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Murray Hamilton

Murray Hamilton

Acting

March 24, 1923 – September 1, 1986 (died at 63)
Washington, North Carolina, USA
Male
66 Movies
73 TV Shows

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. 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

Jaws
Jaws

Jaws

1975 7.7

as Vaughn

Age 52 (now 63)
The Graduate
The Graduate

The Graduate

1967 7.6

as Mr. Robinson

Age 44 (now 63)
Jaws 2
Jaws 2

Jaws 2

1978 6.0

as Mayor Larry Vaughn

Age 55 (now 63)
The Hustler
The Hustler

The Hustler

1961 7.7

as Findley

Age 38 (now 63)
Brubaker
Brubaker

Brubaker

1980 7.1

as Deach

Age 57 (now 63)
The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror

The Amityville Horror

1979 6.3

as Father Ryan

Age 56 (now 63)
The Spirit of St. Louis
The Spirit of St. Louis

The Spirit of St. Louis

1957 6.7

as Bud Gurney

Age 34 (now 63)
1941
1941

1941

1979 5.8

as Claude Crumn

Age 56 (now 63)
Anatomy of a Murder
Anatomy of a Murder

Anatomy of a Murder

1959 7.8

as Alphonse "Al" Paquette

Age 36 (now 63)
Seconds
Seconds

Seconds

1966 7.3

as Charlie Evans

Age 43 (now 63)
The Way We Were
The Way We Were

The Way We Were

1973 7.0

as Brooks Carpenter

Age 50 (now 63)
The Drowning Pool
The Drowning Pool

The Drowning Pool

1975 6.3

as Kilbourne

Age 52 (now 63)
The Boston Strangler
The Boston Strangler

The Boston Strangler

1968 6.7

as Det. Frank McAfee

Age 45 (now 63)
Houseboat
Houseboat

Houseboat

1958 6.4

as Capt. Alan Wilson

Age 35 (now 63)
No Time for Sergeants
No Time for Sergeants

No Time for Sergeants

1958 7.3

as Irving S. Blanchard

Age 35 (now 63)
13 Frightened Girls
13 Frightened Girls

13 Frightened Girls

1963 5.7

as Wally Sanders

Age 40 (now 63)