy

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/rosemary-murphy
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** rosemary-murphy
- **IMDb ID:** nm0614677
- **TMDB ID:** 8492
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2025392
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Murphy, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2025392, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0614677/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8492

Actor. Born 13 January 1925 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Died 5 July 2014.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 13 January 1925, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
- **Died:** 5 July 2014
- **Active:** 1962–2008
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 84 (2), 1970s 73 (2), 2000s 84 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 71 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Mystery 2, Action & Adventure 1, Crime 1, History 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $38m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Murphy, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2025392, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0614677/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8492

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*The Fugitive*](https://film.one/tv/the-fugitive-1963.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Rosemary Murphy was an American actress of stage, film and television. Born in Munich, Germany, to American parents, she was the daughter of diplomat Robert D. Murphy and grew up mainly in Europe before settling in the United States in 1939. She trained at the Catholic University of America in Washington and with Sanford Meisner in New York.

She made her Broadway debut in 1950 and earned three Tony Award nominations for her stage work, including roles in *Period of Adjustment* (1961), *Any Wednesday* (1964) and *A Delicate Balance* (1967). On screen, she played Maudie Atkinson in *To Kill a Mockingbird* (1962) and appeared in films such as *Walking Tall* (1973), *Julia* (1977), *September* (1987), *Mighty Aphrodite* (1995), *Synecdoche, New York* (2008) and *After.Life* (2009).

Murphy won a Primetime Emmy Award for portraying Sara Delano Roosevelt in the 1976 television film *Eleanor and Franklin*, and received a further nomination for the 1977 sequel. She also appeared in numerous television series, including *Frasier*, *Columbo*, *Murder, She Wrote*, *Law & Order* and *Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman*. She died in New York City in 2014.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, latimes.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Synecdoche, New York* (2008), Fi1m 84, as Frances — [page](https://film.one/film/synecdoche-new-york.md)
- *Julia* (1977), Fi1m 60, as Dorothy Parker — [page](https://film.one/film/julia.md)
- *Columbo* (1971), Fi1m 86, as Margaret Halperin — [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md)
- *The Fugitive* (1963), Fi1m 84, as Mrs. Turney — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-fugitive-1963.md)
- *To Kill a Mockingbird* (1962), Fi1m 84, as Maudie Atkinson — [page](https://film.one/film/to-kill-a-mockingbird.md)

## Complete filmography (72)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Romantics* (2010), as Grandmother Hayes
- *After.Life* (2009), as Susan Whitehall
- *Synecdoche, New York* (2008), as Frances — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/synecdoche-new-york.md)
- *The Savages* (2007), as Doris Metzger
- *Dust* (2001), as Angela
- *The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer* (1999), as Bea Einhorn
- *The Hunt For The Unicorn Killer* (1999), series, as Bea Einhorn
- *Message in a Bottle* (1999), as Helen at the B&B
- *The Visitor* (1997), series, as Tour Guide
- *Cracker* (1997), series, Actor
- *EZ Streets* (1996), series, Actor
- *Mighty Aphrodite* (1995), as Adoption Coordinator
- *The Tuskegee Airmen* (1995), as Eleanor Roosevelt
- *Don't Drink the Water* (1994), as Miss Pritchard
- *Twenty Bucks* (1993), as Aunt Dotty
- *Frasier* (1993), series, as Carol Larkin — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *And the Band Played On* (1993), as Blood Bank Executive
- *Johnny Bago* (1993), series, Actor
- *Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman* (1993), series, as Mrs. Bing
- *Bob* (1992), series, Actor
- *Bodies of Evidence* (1992), series, Actor
- *For the Boys* (1991), as Luanna Trott
- *A Woman Named Jackie* (1991), series, as Rose Kennedy
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Mrs. Catherine Messimer — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *In the Heat of the Night* (1988), series, Actor
- *September* (1987), as Mrs. Mason
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Sybil Constable
- *George Washington* (1984), series, as Mary Ball Washington
- *Kate & Allie* (1984), series, Actor
- *The Woman Who Willed a Miracle* (1983), as Gladys
- *The Hand* (1981), as Karen Wagner
- *Mr. Griffin and Me* (1981), as Jane Barlow
- *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), series, as Marion Danforth
- *The Attic* (1980), as Mrs. Perkins
- *Before and After* (1979), as Helen
- *Julia* (1977), as Dorothy Parker — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/julia.md)
- *Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years* (1977), as Sara Delano Roosevelt
- *Quincy, M.E.* (1976), series, Actor
- *Eleanor and Franklin* (1976), series, as Sara Delano Roosevelt
- *The Lady's Not for Burning* (1974), as Margaret Devize
- *Movin' On* (1974), series, Actor
- *Lucas Tanner* (1974), series, as Margaret Blumenthal
- *Lucas Tanner* (1974), as Margaret Blumenthal
- *A Case of Rape* (1974), as Muriel Dyer
- *40 Carats* (1973), as Mrs. Latham
- *Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies* (1973), as Hannah
- *Walking Tall* (1973), as Callie Hacker
- *You'll Like My Mother* (1972), as Mrs. Kinsolving
- *The Streets of San Francisco* (1972), series, Actor
- *Banyon* (1972), series, Actor
- *A Fan's Notes* (1972), as Moms
- *Ben* (1972), as Beth Garrison
- *Columbo* (1971), series, as Margaret Halperin — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md)
- *Cannon* (1971), series, Actor
- *Medical Center* (1969), series, Actor
- *A Case of Libel* (1968), as Claire
- *CBS Playhouse* (1966), series, as Liz Clark
- *Any Wednesday* (1966), as Dorothy Cleves
- *Run for Your Life* (1965), series, as Mary Herrick
- *Another World* (1964), series, Actor
- *The Fugitive* (1963), series, as Mrs. Turney — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-fugitive-1963.md)
- *To Kill a Mockingbird* (1962), as Maudie Atkinson — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/to-kill-a-mockingbird.md)
- *The Virginian* (1962), series, as Pearl Dodd Krause
- *Ben Casey* (1961), series, Actor
- *The Young Doctors* (1961), as Miss Graves
- *Thriller* (1960), series, as Lavinia Sills / Alice Quimby
- *One Step Beyond* (1959), series, as Ellie Pelston
- *Naked City* (1958), series, as Lillian (uncredited)
- *That Night!* (1957), as Nurse 'Chorny' Chornis
- *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Oakland Operator
- *Robert Montgomery Presents* (1950), series, as Miss Milford, Nurse Chorness
- *The Last Illusion* (1949), as Mary

## Gallery

- ![Rosemary Murphy](https://film.one/media/person/103523/gallery-492550a4e296.jpg) Rosemary Murphy — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Rosemary_Murphy_%281970%29.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Rosemary Murphy](https://film.one/media/person/103523/gallery-e4e5a76898db.jpg) Rosemary Murphy — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 1976: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *Eleanor and Franklin*

### Other awards — 0 won, 3 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play 1967: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play 1964: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play 1961: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/rosemary-murphy