Timothy Patrick Murphy (November 3, 1959 – December 6, 1988) was an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Mickey Trotter on the popular CBS prime time soap opera Dallas from 1982–83.
Timothy Patrick Murphy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 3, 1959 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | December 6, 1988 (aged 29) Sherman Oaks, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1978–1988 |
Career
Murphy started his acting career as an adolescent in several television commercials and from there he went on to act in the 1978 miniseries Centennial. Other than his role in Dallas, he spent more than a year playing a young conman on the CBS daytime soap drama Search for Tomorrow, and also had a regular role on the short-lived 1984 ABC prime-time drama Glitter. In addition to this, he appeared in episodes of the television shows Quincy, M.E., CHiPs, Teachers Only, Hotel, The Love Boat and Hunter.
He appeared in the 1981 film The Bushido Blade. One of Murphy's most substantial roles was in the 1984 feature film Sam's Son, the film biography of the early life of actor Michael Landon,[1] in which he played the character of Gene Orowitz (the young Landon).
In 1984 he won the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor (Guest) in a TV Series for his work on The Love Boat.[2]
Personal life and death
Murphy was gay and had a romantic relationship with actor Mark Patton during the 1980s.
Murphy died of AIDS on December 6, 1988, in Sherman Oaks, California, aged 29, and was buried at the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.[3]
His younger brother, actor Patrick Sean Murphy (born January 29, 1965), was killed in the North Tower of World Trade Center during the attacks of September 11, 2001. He was 36 years old.[4][5][6][7]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The Paper Chase | Michael Burch | Episode: "Nancy" |
| 1978 | Centennial | Christian Zendt | TV miniseries; Episode: "The Longhorns" |
| 1979 | The Seekers | Jarod Kent | TV miniseries |
| 1979 | The Love Boat | Terry Gibson | Episode: "Too Young to Love" |
| 1980–81 | Search for Tomorrow | Spencer Langley | Unknown episodes |
| 1980 | A Time for Miracles | Will | TV movie |
| 1981 | The Bushido Blade | Midshipman Robin Burr | Feature film |
| 1982 | CHiPs | Alex | Episode: "In the Best of Families" |
| 1982 | Teachers Only | Jeremy | Episode: "Quote, Unquote" |
| 1982 | Quincy, M.E. | Nick Stadler | Episode: "The Mourning After" |
| 1982–83 | Dallas | Mickey Trotter | Main cast (27 episodes) |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Kent Holden | Episode: "So Help Me Hannah" |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | David | Episode: "Bricker's Boy" |
| 1984 | Sam's Son | Gene Orowitz | Feature film |
| 1984 | With Intent to Kill | Drew Lanscott | TV movie |
| 1984 | Hotel | Andy / Kevin Walker | Episodes: "Tomorrows" / "Final Chapters" |
| 1984–85 | Glitter | Chip Craddock | Main cast (14 episodes) |
| 1985 | The Love Boat | Curtis Williams | Episodes: "A Gentleman of Discretion" (Parts 1 & 2) |
| 1986 | Hunter | Jeffery Wyatt | Episode: "True Confessions" |
| 1988 | Doin' Time on Planet Earth | Jeff Richmond | Feature film, (final film role) |