James Murray (English actor)


James Murray, also known as Jim Murray, is an English actor, artist and fundraiser.

Early life

Murray was born in Manchester. His great-grandfather, Richard Hollins Murray, invented the reflecting lens in 1927.

Career

Murray found initial fame in ITV's soap opera Coronation Street as Sandy Hunter. He then starred in a series of both film and television pieces, including the comedy series Roger-Roger, legal drama series North Square, mini series Other People's Children and Sons & Lovers, a Granada production of The Sittaford Mystery as Charles Burnaby, a film of the Thomas Hardy story Under the Greenwood Tree as Dick Dewy, plus earlier films Nailing Vienna as Peter, All the King's Men as Pvt Will Needham, and Phoenix Blue as Rick. He also found more permanent roles in Channel 4's 20 Things to Do Before You're 30 playing Glen and BBC One's season four of Cutting It as Liam Carney.
Murray starred in the ITV science fiction series Primeval as Stephen Hart, Nick Cutter's lab technician, in both series one and series two.
Murray had the leading role of the father, Frank Davis, in It's Alive a remake of the '70s horror classic by Larry Cohen.
He had a role in Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, a comic fantasy series for Comedy Central and BBC Two, which began airing in April 2009. His character is Ralph Longshaft.
According to United Agents James appeared on the CBS series CHAOS in Vancouver from November 2010 to April 2011. His character was called Billy Collins.
Murray appeared in the second series of Death in Paradise as the character Ronnie Stuart in ep:6 - A Dash of Sunshine - Series 2 - broadcast February 2013 and filmed in Guadeloupe.
He was cast as Mayor Niles Pottinger, the new Mayor of Defiance. The second series of Defiance started production in August, 2013 in Toronto and continued until December 2013. Series 2 aired 19 June 2014. James appeared in one episode of the third series which aired 27 June 2015.
He appeared as a regular in the fifth series of Suspects as DCI Daniel Drummond, which aired 3 to 31 August 2016.
He starred as the father, Edward, in the three part ITV supernatural series HIM.
He will be appearing as Caleb in the Ryan Reynolds film 6 Underground due for release December 2019. He has also been cast as Superintendent John Houseman in the new ITV TV series Invisible currently in pre-production.

Personal life

Murray married his Cutting It co-star Sarah Parish in Hampshire on 15 December 2007, following a two-year romance. On 18 January 2008, it was announced that Parish was pregnant with their first child. Their daughter was born 5 weeks premature in May 2008 and died in January 2009 aged 8 months due to a congenital heart defect.
In her honour, Parish and Murray are raising funds for the Children's Intensive Care unit at Southampton General Hospital where she was cared for. Their daughter Nell was born 21 November 2009.
Murray co-founded the Murray Parish Trust with his wife in 2014. In 2018 the charity raised £4 million to build a new paediatric Emergency and Trauma department for the South of England.

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
1998Coronation StreetSandy HunterSoap opera
1999Roger RogerJason the GardenerTV series
1999All the King's MenPte. Will NeedhamTV film
2000Peak PracticeMarcus JohnsonTV series
2000Kevin & Perry Go LargeCandice's AdonisFilm
2000Other People's ChildrenLucasTV series
2000North SquareJohnny BoyTV series
2001Phoenix BlueRickFilm
2002Nailing ViennaPeterFilm
2002Clocking OffMark TalbotTV series
2002Always and EveryoneDr. Danny BartonTV series
2003Sons and LoversWilliam MorelTV film
200320 Thing's to Do Before You're 30GlenTV series
2003Keen EddieColin KinneyTV series
2004Cutting ItLiam CarneyTV series
2005Under the Greenwood TreeDick DewyTV film
2006Agatha Christie's Marple: The Sittaford MysteryCharles BurnabyTV film
2007PrimevalStephen HartTV series
2009It's AliveFrank DavisFilm
2009Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of FireRalph LongshaftTV series
2011CHAOSBilly CollinsTV series
2012New TricksLuke OswaldTV series
2013Death in ParadiseRonnie StuartTV series
2013Midsomer MurdersOllie TaboriTV series
2014DefianceNiles PottingerTV series
2015CucumberDaniel ColtraneTV series
2016SuspectsD.C.I.Daniel DrummondTV series
2016HIMEdwardTV series
2016Doge FoscariTV series
2018Age Before BeautyWesleyTV series
20196 UndergroundCalebFilm
2020McDonald & DoddsChief Superintendent John HousemanTV series