Murray McArthur (born 4 May 1966) is an English actor.

Murray McArthur
Born (1966-05-04) 4 May 1966 (age 58)
Honiton, Devon, England
Alma materDrama Studio London
OccupationActor
Years active1993–present
SpouseGeraldine
Children2

Early life

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McArthur was born and brought up in Devon.[1] The son of a mushroom farmer, of Scottish parentage and red-haired, he often plays Scottish roles. He attended King's School, Ottery St Mary, received a BA (Joint Hons) degree in English and Drama at Loughborough University and went on to study acting at the Drama Studio London. He was a member of the Devon County Youth Theatre.[2]

Career

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He has appeared in many stage-plays in British regional theatres and on London's West End[3] (including the Royal National Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe). Much of his stage work has taken him overseas (Ahmanson Theatre,[4] Los Angeles & Panasonic Globe Theatre, Tokyo). His performance as Joe Gargery in Great Expectations at the Gate Theatre, Dublin was described by Irish Independent critic Bruce Arnold:[5] "Emphasis on the heart-warming relationship between Pip and Joe Gargery is a crucial part of the story, and the blacksmith, played by Murray McArthur in the best performance of the evening, achieves this".

Murray appeared as Hasten,[6] the Viking who breaks the Doctor's sonic sunglasses,[7] in episode The Girl Who Died[8][9] of Doctor Who.[10]

He also portrayed a Wildling chieftain in the fifth season episode Hardhome[11] of the HBO series Game of Thrones. His character returned in the sixth season episode The Broken Man[12] with the character name Dim Dalba. He speaks for the Wildlings of The Gift when asked by Jon Snow (character), Tormund Giantsbane, Sansa Stark and Davos Seaworth to join them in the battle against the forces of Ramsay Bolton.

Recently played Hákon Iron-Beard[13] in Robert Eggers Viking revenge film The Northman, released in April 2022.[14] Production on the film was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[15] resumed in August 2020[16] and finally completed in early December 2020.[17]

In 2021 McArthur was cast as 'Dad' in the British psychological thriller Marooned Awakening.[18] Principal photography took place in September 2021 on the island of Guernsey. The feature film premiered at the Beau Séjour Theatre[19] on Guernsey on 3 September 2022[20] and will be released in the United States and Canada on streaming services on February 21, 2023.[21]

Murray plays the part of Fabian, a homeless man who lives in the ruins of the original pilgrim meeting house, in Tim Burton's recently released Wednesday on Netflix,[22] where Jenna Ortega's Wednesday Addams sets Thing on him. Later on he is killed by a monster and winds up in the Jericho Morgue where Wednesday notices his missing foot.[23]

Personal life

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Married to Geraldine with two children, Orla and Freya, he lives in South East London.[24]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Film Role Director Producer
2001 Endgame Det. Const. Kenny Gary Wicks Various Films Ltd
2005 Finding Neverland Stagehand Marc Forster Miramax
Keeping Mum Vicar's Convention Master of Ceremonies Niall Johnson Summit Entertainment
2007 The Last Legion Tertius Doug Lefler Dino De Laurentiis Company
2008 Made of Honor Donald Paul Weiland Columbia Pictures
2009 A Congregation of Ghosts George Tredinnick Mark Collicott Whitechapel Films
2018 A Midsummer Night's Dream Snug (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Sacha Bennett Parkhouse Pictures
Viking Destiny Loki David L.G. Hughes Fatal Black
2019 Virtual Viking - The Ambush Skald Erik Gustavson Ridley Scott Associates
2022 The Northman[25] Hákon Iron-Beard Robert Eggers New Regency
Marooned Awakening Dad Musaab Mustafa Across the Channel Productions Ltd
2023 Wonka Ship's Captain Paul King Warner Bros.
Seize Them![citation needed] Ur-Nammu Curtis Vowell Entertainment Film Distributors

Television

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Year Series Episode Role Director Producer
1994 EastEnders Episode 950 P.C. Baines Jo Johnson BBC
Stanley's Dragon TV movie Soldier Gerry Poulson Granada Television
1995 The Famous Five Five Fall into Adventure Red Tower Michael Kerrigan Tyne Tees Television & Zenith North
1996 Tales from the Crypt Escape George Heathcote Peter MacDonald (director) HBO
Black Hearts in Battersea TV series Boatswain Morgan David Bell BBC
1997 Aquila The Eagle Has Landed Policeman David Bell BBC
1998 Human Bomb TV movie Kessler Anthony Page Griffin
1999 Taggart Bloodlines Alan Buchanan Alan Macmillan STV Productions
2000 Heartbeat The Fool on the Hill Charlie Osborne Paul Walker Yorkshire Television
Burnside Exposed: Parts 1 & 2 DC McVeagh Bruce MacDonald Thames Television
2002 Falling Apart TV movie Gareth Brian Hill (director) Century Films
2006 The Complete Guide to Parenting Episode #1.1 Mr. Franklin Mandie Fletcher Talkback Thames
Doctors A Very Important Date Al Burgess Fred Aidroos BBC
Friends and Crocodiles TV movie Soup Man 1 Stephen Poliakoff BBC
Foyle's War The French Drop Private Knox Gavin Millar ITV
2007 Murphy's Law Episode #5.2 Terry Westgate Colm McCarthy (director) Tiger Aspect Productions
The Bill Assault on Sun Hill Sgt. Michael Brindley Darcia Martin Talkback Thames
2008 John Adams Unite or Die The Magistrate Tom Hooper HBO
Lark Rise to Candleford (TV series) Episode #1.2 Bailiff Griggs Charles Palmer (director) BBC
Summerhill TV movie Fire Officer Sibton Jon East Tiger Aspect Productions
2009 Casualty Palimpsest Roy Hyde Alan Grint BBC
2015 Doctor Who The Girl Who Died Hasten Edward Bazalgette BBC
Game of Thrones Hardhome Dim Dalba Miguel Sapochnik HBO
2016 Barbarians Rising Revenge Egus Simon George History Channel
Game of Thrones The Broken Man Dim Dalba Mark Mylod HBO
2017 Outlander All Debts Paid Duncan Kerr Brendan Maher Starz
2018 Doctors A Safe Place Barney Rutger Paul Gibson BBC
Watership Down (miniseries) Episodes 2-4 Farmer Noam Murro BBC & Netflix
2019 Pitching In Episodes 2-3 Sir Henry Noreen Kershaw BBC Cymru Wales & LA Productions
2022 Wednesday Friend or Woe & Woe What a Night Fabian Tim Burton MGM & Netflix
2023 The Change[citation needed] Episode 6 Brian Al Campbell Channel 4

Stage

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Year Play Role Director Producer
1993 On The Piste Chris Baxter Neil Sissons Hull Truck Theatre
1994 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander Philip Joseph National Theatre Studios
1995 Great Expectations Bentley Drummle John Durnin Northcott Theatre
Abigail's Party Tony Tim Carroll Northcott Theatre
1996 The Grapes of Wrath (play) Noah Joad John Durnin Northcott Theatre
A Doll's House Anthony Page Thelma Holt & Playhouse Theatre
1997 An Enemy of the People Engstrand Sir Trevor Nunn Olivier Theatre, Royal National Theatre & Ahmanson Theatre
Peter Pan Great Big Little Panther John Caird (director) Olivier Theatre, Royal National Theatre
2002 King Lear Barry Kyle Shakespeare's Globe & Panasonic Globe Theatre
2008 Great Expectations Joe Gargery Alan Stanford Gate Theatre

References

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  1. ^ McArthur, Murray. "An Actor's Life: Murray McArthur". Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  2. ^ McArthur, Murray. "An Actor's Life: Murray McArthur". Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  3. ^ McGuinness, Frank (10 September 1996). "PlayographyIreland". Irish Theatre Institute. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  4. ^ Hofler, Robert (24 July 1998). "Review: 'An Enemy of the People'". Variety. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  5. ^ Arnold, Bruce (29 November 2007). "Festive fare for all the family lives up to the greatest of expectations". Irish Independent. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  6. ^ Times, Radio (12 October 2015). "Doctor Who Series 9 Episode 5 The Girl Who Died". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  7. ^ Claire, Planet (18 October 2015). "The Girl Who Died". planetclaire.tv. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  8. ^ BBC Media Centre (30 March 2015). "Doctor Who reveals Maisie Williams as guest star", BBC. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  9. ^ Variety (30 March 2015). "Game of Thrones’ Actress Maisie Williams to Guest Star on ‘Doctor Who’", Variety. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  10. ^ White, James (30 March 2015). "Maisie Williams Scores Doctor Who Guest Spot". Empire. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  11. ^ Rosenberg, Alyssa (31 May 2015). "'Game of Thrones' Season 5, episode 8 Review: "Hardhome"". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  12. ^ "The Broken Man – Game of Thrones: season 6, episode 7". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  13. ^ Movies, and Mania (30 March 2022). "THE NORTHMAN (2022) Preview of Robert Eggars' Viking epic – with new poster". MOVIES and MANIA. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  14. ^ Bonaime, Ross (15 May 2021). "Robert Eggers' 'The Northman' Gets Official Theatrical Release Date". Collider. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Coronavirus fears halt Line of Duty filming in Northern Ireland". Belfast Telegraph. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  16. ^ McGoran, Peter (3 July 2020). "New Nicole Kidman movie to commence filming at Belfast Harbour Studios in August". Belfast Live. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  17. ^ Sharf, Zach (11 December 2020). "Robert Eggers Wraps Production on Star-Studded Viking Epic 'The Northman'". IndieWire. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  18. ^ Grobar, Matt (28 January 2022). "Thrillers 'Marooned Awakening', 'American Trash' And 'Deadly Games' Set Casts; Gravitas Acquires 'The Other Me' From EP David Lynch And Horror Pic 'Tethered'; More – Film Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  19. ^ Eulenkamp, Amanda (6 September 2022). "Praise for island's talented film-makers". Guernsey Press. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  20. ^ Clayton, Laura (3 February 2022). "Blackadder, Notting Hill, Game of Thrones - and now Guernsey". Bailiwick Express. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  21. ^ Prange, Stephanie (19 December 2022). "Gravitas Ventures Acquires N.A. Rights to British Thriller 'Marooned Awakening'". Media Play News. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  22. ^ Mitchell, Molli (17 August 2022). "Tim Burton's 'Wednesday' Netflix Release Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot". Newsweek. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  23. ^ Gumban, Marielle (14 December 2022). "Netflix's 'Wednesday' Season 1, episode 4 Spoiler Recap & Review – "Woe What a Night"". The Cinema Spot. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  24. ^ McArthur, Murray. "An Actor's Life: Murray McArthur". midweekherald.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  25. ^ Badasie, Charlene (23 February 2022). "See Alexander Skarsgard As A Viking Warrior Wearing A Wolf's Head In The Northman". Giant Freakin Robot. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
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