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Murray Hamilton
Actor

Murray Hamilton

24 Mar 1923Born
1 Sep 1986Died
63Age at death
121Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Murray Hamilton (March 24, 1923 – September 1, 1986) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as Mayor Larry Vaughn in the 1975 film "Jaws" and its sequels, "Jaws 2" and "Jaws: The Revenge". Hamilton also starred in several other well-known films such as "The Graduate", "The Hustler" and "The Amityville Horror". He had a long career in both film and TV and appeared in over 70 films and TV series.

Early life

Hamilton was born in Washington, North Carolina. He displayed an early interest in performing during his days at Washington High School just before America's entry into World War II.

Read the full biography

Bad hearing kept him from enlisting, so he moved to New York City as a 19-year-old to find a career on stage.

Career

In an early role, he performed on stage with Henry Fonda in the wartime story Mister Roberts as a replacement for David Wayne, playing Ensign Pulver. In 1960, he was onstage again with Fonda in Critic's Choice; Howard Taubman of The New York Times called him "properly obnoxious as the director". Hamilton was teamed once more with Fonda in 1968 for the drama film The Boston Strangler.

Hamilton's best-known performance is as Larry Vaughn, the mayor of Amity, in the Steven Spielberg thriller Jaws (1975). Hamilton reprised the role in the sequel, Jaws 2 in 1978. He had agreed to reprise the role again in Jaws: The Revenge, but died in 1986, before production began. He was just 63 years old. Hamilton complained in a newspaper article about being typecast, stating "After I was first cast as a heavy on The Untouchables, I couldn't ever persuade them [producers] that I could also do something else." While comic roles were rare for Hamilton during his Hollywood career, he had one opposite Andy Griffith in the 1958 military comedy No Time for Sergeants, as well as an appearance in Steven Spielberg's raucous comedy 1941, released in 1979. He also appeared in a comedic guest spot on Mama's Family in the second-season episode "Mama Cries Uncle" as Uncle Roy. He was more often cast in dramatic works, such as the science-fiction drama Seconds (1966), which starred Rock Hudson. In his most high-profile performances, Hamilton appeared with Paul Newman in The Hustler (1961), playing Findley, a wealthy billiards player who gambles for high stakes, and with Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate (1967) as Mr. Robinson, husband of the seductress Mrs. Robinson. In 1975, Hamilton appeared again with Newman in The Drowning Pool. He also worked with Robert Redford in a pair of films, The Way We Were (1973) and Brubaker (1980). In early 1982 he appeared as a judge presiding over an impromptu court case on an episode of Bret Maverick. Death

Hamilton died of lung cancer at age 63, and is interred at Oakdale Cemetery in his native Washington, North Carolina. He and his wife, Terri DeMarco Hamilton (of The DeMarco Sisters), had a son, David. CLR

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 121 credits.

  1. 1986The Last Days of PattonFilm: Gen. Hobart "Hap" Gay
  2. 1986Whoops ApocalypseFilm: Jack 'Kill the Commies' Preston (Former US President)
  3. 1986Blacke's MagicSeries (1 episode)
  4. 1985The Golden GirlsSeries: Big Daddy (1 episode)
  5. 1985Hail to the ChiefSeries: Senator Sam Cotton (7 episodes)
  6. 1984Murder, She WroteSeries: Bud Michaels (1 episode)
  7. 1984Too Scared to ScreamFilm: Jack Oberman
  8. 1984Cover UpSeries (1 episode)
  9. 1983Summer GirlFilm: Jack Reardon
  10. 1983Mama's FamilySeries (1 episode)
  11. 1982Mazes and MonstersFilm: Lt. John Martini
  12. 1982HystericalFilm: The Mayor
  13. 1982Matt HoustonSeries (1 episode)
  14. 1981All the Way HomeFilm: Joel Lynch
  15. 1981Bret MaverickSeries (1 episode)
  16. 1980BrubakerFilm: Deach
  17. 1980Swan SongFilm: Jack McCauley
  18. 19791941Film: Claude Crumn
  19. 1979The Amityville HorrorFilm: Father Ryan
  20. 1979B. J. and the BearSeries: Rutherford T. Grant (15 episodes)
  21. 1979A Last Cry for HelpFilm: Ralph Muir
  22. 1979Donovan's KidFilm: Henry Carpenter
  23. 1978Jaws 2Film: Mayor Larry Vaughn
  24. 1978Casey's ShadowFilm: Tom Patterson
  25. 1977Killer on BoardFilm: Dr. Ned Folger
  26. 1977Damnation AlleyFilm: Gen. Landers
  27. 1977Murder at the World SeriesFilm: Harvey Murkison
  28. 1976AliceSeries (1 episode)
  29. 1976Rich Man, Poor ManSeries: Sid Gossett (12 episodes)
  30. 1975Ellery QueenSeries (1 episode)
  31. 1975The Drowning PoolFilm: J.Hugh Kilbourne
  32. 1975JawsFilm: Vaughn
  33. 1974After the FallFilm: Mickey
  34. 1973KojakSeries: Harry Harmon (1 episode)
  35. 1973The Way We WereFilm: Brooks Carpenter
  36. 1973Needles and PinsSeries (1 episode)
  37. 1973Murdock's GangFilm: Harold Talbot
  38. 1973Police StorySeries (2 episodes)
  39. 1973HawkinsSeries: Frank Guilfoyle (1 episode)
  40. 1973Barnaby JonesSeries: Clete Belford (1 episode)
  41. 1973Incident on a Dark StreetFilm: Edmund Schilling
  42. 1972Deadly HarvestFilm: Sheriff Bill Jessup
  43. 1972The Streets of San FranciscoSeries (1 episode)
  44. 1971The Failing of RaymondFilm: Sgt. Manzak
  45. 1971The HarnessFilm: Roy Kern
  46. 1971McMillan & WifeSeries (1 episode)
  47. 1971A Tattered WebFilm: Sgt. Joe Marcus
  48. 1971CannonSeries (3 episodes)
  49. 1971CannonFilm: Virgil Holley
  50. 1971VanishedSeries: Nick McCann (2 episodes)
  51. 1970Night GallerySeries (1 episode)
  52. 1970McCloudSeries: Donald Yates, Adrian Becker (1 episode)
  53. 1969Medical CenterSeries: Robert Jennings (1 episode)
  54. 1969If It's Tuesday, This Must Be BelgiumFilm: Fred Ferguson
  55. 1968The BrotherhoodFilm: Jim Egan
  56. 1968Danger Has Two FacesFilm: Colonel Jack Forbes
  57. 1968The Boston StranglerFilm: Det. Frank McAfee
  58. 1968No Way to Treat a LadyFilm: Inspector Haines
  59. 1968Sergeant RykerFilm: Capt. Appleton
  60. 1967The GraduateFilm: Mr. Robinson
  61. 1967A Bell for AdanoFilm: Sgt. Leonard Borth
  62. 1967Judd, for the DefenseSeries (1 episode)
  63. 1967The InvadersSeries: Lewis Dunhill (1 episode)
  64. 1966SecondsFilm: Charlie Evans
  65. 1966Mission: ImpossibleSeries (1 episode)
  66. 1966The Man Who Never WasSeries: Jack Forbes (18 episodes)
  67. 1966An American DreamFilm: Arthur Kabot
  68. 1965Inherit the WindFilm: E.K. Hornbeck
  69. 1965The F.B.I.Series: Mike Kessler, Emory Hale, Richard Mills, Doug McElroy (1 episode)
  70. 1965Run for Your LifeSeries: Dr. Raphael (1 episode)
  71. 1963The CardinalFilm: Lafe
  72. 1963Kraft Suspense TheatreSeries: Capt. Appleton (2 episodes)
  73. 1963The FugitiveSeries: Mel Starling, Joe Steelman (1 episode)
  74. 196313 Frightened GirlsFilm: Wally Sanders
  75. 1963Papa's Delicate ConditionFilm: Mr. Harvey
  76. 1962The Eleventh HourSeries (1 episode)
  77. 1962The Farmer's DaughterFilm: Nordick
  78. 1961Target: The Corruptors!Series (2 episodes)
  79. 1961Dr. KildareSeries: Dr. Haldore Mattern, Lt. Dan Hargrave (2 episodes)
  80. 1961The HustlerFilm: Findley

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.