Timothy Patrick Murphy [obituary]. Variety (New York). v.333:no.9, p.60, 12/21/1988.

Timothy Patrick Murphy, 29, TV and film actor probably best known for his role as Mickey Trotter on "Dallas," died Dec. 6 in Sherman Oaks, Calif., of AIDS.

Born in Hartford, Conn, Murphy began his acting career at age 15 doing tv commercials, later going to work with Richard Boone in "The Bushido Blade," shot in Japan. Joseph Papp cast Murphy in the off-Broadway play "The Good Citizen" which led to work in tv. He guest-starred on "The Paper Chase," Chips," "The Love Boat," "Teachers Only," "Quincy" and "Hunter." He was awarded a Youth in Film Award for his work in episodic tv.

He starrred in the miniseries "Centennial" and costarred with Kate Mulgrew in the tv movie "Time for Miracles."

While living in New York, he spent two years on the CBS soap "Search for Tomorrow" before landing the role on "Dallas."

After "Dallas," Murphy portrayed the lead role in Michael Landon's autobiographical film "Sam's Son," for which he was awarded a National Assn. of Theater Owners Award for Newcomer of the Year. He later starred in the ABC series "Glitter" and most recently costarred in the film "Doin' Time on Planet Earth" for Cannon Films.

Survived by his parents, two brothers and a sister.

Selected Credits

Television

• The Seekers (1979): "Jarod Kent"
• A Time for Miracles (1980)
• Hunter: "True Confessions," 11/22/86, "Jeffrey Wyatt"
• Dallas, 1982-83: "Mickey Trotter"
• Chips: "In the Best of Families," 2/21/82, "Alex"
• Love Boat: "Caribbean Pts 1-2: Call Me Grandma / A Gentleman of Discretion / The Perfect Divorce / Letting Go"
• Glitter, 1984: "Chip Craddock"

Films

• Sam's Son: Michael Landon's Own Story (1982)
• Sam's Son (1984)
• Doin' Time on Planet Earth (1988)

From: Seventeen, v. 43 (Dec. '84) p. 69-70+ il pors. By Edwin Miller.

"Timothy Patrick Murphy: most likely to succeed."

Abstract: Perseverance--that's what's marked Tim Murphy's rise to TV and movie stardom. The handsome twenty-four year old became convinced he had to become an actor after watching a performance of Godspell as a teenager. College was never in his plans; instead, he hit New York City in search of acting work. After parts as a movie extra and a few commercials, his hard work paid off when he got a part in a samurai film starring Richard Boone, a man he credits as a big influence.

The breakthrough, however, came with NBC's soap "Search for Tomorrow," which in turn led to his part in this season's "Glitter." The really big news for Murphy watchers is his starring role in Michael Landon's new, semiautobiographical film, Sam's Son. Tim admits to dating actress Sarah Jessica Parker and reckons that it's good for both halves of a couple to have lives they can call their own.

"Several in Hollywood knew that [Brad] Davis visited the occasional gay bar or adult theatre and a geographical assortment of bathhouses. A few admitted to having slept with him. One was Timothy Patrick Murphy, who played Mickey, Charlene Tilton's lover on Dallas. Before he died of AIDS at 29 in 1988, he informed Gold magazine:

'I caught Brad in (Joe Orton's) play Entertaining Mr. Sloane in the early '80s, and a few years later he was living in Studio City near L.A. I had a friend there, on Camellia Drive, who I used to trick with. I knew Brad informally, and at some point I mentioned Studio City and my friend, who was tall and not very dark but awfully handsome. [My friend was] not an actor, which was an inducement, because actors prefer having sex outside the industry, when possible. . . . To cut a long story short, we used to drive over to Camellia separately, and have three-ways. But when my friend moved out of town, Brad had nothing more to do with me. I'm not exactly chopped liver, or short-changed in any way. I think he fled because he didn't want it to possibly get around that he and another actor were making it together. Like I was gonna tell! This is Hollywood, where the money's big-time and the closet's as wide and as friendly as Texas.'