Murray McArthur
Encyclopedia
Murray McArthur is a British stage, television and film actor (6 ft 2in) born in Devon
in the South West of England on 4 May 1966. The son of a mushroom farmer, of Scottish parentage and red-haired, he often plays Scottish roles. He attended King's School Ottery St. Mary
, received a BA (Hons) Degree in English and Drama at Loughborough University
and went on to study acting at the Drama Studio London
. He has appeared in many stage-plays in British regional theatres and on London's West End (including the Royal National Theatre
and Shakespeare's Globe
). Much of his stage work has taken him overseas (Ahmanson Theater, Los Angeles & Panasonic Globe Theatre
, Tokyo); most recently playing Joe Gargery in Great Expectations
at the Gate Theatre
, Dublin in 2008.
His most notable film role was in The Last Legion
where he played a member of the 9th Legion stranded in Britain after the collapse of the Roman Empire. He played the father of a huge red-headed family in a KFC
advert and is providing the voice-over for the Ginsters
Pasty
TV campaign (2009).
, England, where he attended King's School Ottery St. Mary
. He was a member of the Devon County Youth Theatre.
, playing the character of George Treddinick, in A Congregation of Ghosts
(2009).
.
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in the South West of England on 4 May 1966. The son of a mushroom farmer, of Scottish parentage and red-haired, he often plays Scottish roles. He attended King's School Ottery St. Mary
King's School Ottery St. Mary
The King's School is an educational institution in Ottery St Mary, Devon, England. It was established as a choir school by the bishop John Grandisson in 1335, but was replaced by a Grammar School by Henry VIII in 1545. It became a comprehensive school in 1982...
, received a BA (Hons) Degree in English and Drama at Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
and went on to study acting at the Drama Studio London
Drama Studio London
Drama Studio London is a drama school based in Ealing, London, England, United Kingdom. It is accredited by the National Council for Drama Training, London and is a Member of the Conference of Drama Schools...
. He has appeared in many stage-plays in British regional theatres and on London's West End (including the Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
and Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based...
). Much of his stage work has taken him overseas (Ahmanson Theater, Los Angeles & Panasonic Globe Theatre
Panasonic Globe Theatre
The Panasonic Globe Theatre in Tokyo, Japan, was designed by Isozaki Arata and opened in 1988 to showcase local and international productions of Shakespeare's plays...
, Tokyo); most recently playing Joe Gargery in Great Expectations
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times....
at the Gate Theatre
Gate Theatre
The Gate Theatre, in Dublin, was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir, initially using the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio theatre space to stage important works by European and American dramatists...
, Dublin in 2008.
His most notable film role was in The Last Legion
The Last Legion
The Last Legion is a 2007 film directed by Doug Lefler. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and others, it is based on a 2003 Italian novel of the same name written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi...
where he played a member of the 9th Legion stranded in Britain after the collapse of the Roman Empire. He played the father of a huge red-headed family in a KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
advert and is providing the voice-over for the Ginsters
Ginsters
Ginsters is a company based in Callington in Cornwall, in the south-west of England. The biggest selling pasty maker in the UK, it specialises in making mass produced pasties, sausage rolls, sandwiches, pasta bowls and other savoury snacks.-History:...
Pasty
Pasty
A pasty , sometimes known as a pastie or British pasty in the United States, is a filled pastry case, associated in particular with Cornwall in Great Britain. It is made by placing the uncooked filling on a flat pastry circle, and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge at the side or top...
TV campaign (2009).
Biography
McArthur was born and raised in DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England, where he attended King's School Ottery St. Mary
King's School Ottery St. Mary
The King's School is an educational institution in Ottery St Mary, Devon, England. It was established as a choir school by the bishop John Grandisson in 1335, but was replaced by a Grammar School by Henry VIII in 1545. It became a comprehensive school in 1982...
. He was a member of the Devon County Youth Theatre.
Future projects
Can currently been seen alongside Edward WoodwardEdward Woodward
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...
, playing the character of George Treddinick, in A Congregation of Ghosts
A Congregation of Ghosts
A Congregation of Ghosts is a 2009 film directed by Mark Collicott. It is based on the true story of the Reverend Frederick Densham. The film was shot on location in rural Cornwall in England.-Background:...
(2009).
Personal life
Married to Geraldine with two children Orla and Freya, he lives in South East London. He has one sibling, a sister, who lives in BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
.
Filmography
- A Congregation of GhostsA Congregation of GhostsA Congregation of Ghosts is a 2009 film directed by Mark Collicott. It is based on the true story of the Reverend Frederick Densham. The film was shot on location in rural Cornwall in England.-Background:...
(2009) .... George Treddinick - Made of HonorMade of HonorMade of Honor is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and story written by Adam Sztykiel . It was produced by Neal H. Moritz and was released by Columbia Pictures in North America on May 2, 2008...
(2008) .... Driver - The Last LegionThe Last LegionThe Last Legion is a 2007 film directed by Doug Lefler. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and others, it is based on a 2003 Italian novel of the same name written by Valerio Massimo Manfredi...
(2007) .... Tertius - Keeping MumKeeping MumKeeping Mum is a 2005 British black comedy film starring Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith and Patrick Swayze.-Plot:In the opening scene, as pregnant young Rosie Jones rides on a train, her very large trunk starts leaking blood...
(2005) .... Convention Speaker - Finding NeverlandFinding NeverlandFinding Neverland is a 2004 semi-biographical film about playwright J. M. Barrie and his relationship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan, directed by Marc Forster. The screenplay by David Magee is based on the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee...
(2004) .... Stagehand - EndgameEndgameIn chess and chess-like games, the endgame is the stage of the game when there are few pieces left on the board....
(2001) .... Det. Const. Kenny
Television
- CasualtyCasualty (TV series)Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
(2009)…Roy - John Adams (2008)…The Magistrate
- Lark Rise to CandlefordLark Rise to CandlefordLark Rise to Candleford is a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels about the countryside of north-east Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England, at the end of the 19th century. They were written by Flora Thompson and first published together in 1945...
(2008) - Summerhill (TV series)Summerhill (TV series)Summerhill is a British children's television drama about the famously radical Summerhill School. Written by Alison Hume and directed by Jon East, it was first broadcast on the CBBC Channel in January 2008 and was subsequently nominated for three children's BAFTA awards - Best Drama, Best Writer ...
(2008) - Murphy's LawMurphy's Law (TV series)Murphy's Law is a BBC television drama, produced by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC Northern Ireland, starring James Nesbitt as an undercover police officer, Tommy Murphy. There were five series of the drama, shown on BBC One. The first two were composed of individual stories. Series three, four...
(2007)…Terry - The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
1995 (2007)…Sgt. Michael Brindley - The Complete Guide to ParentingThe Complete Guide to ParentingThe Complete Guide to Parenting is an ITV comedy drama, starring Peter Davison as George Huntley, Professor of Child Psychology at London University, best-selling author of Hey Mum & Dad, Get Your Act Together and LBC resident parenting guru. He finds his so-called parenting expertise put to the...
(2006)…Mr. Franklin - Doctors (2006)…Al Burgess
- Friends and CrocodilesFriends and CrocodilesFriends and Crocodiles is a one-off British television drama production, written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff and first broadcast on BBC One on 15 January 2006.-Overview:...
(2005) - Foyle's WarFoyle's WarFoyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during World War II, created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, and was commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse came to an end in 2000. It has aired on ITV since 2002...
(2004) - Ella and the Mothers (2002)…D.C. Jason Palmer
- Falling Apart (2002)
- Heartbeat (2000)…Charlie Osborne
- BurnsideBurnside- Places :Australia* City of Burnside, a Local Government Area of Adelaide, South Australia* Burnside, South Australia, a suburb of the City of Burnside* Burnside, Victoria, a suburb of MelbourneCanada* Burnside Business Park, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia...
(2000)…DC McVeagh - TaggartTaggartTaggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...
(1999)…Alan Buchanan - The Famous FiveThe Famous FiveThe Famous Five may refer to:*The Famous Five , also known as "The Valiant Five," a group of Canadian women who were proponents in a landmark women's rights case....
(1996)…Red TowerRed TowerRed Tower may refer to:Structures* Kızıl Kule, 13th century building considered to be the symbol of Alanya, Turkey* Torrerossa, Roman sepulchral monument in Sicily* St. Agatha's Tower, 17th century structure in Malta... - Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
(1996)…George Heathcote - Blackhearts in Battersea (1996)…Boatswain Morgan
- Human BombHuman BombThe Human Bomb is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Police Comics #1 , and was created by writer and artist Paul Gustavson.-Publication history:...
(1998) - AquilaAquila (TV series)Aquila is a British children's television show which aired on the BBC from 1997 to 1998. An episode was aired once a week, and was based on the story of two boys, Tom Baxter and Geoff Reynolds, who find a spacecraft when digging in a field...
(1997) - EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
(1994)…P.C. Baines - Stanley's Dragon (1994)