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Joel Murray (born April 17, 1963) is an American actor. He is well known for his roles in the television series Mad Men, Grand, Love & War, Dharma & Greg, Still Standing, and Shameless. He has also appeared in films including God Bless America and Monsters University.

Joel Murray
Born (1963-04-17) April 17, 1963 (age 61)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
Years active1986–present
Spouse
Eliza Coyle
(m. 1989)
Children4
RelativesBrian Doyle-Murray (brother)
Bill Murray (brother)

Early life

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Murray was born and raised in Wilmette, Illinois, to Lucille (née Collins; 1921–1988), a mail room clerk, and Edward Joseph Murray II (1921–1967), a lumber salesman.[1][2] He grew up in an Irish Catholic family.[3]

One of nine siblings, he is the younger brother of actors Bill Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray, and John Murray. A sister, Nancy, is an Adrian Dominican Sister in Michigan, who toured the U.S. portraying St. Catherine of Siena.[4] His brother Ed died in 2020.[5] Their father died in 1967 at the age of 46 from complications of diabetes.[6][7]

In high school at Loyola Academy, Murray was captain of the football team and the lead actor in one of the school's musicals. His entertainment career began in Chicago, Illinois, where he performed at various improvisational theaters, including the Improv Olympic, the Improv Institute, and The Second City.[8]

Career

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Murray voiced Cheetos mascot Chester Cheetah from the character's inception in 1986 until 1997. He was replaced by Pete Stacker in 1997.

In 1989 Murray performed at Second City (71st Revue) in The Gods Must Be Lazy.[9]

Murray starred in the 1990 television series Grand, the 1991 comedy series Pacific Station, the 1992 comedy series Love & War as Ray Litvak, and the ABC series Dharma & Greg as Pete Cavanaugh. Murray also featured in commercials for First Chicago NBD. He provided his voice for the short-lived 1994 series Beethoven and the TV series 3-South. He played the supporting character "Fitz" on CBS's sitcom Still Standing. He appeared as Eddie Jackson on Showtime's series Shameless in 2011.

Murray's first film role was in the 1986 comedy film One Crazy Summer as George Calamari. His other roles include the 1988 comedy film Scrooged, with his brothers Bill, Brian, and John. He appeared in the 1992 movie Shakes the Clown with One Crazy Summer co-stars Bob Goldthwait and Tom Villard.

In the first, second, fourth, fifth and seventh seasons of the Emmy-winning AMC TV series Mad Men, Murray had a recurring role and appeared in 15 episodes as copywriter, Freddy Rumsen. He has made guest appearances on television shows such as The Nanny, Joan of Arcadia, Two and a Half Men, Malcolm in the Middle, Criminal Minds, and Blossom.

 
Murray in 2012

In the 2012 film God Bless America he portrays Frank, a man whose contempt for superficiality and meanness in American society sends him over the edge and into a killing spree.

In the 2013 Pixar film Monsters University he provides the voice of Don Carlton, a middle-aged monster who is a college student and salesman.

In April 2014, Murray replaced Chip Esten in the improv-comedy troupe Whose Live Anyway? and performs with Whose Line Is It Anyway? cast members Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops and Jeff B. Davis. He also portrayed Ted in the comedy horror film Bloodsucking Bastards.[10]

Personal life

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Murray has been married to Eliza Coyle since 1989 and they have four children. He and his brothers own a country club themed restaurant, the Murray Brothers "Caddyshack" (run by his brother Andy), named after the 1980 comedy film Caddyshack that starred his brothers Bill and Brian, located in the World Golf Village resort near St. Augustine, Florida.[11] In 2018, they opened a second location in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois.[12]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 One Crazy Summer George Calamari Film debut
1987 Long Gone Bart Polanski TV movie
1988 Scrooged Guest
1989 Elvis Stories Shopping Elvis / Paul Short film
1990 Men Will Be Boys Jerry TV movie
1990 Grand Norris Weldon Series regular, 26 episodes
1991 Shakes the Clown Milkman
1991–1992 Pacific Station Capt. Ken Epstein Series regular, 13 episodes
1992 Blossom Doug LeMeure Episode: "House Guests"
1992 Only You Bert
1992–1995 Love & War Ray Litvak Series regular, 67 episodes
1994 Beethoven Beethoven (voice) Animated TV series
1995 Road Warriors Dick Durkee TV movie
1995 Partners Ron Wolfe Episode: "Who's Afraid of Ron and Cindy Wolfe?"
1996 Mr. & Mrs. Smith Bob Myers Episode: "The Bob Episode"
1996 Encino Woman Mr. Jones TV movie
1996 The Cable Guy Basketball Player
1997 The Nanny Val's Date Episode: "The Fifth Wheel"
1997–2002 Dharma & Greg Pete Cavanaugh Series regular, 119 episodes
1998 Hercules Acheron (voice) Episode: "Hercules and the Kids"
2000 The Thin Pink Line Bartender
2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Professor Triffid (voice) 2 episodes
2000–2002 Baby Blues Carl Bitterman (voice) Series regular, 13 episodes
2001 The Drew Carey Show Bob Episode: "Mr. Laffoon's Wild Ride"; uncredited
2002 It's All About You Taxi Driver
2002–2004 Teamo Supremo Helius Inflato (voice) 4 episodes
2002 3-South Various (voice) TV series
2002 John Doe Dante Langenhan Episode: "Mind Games"
2003 Titletown TV movie
2003 Malcolm in the Middle Larry Episode: "Hal's Friend"
2003 Nobody Knows Anything! Robber #1
2003–2006 Still Standing Danny 'Fitz' Fitzsimmons Recurring, 24 episodes
2004 Joan of Arcadia Balloon Sculptor / God Episode: "Vanity, Thy Name Is Human"
2005 See Anthony Run Mr. Randall Short film
2006 Hatchet Doug Shapiro
2007 American Body Shop Bank Manager Episode: "Shop for Sale"
2007–2013 Two and a Half Men Various Recurring, 5 episodes
2007–2014 Mad Men Freddy Rumsen Recurring, 15 episodes
2008 The Tiffany Problem Mr. Reynolds Short film
2008 Criminal Minds Attorney General Episode: "Minimal Loss"
2008 Cold Case Bobby Kent Episode: "One Small Step"
2009 Awaydays Rugger Bugger 1
2009 Mending Fences Sam Bridgewater TV movie
2010 Hatchet II Shapiro Uncredited
2010 My Boys Crowley 2 episodes
2011 Shameless Eddie Jackson Recurring, 9 episodes
2011 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior Medical Examiner Episode: "Smother"
2011 The Artist Police Officer Fire
2011 God Bless America Frank
2012 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Andrew Kane Episode: "Frank's Back in Business"
2012 Desperate Housewives Alan Episode: "With So Little to Be Sure Of"
2013 Monsters University Don Carlton (voice)
2015 The McCarthys Ray Episode: "Sister Act"
2015 Bloodsucking Bastards Ted
2015–2016 Mike & Molly Dr. Jeffries Episodes: "Pie Fight" and "Cops on the Rocks"
2015–2017 The Leftovers George Brevity 2 episodes
2016 Sophie and the Rising Sun Sheriff Cooper
2016 Mr. Pig Gringo
2016 Hidden America with Jonah Ray Pete Episode: "Chicago: The Second Best City"
2016 Ghostbusters Security Guard Uncredited
2016 Killing Reagan Edwin Meese TV movie
2017 Shrink Rollie Series regular, 7 episodes
2017 American Gods Mr. Paunch Episode: "The Bone Orchard"
2017 The Big Bang Theory Doug Episode: "The Recollection Dissipation"
2017 Curb Your Enthusiasm Bus Driver #1 Episode: "Namaste"
2018 Grey's Anatomy Agent Martin Fields Episode: "Beautiful Dreamer"
2018 Bobcat Goldthwait's Misfits & Monsters Col. Douglas Episode: "Patsy"
2019 Lodge 49 Doug Fife Episode: "The Slide"
2020 AJ and the Queen Motorcycle Cop Episode: "Columbus"
2020, 2024 The Conners Jim Daniels 2 episodes
2020 Monuments Steven Lesca
2021-2023 Heels Eddie Earl Recurring[13]
2022-2023 Bob Hearts Abishola Max Wheeler Episodes: "Bibles to Brothels" and "Uncharted Waters of Mediocrity"
2024 Extended Family Danny Walsh Episode: "The Consequences of Being Irish"

References

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  1. ^ "Bill Murray profile". Film Reference. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  2. ^ "Bill Murray Family Tree". Ancestry.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  3. ^ Elder, Sean. "Brilliant Careers: Bill Murray". Salon.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  4. ^ "Bill Murray's Sister to Portray Saint at Local Churches" [dead link], The Macomb Daily, May 13, 2010; retrieved June 26, 2010.
  5. ^ Seemayer, Zach (November 24, 2020). "Bill Murray's Brother Ed, Inspiration Behind Film Caddyshack, Dies". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  6. ^ White, Timothy (November 20, 1988). "The Rumpled Anarchy of Bill Murray". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  7. ^ Bill Murray profile at Yahoo! Movies Archived January 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Hanson-Firestone, Dana (August 11, 2017). "Five Things You Didn't Know About Joel Murray". TVOvermind.
  9. ^ "English: The 1989 stagebill from Second City". March 15, 1989 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  10. ^ "Slamdance 2015: Shout! Factory Nabs Bloodsucking Bastards". January 29, 2015.
  11. ^ "About Murray Bros. Caddyshack". Archived from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  12. ^ Hernandez, Joseph (April 13, 2018). "Bill Murray, brothers to open 2nd Caddyshack restaurant Tuesday in Rosemont". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (December 15, 2020). "'Heels': David James Elliott & Joel Murray To Recur In Starz's Wrestling Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
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