Don Murray, beloved as William Sidney “Sid” Fairgate on Knots Landing, has died. He was 94. His passing was reported by his son Christopher to the New York Times. No cause of death has been given.
In Memoriam
Nearly 45 years ago, Murray made his debut as Sid on Dallas spinoff Knots Landing. His character was the moral compass of Seaview Circle as he listened to the problems of his neighbors and loved his wife Karen (Michele Lee) and their three children, Diana (Claudia Lonow), Eric (the late Steve Shaw), and Michael (Patrick Peterson). Sid had a daughter Annie (Karen Allen, Raiders of the Lost Ark), who appeared in the premiere of Knots.
While Knots was the show that introduced him to soap opera viewers, Murray is also known for his performance in the film Bus Stop, which starred Marilyn Monroe. The actor earned an Academy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor for his work in that movie.
Murray was born Donald Patrick Murray in Los Angeles on July 31, 1929, to Dennis Aloysius Murray, a Broadway dance director/stage manager, and Ethel (Cook) Murray, a former Ziegfeld Follies performer. After attending East Rockaway High School where he played football and ran track, Murray attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his Broadway debut in the play The Rose Tattoo.
Murray worked regularly in films and TV, but it was Knots that made him a household name. He not only acted on Knots, but he also wrote two episodes that aired in 1980. Murray opted to exit the show the following year. Primetime soaps are known for their big cliffhanger moments. In poor Sid’s case, there was a literal cliffhanger as stolen car parts dealers rigged the breaks on his car. Sid drove off a cliff and died at the beginning of the following season after opting to undergo a dangerous operation. Viewers were shocked by Sid’s death as producers still included him in the opening credits, giving the illusion that Murray was going to continue on in the show.
“Don Murray….my Sid Fairgate,” Michele Lee posted on Instagram in tribute to her late TV husband. “May you shine even brighter.”
While Sid was gone, he was referred to on occasion and thought of often by his family and friends just as loved ones are in real-life. Karen referred to Sid’s fatal surgery to Anne (Michelle Phillips) after her daughter Paige (Nicollette Sheridan) had been shot and needed to go under the knife in a later season. Murray appeared in Knots Landing: Together Again, a reunion program that aired in 2005.
TV daughter Lonow posted on Instagram: “Great guy. Great actor. Great tv dad.”
Off-screen, Murray was wed to actress Hope Lange (The Ghost and Mrs. Muir), his Bus Stop co-star. They had two children, Christopher and Patricia. Following their divorce, Murray wed Elizabeth Johnson. They have three children, Coleen, Sean, and Michael. Soap Hub sends condolences to Murray’s family and friends at this difficult time.
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