Trivia

Enjoyed reading and home brewing.

24 January, Attended the 2nd Renown Festival of Film with Vera Day, Christopher Beeny, Patricia Dainton, and Derek Fowlds. (2016)

Lived in Tufnell Park, north London for many years. Later lived in Kent.

His sons Kevin and Trevor were born in 1956 and 1958 respectively.

He met his wife Linda when they were playing husband and wife in a play. He has two sons Trevor and Kevin from his first marriage.

He was called up to do his national service at RAF Northwood, where he met future The Good Life actor Richard Briers. Upon leaving the RAF the two aspiring actors both performed in productions by the Dramatic Society at the Borough Polytechnic Institute (now London South Bank University).

Murphy was a member of the Theatre Workshop (alongside future TV co-star Yootha Joyce), and a jobbing actor in the 1960s and early 1970s, combining his theatre work with guest appearances in television shows such as The Avengers, Z-Cars, Callan and Dixon of Dock Green, before being cast in the role which would make him a household name.

In 2023 Murphy wrote the introduction to the autobiography of his Oh, What a Lovely War! co-star Larry Dann.

His two brothers Ken and Eric died during active service in the Second World War.

He continued to work until the end of his life, and was set to appear in a film with his wife that would have begun shooting in June 2025.