Abraham, F. Murray 1939(?)–

(Frank Murray Abraham)

PERSONAL

Full name, Fahrid Murray Abraham; born October 24, 1939 (some sources cite 1940), in Pittsburgh, PA; raised in El Paso, TX; son of Fahrid (a mechanic) and Josephine Abraham; son-in-law of Edmund D. Hannan (former president of the Society of Motion Picture Film Editors); married Kate Hannan, 1962; children: one daughter, one son. Education: Studied drama at the University of Texas at El Paso, 1959–61; studied acting with Uta Hagen at the Herbert Berghof Studio, New York City.

Addresses: Agent—William Morris Agency, One William Morris Place, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career: Actor and director. Appeared in advertisements, including an appearance as a guru in an airport in "Ticker," part of The Hire, a series of advertisements for BMW, 2002; appeared in television commercials for Fruit of the Loom and contributed voice work for Merrill Lynch. Brooklyn College the City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York City, professor, beginning 1985; speaker at various venues, including Harvard University and Columbia University. Sometimes known as Frank Murray Abraham.

Member: Actors' Equity Association, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Screen Actors Guild.

Awards, Honors: Drama Desk Award, outstanding actor in a play, 1980, for Teibele and Her Demon; Obie Award, best performance, Village Voice, 1984, for Uncle Vanya; Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, best actor, 1984, Academy Award, best actor in a leading role, Golden Globe Award, best performance by an actor in a motion picture—drama, and Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award, best actor, all 1985, Film Award nomination, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, best actor, 1986, and Albert Schweitzer Award for classic film acting, all for Amadeus; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actor in a play, 1992, for A Life in the Theatre; premio per gli italiani nel mondo (prize for successful Italian emigrants), Marzio Tremaglia foundation, Italy, 2004; honorary doctorate, Rider College.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Clyde, They Might Be Giants, Universal, 1971.

Detective Levy, Serpico, Paramount, 1974.

Cab driver, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Warner Bros., 1975.

Mechanic, The Sunshine Boys, United Artists, 1975.

Chris, The Ritz, Warner Bros., 1976.

Detective Rafferty (some sources cite Sergeant Leeper), All the President's Men, Warner Bros., 1976.

Cohen, Madman, [Israel], 1978.

Eppis, The Big Fix, Universal, 1978.

Omar Suarez, Scarface, Universal, 1983.

Antonio Salieri, Amadeus (also known as Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus"), Orion, 1985.

Bernardo Gui, The Name of the Rose (also known as Der Name der rose, Il nome della rosa, and Le nom de la rose), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1986.

Narrator, On the Wing (short IMAX documentary), Smithsonian Institution, 1986.

Himself, The Rose of the Names (documentary; also known as La rosa dei nomi), Movie Movie/Radiotelevisione Italiana, 1987.

Dr. Harry Bertram, Personal Choice (also known as Beyond the Stars), TMS Pictures (The Movie Store), 1988.

Father Carafa, Russicum—I giorni del diavolo (also known as Russicum and The Third Solution), Columbia/TriStar, 1988.

Abdul Hamid, La nuit du serail (also known as The Favorite and Intimate Power), Ascona Films, 1989.

Kharoun, Eye of the Widow (also known as L'oeil de la veuve), 1989.

The performance artist, Performance Pieces (short film), 1989.

Virgil Cane, An Innocent Man (also known as Hard Rain), Buena Vista, 1989.

Cornelius, Slipstream, Management Company Entertainment Group/Virgin Vision, 1990.

(Uncredited) District attorney Abe Weiss, Bonfire of the Vanities, Warner Bros., 1990.

Ozraine, La batalla e los tres reyes (also known as The Battle of the Three Kings, Drums of Fire, Bitva tryokh koroley and Tambores de fuego), Sylicinema/Sovexportfilm/Uzbekfilm, 1990.

Arnold Rothstein, Mobsters (also known as The Evil Empire), Universal, 1991.

Captain Garcia, Cadence (also known as Count a Lonely Cadence and Stockade), Republic Pictures, 1991.

Max Suba, By the Sword, Hansen Entertainment, 1991.

Will Scarlet, Money, United International Pictures, 1991.

Narrator, Through an Open Window (short film), c. 1992.

Harold Leacher, National Lampoon's "Loaded Weapon 1" (also known as Loaded Weapon 1), New Line Cinema, 1993.

John Practice, Last Action Hero, Columbia, 1993.

Mr. Zargo, Sweet Killing, Paramount Home Video, 1993.

Chess hustler, Fresh, Miramax, 1994.

Dr. Scalinger, Nostradamus (also known as Nostradamus—Prophezeiungen des Schreckens), New Line Cinema/Orion Classics, 1994.

Lucien Haslans, L'affaire (also known as The Case and La derniere carte), [France], 1994.

Older Seit, Jamila, Triangel Film/Kirghizfilm, 1994.

Wolfe, Sr., Surviving the Game, New Line Cinema, 1994.

Al Capone, Baby Face Nelson, Concorde Pictures, 1995.

Al Capone, Dillinger and Capone, Concorde-New Horizons, 1995.

Greek chorus leader, Mighty Aphrodite, Buena Vista/Miramax, 1995.

Himself, Looking for Richard, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1996.

Josef Stalin, Children of the Revolution, Miramax, 1996.

Belisario, Vacation in Hell (also known as Una vacanza all'inferno), Buena Vista, 1997.

Dr. Gates, Mimic (also known as Judus), Dimension Films, 1997.

President Mendoza, Eruption (also known as Volcano Run and Volcan en llamas), Concorde-New Horizons, 1997.

Ad'har Ru'afo, Star Trek: Insurrection (also known as Star Trek: Millennium, Star Trek: Nemesis, Star Trek 9, Star Trek: Past and Future, Star Trek: Pathfinder, Star Trek: Prime Directive, Star Trek: Rebellion, Star Trek: Stardust, and Star Trek: Transcendence), Paramount, 1998.

Professor Covington, The All New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: "For Love or Mummy," Coast Entertainment, 1998.

Noah, Muppets from Space, Columbia, 1999.

Professor Robert Crawford, Finding Forrester, Columbia, 2000.

Cyrus Kriticos, Thir13en Ghosts (also known as 13 fantomes), Warner Bros., 2001.

Delfinello da Coverzano (some sources cite name as Dekfubekki da Civerzabim), I cavalieri che fecero l'impresa (also known as The Knights of the Quest and The Knights Who Made the Enterprise), Duea Film, 2001.

Father Tardone, Joshua, Artisan Entertainment, 2002.

Entita, Piazza delle cinque lune (also known as Five Moons Plaza and Piazza of the Five Moons), Istituto Luce, 2003.

Paul Minsky, My Father, Rua Alguem 5555 (also known as Rua Alguem 5555: My Father, Meu Pai, and Papa Rua Alguem 5555), Gam Film/Total Entertainment, 2003.

Himself, Try to Remember: The Fantasticks (documentary), Zeitgeist Films, 2004.

Pantaley, Quiet Flows the Don, Madison Motion Pictures, 2004.

Viceroy of Peru, The Bridge of San Luis Rey (also known as El puente de San Luis Rey and Le pont du roi Saint-Louis), Fine Line Features, 2004.

Peperoni ripieni e pesci in faccia (also known as Too Much Romance … It's Time for Stuffed Peppers), Solaris Cinematografica, 2004.

Himself, Repetition, Big D. Productions, 2005.

Grandfather Wahid, A House Divided (also known as Mount of Olives), LightStream Partners, 2005.

Nathan, The Inquiry, Nu-Image Films, 2006.

Shahid, Il mercante di pietre (also known as The Gems Merchant), Medusa Distribuzione, 2006.

Stage Appearances:

Mr. Shumway, The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, Coronet Theatre, Los Angeles, 1965.

The Fantasticks (musical), Sullivan Street Playhouse, New York City, 1966–68.

Jonathan, "The David Show" (one-act play), Tonight in Living Color (produced with the one-act play "The Golden Fleece") Actors' Playhouse, New York City, 1967.

Player A, Adaptation Next, 13th Street Theatre, New York City, 1967.

Rudin and Tzelniker, The Man in the Glass Booth, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1968–69.

The reverend, Little Murders, Circle in the Square Downtown, New York City, 1969.

Bummer, The Last Chance Saloon, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, New York City, 1970.

Cab driver and fairy queen, Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone?, Eastside Playhouse, New York City, 1971.

The monsignor, The Survival of St. Joan, Phyllis Anderson Theatre, New York City, 1971.

Understudy and expectant father, 6 Rms Riv Vu, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 1972–73, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City, 1973.

Harold, Scuba Duba, Studio Arena Theatre, Buffalo, NY, 1973.

Much Ado about Nothing, New York Shakespeare Festival, New York City, c. 1973.

Kidd, Miracle Play, New Phoenix Repertory Company, 1973, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, 1974.

Roy Pitt, "Ravenswood," and Mr. Blum, "Dunelawn," Bad Habits (one-act plays), Astor Place Theatre, then Booth Theatre, both New York City, 1974.

Chris, The Ritz, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1975–76.

Jesse Lymburner, Legend, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1976.

Bernard Litko, Sexual Perversity in Chicago (double-bill with Duck Variations), Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City, 1976–77.

Captain Marvin Holahan, Landscape of the Body, Public Theatre, Newman Theatre, New York City, 1977.

The master, The Master and Margarita, Public Theatre, LuEsther Hall, New York City, 1978.

The Goodbye People, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, 1978.

Demon, Teibele and Her Demon, Tyrone Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN, 1978–79.

Alchonon, Teibele and Her Demon, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1979–80.

Title role, Cyrano de Bergerac, Centerstage, Mainstage, Baltimore, MD, 1979–80.

Dorn, The Seagull, Public Theatre, Newman Theatre, 1980.

Player man, Window, Time and Space Ltd. Theatre, New York City, 1980.

Davies, The Caretaker, Roundabout Theatre, Stage One, New York City, 1981.

Creon, Antigone, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Martinson Hall, New York City, 1982.

Astrov, Uncle Vanya, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, 1983.

The rabbi of Prague, The Golem, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Delacorte Theatre, Central Park, New York City, 1984.

The rag picker, Madwoman of Chaillot, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, New York City, 1985.

Malvolio, Twelfth Night, or What You Will (also known as Twelfth Night), New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, Central Park, 1986.

Shakespeare on Broadway in the Schools, New York Shakespeare Festival, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1986.

Iago, Othello, Riverside Shakespeare Company, Soldier and Sailors Monument, New York City, 1987.

Title role, Macbeth, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, Central Park, 1987.

Bottom, A Midsummer Night's Dream, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Anspacher Theatre, New York City, 1987–88.

Johnny, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, Manhattan Theatre Club, Stage I, New York City, c. 1987–89.

Pozzo, Waiting for Godot, Lincoln Center, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, New York City, 1988.

Title role, King Lear, American Repertory Theatre, Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge, MA, 1991.

Robert, A Life in the Theatre, Jewish Repertory Theatre, New York City, 1992.

Roy Cohn, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, 1994.

Roy Cohn, Angels in America: Perestroika, Walter Kerr Theatre, 1994.

Ignaty Ilich Shpigelsky, A Month in the Country, Roundabout Theatre Company, Criterion Center Stage Right, New York City, 1995.

Title role, King Lear, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Anspacher Theatre, 1996.

Lyman Feld, The Ride down Mount Morgan, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA, 1996.

Hermocrates, Triumph of Love (musical), Royale Theatre, 1997–98.

It's My Party (And I'll Die If I Want To) (also known as It's My Party), ArcLight Theatre Company, New York City, 1999.

Irving Mansfield, Paper Doll, Pittsburgh Public Theater at the O'Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh, PA, 2001, Duke University, Reynolds Industries Theatre, Durham, NC, 2002, some sources state that it was also produced on Broadway.

Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol (musical), Madison Square Garden, New York City, 2002.

Tonight at Eight (presentation of Pioneer awards), The Supper Club, New York City, 2003.

Dalton Trumbo, Trumbo: Red White and Blacklisted, Westside Theatre (Downstairs), New York City, 2003–2004.

Speaking voice of Vicomte Rimbaud, "The New Moon," City Center Encores! (operetta; also known as City Center Encores! The New Moon), New York City Center, New York City, 2003.

URFAST—A Staged Reading, Classic Stage Company, New York City, 2004.

Love 'n Courage (benefit productions), Theater for the New City, New York City, 2004, 2005.

Narrator, L'histoire du soldat (concert suite; also known as The Soldier's Tale), New York Philharmonic, New York City, 2005.

How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare (performance and discussion), Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York City, 2005.

Man & Boy, The Culture Project, 45 Bleecker, New York City, 2005.

The Tell-Tale Poe, Shakespeare & Company, Founders' Theatre, Lenox, MA, 2005.

The Mail Order Bride (benefit performance), Theatre Row Studios, New York City, 2006.

Also appeared in Biting the Apple, Blessing, The Dog Ran Away, Fables, The Fourteenth Dictator, An Opening in the Trees, Richard III, and Young Abe Lincoln. Arena Stage, Washington, DC, member of company, 1979–80; Mirror Repertory Company, New York City, member of company, 1985–86; member of street theatre groups, New York City, including Off-Center Theatre; member of TheatreWorks, Inc.

Major Tours:

Father, Don't Drink the Water, U.S. cities, 1966–67. And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, U.S. cities, 1972.

Stage Work:

Director of No Smoking Please, Time and Space Ltd. Theatre, New York City.

Television Appearances; Series:

Joshua Browne, How to Survive a Marriage, NBC, 1974–75.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Jacopo, Marco Polo, NBC and Radiotelevisione Italiana, 1982.

Abraham Lincoln, Dream West, CBS, 1986.

L'innominato, I promessi sposi (also known as The Betrothed), [Italy], 1988.

Pope Julius II, Michelangelo: A Season of Giants (also known as Michelangelo: The Last Giant and A Season of Giants), TNT, 1991.

Josef Stalin, The First Circle, CBC, 1991.

Voice, The West (also known as The Way West), PBS, 1995.

Colonel Caleb Cobb, Dead Man's Walk (also known as Larry McMurtry's "Dead Man's Walk'), ABC, 1996.

Lot, Noah's Ark (also known as Arche Noah—Das groesste Abenteuer der Menschheit), NBC, 1999.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Duke Skaggs, Sex and the Married Woman, NBC, 1977.

Eppur si muova! (also known as Galileo Galilei), [Italy and West Germany (now Germany)], 1989.

Goldstein, Il caso Dozier, [Italy], 1993.

Professor Harlech, Journey to the Center of the Earth, NBC, 1993.

Jim Sullivan, Color of Justice, Showtime, 1997.

Tommasso Buscetta, Cadaveri eccellenti (also known as Excellent Cadavers, Falcone, I giudici—vittime eccellenti, and Nella terra degli infideli), HBO, 1998.

Mordecai, Esther (also known as Die Bibel—Esther, Ester, and Ester regina di Persia), various networks, including France 2, Radiotelevisione Italiana, and Ceska Televize, 1999.

Bruno Rubin, The Darkling, USA Network, 2000.

Un dono semplice (also known as The Greatest Gift and Return to Bangalore), [Italy], 2000.

Narrator, Pompeii: The Last Day, BBC, 2003.

Some sources cite an appearance in Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe (also known as Silas Marner), BBC, 1985, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre (also known as ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre and Mobil Masterpiece Theatre), PBS, c. 1987.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Much Ado about Nothing, CBS, 1973.

Herman Melville, Herman Melville: Damned in Paradise (documentary; also known as Damned in Paradise), PBS, 1985.

Bernardo Gui, Die Abtei des Verbrechens: Umberto Ecos "Der Name der Rose!' wird verfilmt (documentary; also known as The Abbey of Crime: Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose"), [West Germany (now Germany)], 1986.

Patrick Henry, The Blessings of Liberty, ABC, 1987.

Narrator, "The Great San Francisco Earthquake," The American Experience, PBS, c. 1988.

Host, "Aida" (opera), The Metropolitan Opera Presents, PBS, 1989.

Host, "The Barber of Seville" (opera; also known as "Il barbiere di Siviglia"), The Metropolitan Opera Presents, PBS, 1989.

Host, "Bluebeard's Castle" (opera), The Metropolitan Opera Presents, PBS, 1989.

"The House I Live in," In Performance at the White House, PBS, 1989.

Host, "Der Ring des Nibelungen" (opera), The Metropolitan Opera Presents, PBS, 1990.

Host, Great Moments from the Met, PBS, 1990.

Narrator, "The Little Match Girl," HBO Storybook Musicals (animated musical), HBO, 1990.

Professor Leopold Nettles, "Largo Desolato" (also known as "Vaclav Havel's 'Largo Desolato'"), Great Performances, PBS, 1990.

Host, "The Magic Flute" (opera), The Metropolitan Opera Presents, PBS, 1991.

Host, "A Masked Ball from the Metropolitan Opera," Great Performances, PBS, 1991.

Host, "Semiramide" (opera; also known as "Semira-mide—Rossini—Metropolitan Opera"), The Metropolitan Opera Presents, PBS, 1991.

Narrator, "Hawaii: Strangers in Paradise," National Geographic Specials, PBS, 1991.

Himself, The Secrets of Dick Smith (documentary), 1991.

Narrator, Prisoners of the Brain (also known as Drugs and the Brain and The Infinite Voyage), PBS, 1991.

Host, "The Ghosts of Versailles" (opera), The Metropolitan Opera Presents, PBS, 1992.

Host, "The Girl of the Golden West from the Metropolitan Opera" (opera; also known as "The Girl of the Golden West"), Great Performances, PBS, 1992.

Host, "L'elisir d'amore" (opera), The Metropolitan Opera Presents, PBS, 1992.

Frank Lloyd Wright, 1071 Fifth Avenue: Frank Lloyd Wright & the Guggenheim Museum (also known as 1071 Fifth Ave.: Frank Lloyd Wright & the Story of the Guggenheim Museum), Bravo, 1994.

Narrator, "The Great White Shark," National Geographic Specials, NBC, 1995.

Narrator, Nile: River of Gods, The Discovery Channel, 1995.

Narrator, "Puma: Lion of the Andes" (also known as "Puma: Grey Ghost of Patagonia"), National Geographic Specials, NBC, 1996.

Himself, Betty Buckley, Arts and Entertainment, 1999.

Narrator, Exploring the High Frontier, NBC, 1999.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 57th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1985.

Presenter, The 58th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1986.

The 40th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1986.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Solly Nurse, "A Question of Answers," Kojak, CBS, 1975.

Unemployment case worker, "The Unemployment Story, Part One," All in the Family (also known as Justice for All and Those Were the Days), CBS, 1976.

Bobby Carr, "The Killing of a Porno Queen," The Andros Targets, CBS, 1977.

Eddie Gordon, "The Godson," Kojak, CBS, 1977.

Narrator, "Einstein Revealed," Nova, PBS, 1996.

Appeared as himself, "The Films of Milos Forman," The Directors, Encore; as Big Tony, Kojak, CBS; and in episodes of other series, including Love of Life, CBS.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Acky, Nightside, ABC, 1973.

Dr. Tony Menzies, A.E.S. Hudson Street, ABC, 1978.

Whitelaw, Dead Lawyers, Sci-Fi Channel, 2004.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Oscar's Greatest Moments, 1992.

The Making of "Amadeus," Warner Home Video, 2002.

The Making of "Thir13en Ghosts," Columbia/TriStar, 2002.

Star Trek: Insurrection Special Collectors Edition, Paramount, 2005.

Albums; with Others:

Triumph of Love (original Broadway cast recording), Jay Records, 1998.

The New Moon (cast recording), Ghostlight, 2004.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Entertainment Weekly, March 21, 1997, p. 92.

New Republic, September 16, 1996, p. 30.

Radio Times, June 2, 1990, p. 20.

Texas Monthly, July, 1997, p. 26.