# Donna Murphy

Donna Murphy (born March 7, 1959) is an American actress, best known for her work in musical theater. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she has twice won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical: for her role as Fosca in Passion (1994–1995) and as Anna Leonowens in The King and I (1996–1997). She was also nominated for her roles as Ruth Sherwood in Wonderful Town (2003), Lotte Lenya in LoveMusik (2007), and Bubbie/Raisel in The People in the Picture (2011).
Murphy made her Broadway debut as a replacement in the 1979 musical They're Playing Our Song. Her other stage credits include the original Off-Broadway productions of Song of Singapore (1991) and Hello Again (1993), as well as the alternate to Bette Midler as the title character of Dolly Gallagher Levi in a Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! (2017–2018). In 1997, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special for her role in "Someone Had to be Benny", an episode of the HBO series Lifestories: Families in Crisis. Her film roles include Anij in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), Rosalie Octavius in Spider-Man 2 (2004), Mother Gothel in the animated film Tangled (2010), and government agent Dita Mandy in The Bourne Legacy (2012). As of 2022, she portrays Caroline Schermerhorn Astor in the HBO series The Gilded Age.

## Early life and education

Donna Murphy, the eldest of seven children, was born in Corona, Queens, New York, the daughter of Jeanne (née Fink) and Robert Murphy, an aerospace engineer. Murphy is of Irish, French, German, and Czech ancestry. Her family moved to Hauppauge, Long Island, New York. At age three, she asked for voice lessons, and she put on shows as a child in Hauppauge. She later moved to Topsfield, Massachusetts and graduated from Masconomet Regional High School in 1977.

## Career

Murphy dropped out of the New York University drama program in her sophomore year when she was cast to understudy the three backup singers in the 1979 Broadway musical They're Playing Our Song. In a 2007 interview, Murphy explained, "At the end of my sophomore year, I took a leave of absence. I needed to audition without cutting classes." She also studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.
She has appeared in many Off-Broadway productions, including the musical Francis in 1981 at the York Theatre at St. Peter's, The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 1985 at the Public Theater's Delacorte Theatre, Birds of Paradise in 1987 (Promenade Theatre), Privates on Parade (Roundabout Theatre) in 1989, the musical Song of Singapore in 1991, the Michael John LaChiusa musical Hello Again at the Lincoln Center Mitzi Newhouse Theater in 1993, Twelve Dreams at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater in 1995, and Helen at the Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival in 2002. In 2012, she appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods at The Public Theater's Delacorte Theatre as the Witch.
On Broadway, after They're Playing Our Song (1979), she was an understudy in the musical/opera The Human Comedy in April 1984 and played various roles in The Mystery of Edwin Drood from 1985 to 1987. She also played Audrey Fulquard in Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's Little Shop of Horrors. In 1994, she played the role of Fosca in Stephen Sondheim's and James Lapine's Passion, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance at the 48th Tony Awards. A year later she appeared in Lapine's revival, Twelve Dreams. In 1996, she played Anna Leonowens in the revival of The King and I alongside Lou Diamond Phillips, also recording a cast album. The role earned her a second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 50th Tony Awards. She appeared as Ruth Sherwood in a revival of Wonderful Town from 2003 to 2005 (having previously performed in the New York City Center Encores! 2000 staged concert of that musical), and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 58th Tony Awards and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. In 2007, she appeared in LoveMusik as Lotte Lenya, opposite Michael Cerveris as Kurt Weill, receiving a Tony Award nomination at the 61st Tony Awards as well as a Drama Desk Award nomination. She appeared in the 2007 New York City Center Encores! staged concert of Follies as Phyllis. She appeared in the Roundabout Theatre production of a new musical, The People in the Picture, which opened on April 28, 2011, and closed on June 19, 2011. She was nominated for a 2011 Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical for her role in the production at the 65th Tony Awards.
She appeared in the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! as Dolly Gallagher Levi, the alternate to Bette Midler on Tuesday evenings and other select performances. She played her last performance on January 7, 2018. Murphy returned to Hello, Dolly! for six performances (July 22 and 29, August 5, 12, 19, and 20) when Midler rejoined the musical before it closed on August 25, 2018.
Murphy's film roles include Anij, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)'s love interest, in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998); in the film Center Stage, as Juliette Simone, a ballet teacher (2000); as Rosalie Octavius, wife of Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), the film's villain in Spider-Man 2 (2004); as Betty, a surgical research assistant in Darren Aronofsky's film The Fountain (2006), and Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson)'s mother Judy Braddock in The Nanny Diaries (2007). In her voice role as Mother Gothel in the animated musical film Tangled (2010), Murphy sang the song "Mother Knows Best". She also played Kathleen Walker, Corinne Walker (Vera Farmiga)'s mother in Higher Ground (2011) and Marie in Dark Horse (2011). In 2012, she appeared as government secretary Dita Mandy in The Bourne Legacy.
On television, Murphy appeared in the NBC soap opera Another World from 1989 through 1991 as District Attorney Morgan Graves. She won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special at the 24th Daytime Emmy Awards in 1997, for playing Armanda Agrelo in "Someone Had to be Benny" (1996), an episode of the HBO series Lifestories: Families in Crisis. Other television series roles include a recurring role as Abigail Adams in Liberty! The American Revolution (1997), Murder One (1995–1996), Law & Order as Carla Tyrell in a recurring role (2000), Hack (2002–2003), Trust Me (2009) and Quantico (2017). Her voice-over work in TV commercials, includes the Le Vian chocolate diamonds series for Jared Jewelry. In 2022, Murphy joined the cast of HBO's The Gilded Age as Caroline Schermerhorn Astor.

## Personal life

Murphy was married to actor and singer Shawn Elliott from 1990 until his death in March 2016. She is the stepmother of Elliott's two daughters. In 2005, they adopted a daughter from Guatemala.

## Stage

| Year | Show | Role | Location | Notes |
| 1979–1981 | They're Playing Our Song | Swing / Sonia Walsk | Imperial Theatre | Voice |
| 1984 | The Human Comedy | Bess Macauley and Mary Arena | Royale Theatre | Understudy |
| 1985–1987 | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | Various characters | Imperial Theatre | |
| 1991 | Song of Singapore | Rose | Irving Plaza | |
| 1993–1994 | Hello Again | The Whore | Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater | |
| 1994–1995 | Passion | Fosca | Plymouth Theatre | |
| 1995 | Twelve Dreams | Dorothy Trowbridge | Lincoln Center | |
| 1996–1997 | The King and I | Anna Leonowens | Neil Simon Theatre | |
| 2002 | Helen | Helen of Troy | The Public Theater | |
| 2003–2004 | Wonderful Town | Ruth Sherwood | Al Hirschfeld Theatre | |
| 2004 | Passion | Fosca | Ambassador Theatre | Concert |
| 2007 | Follies | Phyllis Stone | New York City Center | |
| 2007 | LoveMusik | Lotte Lenya | Biltmore Theatre | |
| 2010 | Anyone Can Whistle | Cora Hoover Hooper | New York City Center | |
| 2011 | The People in the Picture | Bubbie / Raisel | Studio 54 | |
| 2012 | Into the Woods | The Witch | Delacorte Theater | Central Park |
| 2017–2018 | Hello, Dolly! | Dolly Gallagher Levi | Shubert Theatre | Alternate to Bette Midler |
| 2023 | Dear World | Countess Aurelia | New York City Center | |
| 2024 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | Producer | James Earl Jones Theatre | One night only |

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Jade | Detective Karen Heller | |
| 1998 | October 22 | Carole | |
| 1998 | Star Trek: Insurrection | Anij | |
| 1999 | The Astronaut's Wife | Natalie Streck | |
| 2000 | Center Stage | Juliette Simone | |
| 2004 | The Door in the Floor | Frame Shop Owner | |
| 2004 | Spider-Man 2 | Rosalie Octavius | |
| 2006 | Ira & Abby | Dr. Betsy Goldman | |
| 2006 | World Trade Center | Judy Jonas | |
| 2006 | The Fountain | Betty | |
| 2007 | The Nanny Diaries | Judy Braddock | |
| 2008 | Sherman's Way | Evelyn Black | |
| 2010 | Tangled | Mother Gothel | Voice |
| 2011 | Higher Ground | Kathleen Walker | |
| 2011 | Dark Horse | Marie | |
| 2012 | The Bourne Legacy | Dita Mandy | |
| 2016 | No Pay, Nudity | Pearl | |
| 2020 | Anastasia: Once Upon a Time | Yara the Enchantress | |
| 2023 | Nowhere Men | Narrator | Voice |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's | June | Television film |
| 1988 | All My Children | Jean Flynn | Episode: "1.4888" |
| 1991 | Another World | Morgan Graves | 7 episodes |
| 1993–2000 | Law & Order | Karen Unger / Carla Tyrell | 3 episodes |
| 1995–1996 | Murder One | Francesca Cross | 6 episodes |
| 1996 | Lifestories: Families in Crisis | Armanda Agrelo | Episode: "Someone Had to Be Benny" |
| 1996 | Remember WENN | Ruth Geddy | Episode: "Behind Every Great Woman" |
| 1996 | Passion | Fosca | Television film |
| 1997 | Nothing Sacred | Camille | Episode: "Spirit and Substance" |
| 1997 | Liberty! The American Revolution | Abigail Adams | Miniseries; 6 episodes |
| 1998 | The Practice | Marie Hanson | Episode: "Axe Murderer" |
| 1998 | Ally McBeal | Marie Hanson | Episode: "The Inmates" |
| 1998 | The Day Lincoln Was Shot | Mary Todd Lincoln | Television film |
| 2000 | The Last Debate | Joan Naylor | Television film |
| 2000–2001 | What About Joan? | Dr. Ruby Stern | Main cast (21 episodes) |
| 2002 | The Education of Max Bickford | Esther Weber | Episode: "The Good, the Bad, and the Lawyers" |
| 2002–2003 | Hack | Heather Olshansky | Main cast (16 episodes) |
| 2005 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Captain Annie Krame | Episode: "Hollywood Brass" |
| 2006 | The Book of Daniel | Dr. Libby Webster | Episode: "God's Will" |
| 2006 | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Blair | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Maureen Pagolis | Episode: "Albatross" |
| 2007 | Damages | Nancy | Episode: "Do You Regret What We Did?" |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Raye Massey | Episode: "Retro" |
| 2009 | Trust Me | Denise Goodman | 5 episodes |
| 2010 | Ugly Betty | Eve | Episode: "Million Dollar Smile" |
| 2012 | Made in Jersey | Darlene Garetti | Main cast (7 episodes) |
| 2013 | The Mentalist | Diandra Sunderland | Episode: "Behind the Red Curtain" |
| 2013 | House of Versace | Maria | Television film |
| 2014 | The Good Wife | Judge Alice Adelson | Episode: "A Material World" |
| 2014 | Royal Pains | Berta | Episode: "Steaks on a Plane" |
| 2014–2015 | Resurrection | Angela Forrester | 8 episodes |
| 2015 | Hindsight | Georgie Brady | 4 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | Mercy Street | Jane Green | Main cast (12 episodes) |
| 2017 | Doubt | District Attorney Grace Russo | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Quantico | Rebecca Sherman | Episode: "Mktopaz" |
| 2017–2020 | Tangled: The Series | Mother Gothel | Voice, 6 episodes |
| 2019 | The Blacklist | Sophia Quayle | Episode: "The Pawnbrokers (No. 146/147)" |
| 2019 | The Bravest Knight | Trulla | Voice, episode: "Cedric & the Troll" |
| 2019–2020 | Power | Loretta Walsh | 5 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Gossip Girl | Headmistress Vivian Burton | 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Inventing Anna | Donna Zaveri | Episode: "Two Birds, One Throne" |
| 2022–present | The Gilded Age | Caroline Schermerhorn Astor | Main cast (11 episodes) |
| 2024–present | Brilliant Minds | Muriel Landon | 7 episodes |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2010 | Tangled: The Video Game | Mother Gothel |
| 2019 | Kingdom Hearts III | Mother Gothel |
| 2023 | Disney Dreamlight Valley | Mother Gothel |
| 2024 | Cookie Run: Witch's Castle | Shadow Witch |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
| 1992 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Song of Singapore | Nominated |
| 1992 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Song of Singapore | Nominated |
| 1993 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Hello Again | Nominated |
| 1994 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Passion | Won |
| 1994 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Passion | Won |
| 1996 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | The King and I | Won |
| 1996 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | The King and I | Nominated |
| 1996 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | The King and I | Nominated |
| 1996 | CableACE Award | Best Actress in a Dramatic Series of Special | Lifestories: Families in Crisis ("Someone Had to be Benny") | Won |
| 1997 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special | Lifestories: Families in Crisis ("Someone Had to be Benny") | Won |
| 2004 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Wonderful Town | Nominated |
| 2004 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Wonderful Town | Won |
| 2004 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Wonderful Town | Nominated |
| 2004 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Wonderful Town | Won |
| 2007 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | LoveMusik | Nominated |
| 2007 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | LoveMusik | Won |
| 2007 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | LoveMusik | Nominated |
| 2007 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | LoveMusik | Won |
| 2011 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | The People in the Picture | Nominated |
| 2011 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | The People in the Picture | Nominated |
| 2011 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | The People in the Picture | Nominated |
| 2011 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | The People in the Picture | Nominated |
| 2011 | Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award | Best Animated Female | Tangled | Nominated |
| 2013 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Into the Woods | Nominated |
| 2023 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Gilded Age | Nominated |