Stephen Murray (born in Partney, Lincolnshire, England, 1912, died 1983) was an English cinema, radio, theatre and television actor.
He found his greatest fame as the new Number 1, later promoted to Commander in The Navy Lark on BBC Radio. His film debut was as the second police officer who interrupts an amorous Eliza and Freddy (Wendy Hiller and David Tree) in Pygmalion (1938). Among his larger film roles were Uncle Henry in London Belongs to Me (1948, heavily made-up to look several decades older) and the lead in Terence Fisher's Four Sided Triangle (1953). He once again appeared under heavy make-up as the elderly Dr. Manette in A Tale of Two Cities (1958).
Radio became one of his most triumphant acting areas. He was Macbeth in 1947 with Flora Robson and the most brilliant of all Leontes' in an early 60s radio version of "The Winter's Tale" with Edith Evans and Rachel Gurney. He did two versions of the BBC radio epic "The Rescue" by Edward Sackville-West, where he played Odysseus. Other classic 50s roles included Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus", "John Gabriel Borkman" and "Brand" and Calderon's "The Mayor of Zalamea" (the last now lost.)
Even in the 70s he enjoyed the difficult roles, like Strindberg's "To Damnascus" with Zena Walker.
His voice was full of anguish and uncertainty. So he was ideal for "A Hospital Case" by Dino Buzatti, a terrifying play which Camus had translated and adapted for the Paris stage; or new radio work like Peter Tegel's "Rocklife." In 1970 he was the old Prince Bolkonsky in BBC's radio "War and Peace" - a monumental 20 hours of braodcasting.
Who would have thought that Stephen Murray would turn to comedy. But "The Navy Lark" proved how wrong you can be.
He tried his hand at everything, including science fiction - radio's "The Tor Sands Experperience" by Bruce Stewart.
Stephen Murray (born 9 January 1980 in Newcastle, England) is a BMX Dirt rider. On Friday 22 June, 2007 at the Dew Action Sports Tour BMX Dirt Finals in Baltimore, Maryland, Stephen Murray took a catastrophic fall attempting a double back flip on the final jump in the dirt section. He received career ending injuries to his spinal cord and vertebrae and is paralyzed below the neck.
Recent reports have shown that he can shrug his shoulders, and move his index, and thumb fingers.
Murray was a seven-time expert British champion and six-time UK National champion before the age of 16. During his professional BMX career, Murray was known for his double back flips, 360 back flips, and turndown back flips. He won the gold medal in BMX Dirt in the Summer 2001 X Games and won gold medals in BMX Dirt at the Gravity Games in back to back years (2001 and 2002). He was nominated for ESPN 'BMX rider of the year'.
Stephen Murray is married and has two sons. He resides in Riverside, California.
Since his June 2007 accident, Stephen has stayed strong throughout his recovery and believes he will one day walk again.
