Maureen Murphy (comedian)

Maureen "Mauro" Murphy (20 January 1940 - 13 December 2018)[1] was a British-born Australian comedian, actress, and celebrity who enjoyed some popularity in the United States during the 1980s, where she made several appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She also appeared on HBO, An Evening at the Improv and on Dom DeLuise's television show.[2][3][4]

An article written at the time of her rise in popularity states Murphy was “born in England and raised in Rhodesia and Australia”.[5] Murphy was born to her parents Gladys Florence (née Norman) and John Murphy on January 20, 1940. She had a sister, Eileen Norma Murphy, with whom she formed an act known as the “Digeridoo sisters” upon arriving in Hollywood.[6]

In later years she worked on a film project directed and written with her mother, Gladys Florence (1913-2013),[7] eventually released in 2018 as Caravaggio and My Mother the Pope.[8][1]

  1. ^ a b Maureen Murphy profile, IMDB.com; accessed 21 March 2022.
  2. ^ Television; Of Special Interest 25 November 1980 Page C19 New York Times (subscription required)
  3. ^ Maureen Murphy profile, The Comics Comic. Accessed 21 March 2022.
  4. ^ Lawrence Christon MURPHY IS DEMURE AND DIVERSE, Los Angeles Times, The Comedy Column, pg. K57 (20 September 1981).
  5. ^ Lawrence Christon, “The Comedy Column: Murphy is Demure and Diverse”, Los Angeles Times, September 20, 1981.
  6. ^ Eichler, Alan. “Virginia O’Brian, Maureen Murphy – Rare 1984 tv interview.” Skip E Lowe Interview, filmed 1984, 23:50. Posted December 17, 2016.
  7. ^ "Life as performance art for a family not bound by typical assumptions". Los Angeles Times. 20 December 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  8. ^ Caravaggio and My Mother the Pope at IMDb