Donna Murphy’s rich portfolio is a testament to her talent as an actress across theater, film, and television. A multiple Tony and Emmy Award winner, she has consistently impressed both audiences and critics with her masterful work. However, the true love of her life remains the theater. New York Magazine even named Murphy one of the three living legends of the New York stage. Read more about the artist’s theatrical achievements below on queens-trend.
Early Life and Education
Donna Murphy was born on March 7, 1959, in Queens. She has Irish, French, German, and Czech ancestry. She grew up in Hauppauge, New York, and later in Topsfield, Massachusetts. At just 3 years old, Donna developed an interest in vocal lessons, often putting on shows for her family.
Murphy received her education at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City. She also took lessons from the legendary actress and acting teacher Stella Adler, and studied drama at New York University. She left the university during her sophomore year when she was offered a job as a backup vocalist in the Broadway musical They’re Playing Our Song. The show is a story about the relationship between a famous composer and a songwriter. While they connect perfectly in their professional lives, they face some difficulties in their personal one.
Theater Career Highlights
Donna Murphy began her theater career primarily with Off-Broadway productions, which are professional theaters in Manhattan that seat 100 to 499 people—fewer than their Broadway counterparts. In 1984, she appeared as an understudy in the opera-musical The Human Comedy. This production is dedicated to the spiritual generosity of the Macauley family during the war, who endured various hardships with incredible resilience.
From 1985–1987, the actress appeared in various roles in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. This was the first Broadway musical where several endings exist, with the finale determined by audience vote. The interactive performance allows viewers to become true detectives. The plot is based on the unfinished novel of the same name by Charles Dickens, telling the story of the murder of the young and charming Edwin Drood in a small English town. The actress also played the role of Audrey in the musical Little Shop of Horrors about the hapless flower shop worker who cultivates a plant that feeds on blood and human flesh.
In 1994, Donna appeared in the musical Passion, which is intended for an adult audience as it depicts a romance between a young soldier and a married woman in 19th-century war-torn Italy. The soldier later leaves and meets a sickly, unattractive, yet devoted woman who forces him to rethink the nature of passion. For this role, the Queens native received a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The actress earned her second Tony Award in the same category for her performance in the musical The King and I. Set in 1860s Bangkok, the local King Mongkut invites British teacher Anna to work as a governess for his children. Their relationship is quite conflicted, even though the characters feel an affection for each other that they can’t honestly admit.
From 2003–2005, Donna played the role of Ruth Sherwood in the musical Wonderful Town. The story is about two sisters who move from Ohio to Greenwich Village, Manhattan, to pursue their artistic dreams and, in the process, find love. For this role, she was nominated for a Tony as Best Actress in a Musical. She received another Tony nomination in the same category for her role as Lotte Lenya in the musical LoveMusik, about two artists, their careers, and their personal relationship. Murphy was nominated for a Tony once more for the musical The People in the Picture—a serious work about a grandmother who recalls her life in the theater and the Holocaust.
Murphy also participated in the play Twelve Dreams about a 10-year-old girl who gives her psychiatrist father an unusual Christmas gift—a handwritten booklet describing the 12 dreams she had at age 8. The actress also starred in Hello, Dolly!—a Broadway comedy musical about professional matchmaker Dolly, who tries to find a new husband for herself and falls in love with one of her clients.
