Donna Murphy (born March 7, 1959) is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles in musical theater.Murphy has won two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical, for her roles in Passion as Fosca and in The King and I as Anna Leonowens. She has a total of five Tony Award nominations, having also been nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in Wonderful Town as Ruth Sherwood, LoveMusik as Lotte Lenya and The People in the Picture as Raisel/Bubbie.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, Captain Jean-Luc Picard's love interest, in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998); Rosalie Octavius, the wife of Dr. Otto Octavius in Spider-Man 2 (2004); Mother Gothel, in the animated film Tangled (2010) and as one of the government secretaries in The Bourne Legacy (2012).
Masconomet Regional High School, New York University, Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
Nationality
American
Spouse
Shawn Elliott
Children
Darmia Hope Elliott
Parents
Jeanne Fink, Robert Murphy
Awards
Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer In A Children/Youth/Family Special, Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Nominations
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Movies
Tangled, Spider-Man 2, Star Trek: Insurrection, The Bourne Legacy, The Fountain, The Nanny Diaries, The Astronaut's Wife, Center Stage, Dark Horse, The Day Lincoln Was Shot, Higher Ground, Ira & Abby, Sherman's Way, The Door in the Floor, Jade, The Last Debate, World Trade Center, October 22, House ...
TV Shows
Made in Jersey, What About Joan?, Another World, Nothing Sacred, Liberty!
Star Sign
Pisces
#
Quote
1
[on Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)] I'm not objective about these projects. Once I'm in it, I'm in it, you know? It'd be interesting for me to see the film again now, in its entirety, because it's been a long time. I've seen pieces of it because, for example, there's a piece on my reel. I'm also highly critical of myself in everything. But I'm trying to remember my response to the film outside of seeing myself. As I'm talking about it, I'm remembering that I was quite pleased with it. I hadn't seen every Star Trek movie. I'd watched several before auditioning and then before filming because I really wanted to understand more about the stories they'd told and the way they told them, and about the characters and the characters' history. I'd also watched some additional episodes from the series. I think Insurrection did what it set out what it was trying to do. There was action, but this one had more, as you said, of a Zen-like quality to it. But that was in keeping with a big piece of the story, so I felt that it served what they set out to do. Now that it was a turnoff to some portion of their fanbase was unfortunate, but I give them credit for trying something different.
2
[on working in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)] I hadn't seen much of [Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)], so this really was like stepping into a whole new universe. But I feel a sense of honor and responsibility being in it, because I know that the fans of the series and films have such affection for and devotion to all the cast members, and particularly Picard. So I take my seduction of him very seriously.
3
I love any kind of transformation. I want to look in the mirror and not see Donna looking back at me.
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Fact
1
Resides with her husband Shawn Elliott in New York City.
2
Is the eldest of seven children of Robert and Jeanne Murphy.
3
She has English, German, Irish and Czech ancestry.
4
Received her Bachelor's degree in Drama from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University (1980).
5
Attended and graduated from Masconomet Regional High School in Topsfield, Massachusetts (1977).
6
Had two miscarriages during her marriage to Shawn Elliott, and in 2005, they adopted a baby girl named Darmia Hope Elliott.
7
Donna was appearing on Broadway in "Wonderful Town" (Tony nominated, Best Actress) at the time Spider-Man 2 (2004) was in post-production. She had been having some severe vocal difficulties during the run of the show and she missed a few performances early on. Spidey 2 Production brought her into a recording studio to do some looping for the big out-of-control explosive scene where her character is killed. One of the things they needed Donna to do was a 10-15 second scream. You can imagine her horror over having to do this with her voice already in poor condition. So she called her stepdaughter (also an actress) and said, "Come down here and do my screaming for me." So when you watch the film and see her screaming her head off, it isn't her.
8
Has won two Tony Awards as Best Actress (Musical) in 1994 for "Passion", a performance she recreated in the television version of the same title, Passion (1996); and in 1996 for playing one of the title characters (the "I", or Anna Lenowens) in a revival of "The King and I". She was also nominated in the same category in 2004 for a revival of "Wonderful Town" and in 2007 for "LoveMusik".
TV Movie performer: "Fourth Letter", "I Read", "Garden Sequence", "Trio", "I Wish I Could Forget You", "Loving You", "No One Has Ever Loved Me", "Finale"
The 50th Annual Tony Awards
1996
TV Special performer: "Shall We Dance?"
The 48th Annual Tony Awards
1994
TV Special performer: "Drums and Music", "Finale"
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Kings of Bushwick
2011
Short special thanks
Making the Amazing
2004
Video documentary special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Broadway: The Next Generation
2018
Documentary filming
Herself
The Bourne Legacy: Inside the Crisis Suite
2012
Video short
Herself
A Broadway Lullaby
2012
Documentary short
Herself
The 78th Annual Drama League Awards
2012
TV Special
Herself
The Substance of Things Hoped For: Making Higher Ground
2011
Documentary short
Herself
The 65th Annual Tony Awards
2011
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Best Leading Actress in a Musical
The 77th Annual Drama League Awards
2011
TV Special
Herself
Made in Hollywood
2010
TV Series
Herself
Great Performances
2010
TV Series
Herself - Performer
The 61st Annual Tony Awards
2007
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Interwoven: the Women of Spider-Man
2004
Video documentary short
Herself
The 58th Annual Tony Awards
2004
TV Special
Herself - Performer & Nominee: Best Leading Actress in a Musical
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
2002
TV Movie
Herself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
2000
TV Special documentary
Herself
Leonard Bernstein's New York
1997
TV Movie documentary
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
1996
TV Movie
Herself
The 50th Annual Tony Awards
1996
TV Special
Herself - Performer & Winner: Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Working in the Theatre
1996
TV Series documentary
Herself
The 48th Annual Tony Awards
1994
TV Special
Herself - Performer & Winner: Best Leading Actress in a Musical