Murray Head
Born: 1946-03-05 in London, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
Murray Seafield St George Head (born 5 March 1946) is an English actor and singer. Head has appeared in a number of films, including a starring role as the character Bob Elkin in the Oscar-nominated 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday. As a musician, he is most recognised for his international hit songs "Superstar" (from the 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar) and "One Night in Bangkok" (the 1984 single from the musical Chess, which topped the charts in various countries), and for his 1975 album Say It Ain't So. He has been involved in several projects since the 1960s and continues to record music, perform concerts, and make appearances on television either as himself or as a character actor. Head was born in London to Seafield Laurence Stewart Murray Head (20 August 1919 – 22 March 2009) and Helen Shingler (29 August 1919 − 8 October 2019). Head's father was a documentary filmmaker for Verity Films. Head's mother played Mme Maigret alongside Rupert Davies in the BBC 1960s television adaptation of the Maigret novels written by Georges Simenon. Head's younger brother Anthony Head is also an actor, best known for playing Rupert Giles in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Head was educated at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington, London and Hampton School in Hampton, Middlesex. He attended Chiswick Polytechnic (A level college) in the early 1960s. Head began writing songs as a child, and by the mid-1960s he had a London-based recording contract. He briefly appeared as one of the hosts of the Bristol-based television pop show Now! alongside Michael Palin. He had limited success, until asked by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber to play Judas Iscariot on the original concept album version of Jesus Christ Superstar; at the time, he had been appearing in the West End production of the musical Hair. With the Trinidad Singers, the song "Superstar" peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1971. He made his film debut in The Family Way (1966), which featured Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett and John Mills in the leading roles. Head won a leading role in the Oscar-nominated film Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), alongside Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson. Despite these successes, he received little public attention in the next ten years (except for his single release, "Say It Ain't So, Joe" in 1975, which has been covered by The Who's lead vocalist, Roger Daltrey, among others, including The Hollies). "Never Even Thought" has been covered by both Colin Blunstone and Cliff Richard. In 1973, he appeared in a radio drama, The Fourth Tower of Inverness. In 1979, Head appeared in the miniseries Prince Regent and the final episode of the ITV program Return of the Saint. ... Source: Article "Murray Head" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Filmography
2019
- War of the Worlds as Mikel
2014
- Horsehead as Jim
2011
- Vera as Peter Calvert
2009
- En direct de l'univers as Self
- No Pasaran as Peter Konchelsky
2004
- D-Day 6.6.1944 as Robert Douin
2003
- Rosemary & Thyme as Nev Connolly
- I, Cesar as Mr. Fitzpatrick
2002
- Lovers of the Nile as Le colonel
- Cindy as Ronan
2001
- Judge John Deed as Judge Previn
1999
- Where Are They Now? as Self
- The Vice as Tommy Roker
- The Children of the Century ... (Writer)
- The Big Snake of the World as Tom
1996
- Beaumarchais the Scoundrel as Lord Rochford
1993
- Taratata as Self
1992
- Heartbeat as Jack Hollins
1990
- Centrepoint as Nick Wareing
1989
- Stormy Summer as Jack
- Chess in Concert as Freddie
- The Savage as Michael
1988
- Door on the Left as You Leave the Elevator ... (Original Music Composer)
1987
- Sacrée Soirée as Self
- Le monde est à vous as Self
- White Mischief as Lizzie
- Nulle part ailleurs as Self
- 40° à l'ombre as Self
1986
- Casualty as Billy Cooper
1985
- Chess Moves as The American
1984
- Magasinet Special: Chess 1984 as Self
1983
- Bei Bio as Self
1982
- Champs-Elysées as Self
- For 200 Grand, You Get Nothing Now ... (Original Music Composer)
1981
- Six Fifty-Five Special as Self
1980
- Cocktail Molotov ... (Music)
1978
- Return of the Saint as Pierre
1977
- Madame Claude as David Evans
1975
- Midi Première as Self
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
- El poder del deseo as Javier
1974
- Taking Leave as Barbara Allen Singer (voice only)
1973
- Gawain and the Green Knight as Gawain
1972
- La Mandarine as Antony 'Tony' Bellay-Vanguard
- Shirley's World
1971
- Sunday Bloody Sunday as Bob Elkin
1967
- Two Weeks in September as Dickinson's Assistant
1966
- The Family Way as Geoffrey Fitton