Acting
Murray Hamilton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Murray Hamilton (March 24, 1923 – September 1, 1986) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as Mayor Larry Vaughn in the 1975 film "Jaws" and its sequels, "Jaws 2" and "Jaws: The Revenge". Hamilton also starred in several other well-known films such as "The Graduate", "The Hustler" and "The Amityville Horror". He had a long career in both film and TV and appeared in over 70 films and TV series. Early life Hamilton was born in Washington, North Carolina. He displayed an early interest in performing during his days at Washington High School just before America's entry into World War II. Bad hearing kept him from enlisting, so he moved to New York City as a 19-year-old to find a career on stage. Career In an early role, he performed on stage with Henry Fonda in the wartime story Mister Roberts as a replacement for David Wayne, playing Ensign Pulver. In 1960, he was onstage again with Fonda in Critic's Choice; Howard Taubman of The New York Times called him "properly obnoxious as the director". Hamilton was teamed once more with Fonda in 1968 for the drama film The Boston Strangler. Hamilton's best-known performance is as Larry Vaughn, the mayor of Amity, in the Steven Spielberg thriller Jaws (1975). Hamilton reprised the role in the sequel, Jaws 2 in 1978. He had agreed to reprise the role again in Jaws: The Revenge, but died in 1986, before production began. He was just 63 years old. Hamilton complained in a newspaper article about being typecast, stating "After I was first cast as a heavy on The Untouchables, I couldn't ever persuade them [producers] that I could also do something else." While comic roles were rare for Hamilton during his Hollywood career, he had one opposite Andy Griffith in the 1958 military comedy No Time for Sergeants, as well as an appearance in Steven Spielberg's raucous comedy 1941, released in 1979. He also appeared in a comedic guest spot on Mama's Family in the second-season episode "Mama Cries Uncle" as Uncle Roy. He was more often cast in dramatic works, such as the science-fiction drama Seconds (1966), which starred Rock Hudson. In his most high-profile performances, Hamilton appeared with Paul Newman in The Hustler (1961), playing Findley, a wealthy billiards player who gambles for high stakes, and with Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate (1967) as Mr. Robinson, husband of the seductress Mrs. Robinson. In 1975, Hamilton appeared again with Newman in The Drowning Pool. He also worked with Robert Redford in a pair of films, The Way We Were (1973) and Brubaker (1980). In early 1982 he appeared as a judge presiding over an impromptu court case on an episode of Bret Maverick. Death Hamilton died of lung cancer at age 63, and is interred at Oakdale Cemetery in his native Washington, North Carolina. He and his wife, Terri DeMarco Hamilton (of The DeMarco Sisters), had a son, David. CLR
Filmography
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
Film · 2025
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Film · 1987
The Last Days of Patton
Film · 1986
Whoops Apocalypse
Film · 1986
Blacke's Magic
Series · 1986
The Golden Girls
Series · 1985
Hail to the Chief
Series · 1985
Too Scared to Scream
Film · 1984
Cover Up
Series · 1984
Murder, She Wrote
Series · 1984
Summer Girl
Film · 1983
Mama's Family
Series · 1983
Mazes and Monsters
Film · 1982
Hysterical
Film · 1982
Matt Houston
Series · 1982
All the Way Home
Film · 1981
Bret Maverick
Series · 1981
Brubaker
Film · 1980
Swan Song
Film · 1980
1941
Film · 1979
The Amityville Horror
Film · 1979
Donovan's Kid
Film · 1979
A Last Cry for Help
Film · 1979
B. J. and the Bear
Series · 1979
Jaws 2
Film · 1978
Casey's Shadow
Film · 1978
Damnation Alley
Film · 1977
Killer on Board
Film · 1977
Murder at the World Series
Film · 1977
Alice
Series · 1976
Rich Man, Poor Man
Series · 1976
Jaws
Film · 1975
The Drowning Pool
Film · 1975
Ellery Queen
Series · 1975
After the Fall
Film · 1974
The Way We Were
Film · 1973
Incident on a Dark Street
Film · 1973
Murdock's Gang
Film · 1973
Hawkins
Series · 1973
Kojak
Series · 1973
Police Story
Series · 1973
Needles and Pins
Series · 1973
Barnaby Jones
Series · 1973
Deadly Harvest
Film · 1972
The Streets of San Francisco
Series · 1972
The Failing of Raymond
Film · 1971
The Harness
Film · 1971
Cannon
Film · 1971
A Tattered Web
Film · 1971
Cannon
Series · 1971
McMillan & Wife
Series · 1971
Vanished
Series · 1971
Night Gallery
Series · 1970
McCloud
Series · 1970
McCloud
Series · 1970
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium
Film · 1969
Medical Center
Series · 1969
Medical Center
Series · 1969
The Boston Strangler
Film · 1968
No Way to Treat a Lady
Film · 1968
The Brotherhood
Film · 1968
Danger Has Two Faces
Film · 1968
Sergeant Ryker
Film · 1968
The Graduate
Film · 1967
A Bell for Adano
Film · 1967
Judd, for the Defense
Series · 1967
The Invaders
Series · 1967
Seconds
Film · 1966
An American Dream
Film · 1966
Mission: Impossible
Series · 1966
The Man Who Never Was
Series · 1966
Inherit the Wind
Film · 1965
The F.B.I.
Series · 1965
Run for Your Life
Series · 1965
The F.B.I.
Series · 1965
The F.B.I.
Series · 1965
The F.B.I.
Series · 1965
13 Frightened Girls
Film · 1963
The Cardinal
Film · 1963
Papa's Delicate Condition
Film · 1963
Kraft Suspense Theatre
Series · 1963
The Fugitive
Series · 1963
The Fugitive
Series · 1963
The Farmer's Daughter
Film · 1962
The Eleventh Hour
Series · 1962
The Hustler
Film · 1961
Target: The Corruptors!
Series · 1961
Dr. Kildare
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
Dr. Kildare
Series · 1961
The DuPont Show of the Week
Series · 1961
Tall Story
Film · 1960
Escape to Sonoita
Film · 1960
Route 66
Series · 1960
The FBI Story
Film · 1959
Anatomy of a Murder
Film · 1959
The Twilight Zone
Series · 1959
Men Into Space
Series · 1959
Love and Marriage
Series · 1959
Houseboat
Film · 1958
Darby's Rangers
Film · 1958
No Time for Sergeants
Film · 1958
Too Much, Too Soon
Film · 1958
Naked City
Series · 1958
Naked City
Series · 1958
The Spirit of St. Louis
Film · 1957
Jeanne Eagels
Film · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
Series · 1957
The Real McCoys
Series · 1957
Toward the Unknown
Film · 1956
The Girl He Left Behind
Film · 1956
The Big Slide
Film · 1956
Wire Service
Series · 1956
Wire Service
Series · 1956
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1955
The Millionaire
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Inner Sanctum
Series · 1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
Series · 1954
Letter to Loretta
Series · 1953
Bright Victory
Film · 1951
The Whistle at Eaton Falls
Film · 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Series · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Series · 1951
Lux Video Theatre
Series · 1950
Suspense
Series · 1949
Studio One
Series · 1948
The Philco Television Playhouse
Series · 1948
Something for the Boys
Film · 1944
Song of the Open Road
Film · 1944
Reckless Age
Film · 1944