Don Murray, Marilyn Monroe's 'Bus Stop' Co-Star, Dies at 94

Don Murray, Marilyn Monroe's handsome leading man in the classic film "Bus Stop" — for which he was Oscar-nominated — died Friday at 94, The New York Times reports.

His son, the actor Christopher Murray, confirmed the his death.

Murray was noted for how his faith guided his early work, leading to performances in several dramas driven by social justice issues. In his personal life, he was a conscientious objector during the Korean War, and with his first wife, the late Hope Lange, founded the Homeless European Land Program, which aided over 100 refugees in establishing new lives on Sardinia.

Born July 31, 1929, in Hollywood to entertainer parents — his mom had been a Ziegfeld Girl — he grew up on Long Island in New York, where he was a high school sports star.

He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, at which time he took parts on such early TV series as "Studio One" (1950), "Robert Montgomery Presents" (1952), and "Appointment with Adventure" (1956).

On Broadway, he appeared in the Tennessee Williams play "The Rose Tattoo" in 1951 and "The Skin of Our Teeth" (1954).

Thanks to his performance in the latter, Murray was cast opposite the white-hot superstar Marilyn Monroe in the film adaptation of William Inge's 1955 play "Bus Stop." The film was a dramatic departure for Monroe, but while she failed to secure an Oscar nomination, newcomer Don Murray received a nod for Best Supporting Actor as well as a BAFTA nomination.

He had been Monroe's last surviving leading man at the time of his death.

Other films included "The Bachelor Party" (1957), "A Hatful of Rain" (1957), "Advise & Consent" (1962), "The Viking Queen" (1967), "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972), "Endless Love" (1981), and "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986).

Along with more than two dozen made-for-TV movies, his many TV appearances included being a series regular on "The Outcasts" (1968-1969), whose co-lead Otis Young was the first Black star of a TV western.

Murray played Sid Fairgate on more than 30 episodes of the nighttime soap "Knot's Landing" (1979-1981) and played the pivotal role of insurance CEO Bushnell Mullins on eight episodes of "Twin Peaks" (2017).

After "Twin Peaks," he acted once more, in the 2021 film "Promise."

Throughout his career, Murray worked with everyone from Charles Laughton to Eva Marie Saint to Brooke Shields, making him a popular and frequent guest at autograph conventions.

He is survived by his five children.