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Annie Murphy
Annie Murphy (cropped).jpg
Murphy in 2017
Born
Anne Frances Murphy

(1986-12-19) December 19, 1986 (age 37)
Occupation
  • Actress
Years active 2007–present
Spouse(s)
Menno Versteeg
(m. 2011)

Anne Frances Murphy (born December 19, 1986) is a Canadian actress. She rose to international recognition for her starring role as Alexis Rose in the sitcom Schitt's Creek (2015–2020), for which she garnered acclaim and won a Primetime Emmy Award and a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.

Murphy has since starred in the dark comedy series Kevin Can F**k Himself (2021–2022), the second season of the comedy-drama series Russian Doll (2022), and the episode "Joan Is Awful" of the anthology series Black Mirror (2023). She also had a voice role in the animated comedy film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023).

Early life

Murphy was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on December 19, 1986. Both her parents were teachers. She attended high school at Elmwood School in Ottawa, where she performed in stage productions.

Murphy enrolled at Queen's University for one year before transferring and receiving a degree in theatre performance at Concordia University. She then trained at the Canadian Film Centre Actors' Conservatory.

She moved to Los Angeles at age 22 to pursue a career in acting.

Career

Televisionaries CFC Annual Gala & Auction (15829471034) (cropped)
Murphy in February 2015

Murphy made her acting debut in the crime-thriller television film Lethal Obsession (2007). She continued to perform small and extra roles in various other Canadian films, such as Story of Jen (2008), Lick (2010), and A Windigo Tale (2010). She also appeared in several Canadian television series, including Good God (2012) and Rookie Blue (2012). She has said that, during this time, she was a "struggling actress" who "was begging to go in for comedies" but her resume had only drama.

She also appeared in numerous American television series, including The Beautiful Life: TBL (2009), Blue Mountain State (2010), Against the Wall (2011), and Beauty & the Beast (2012).

Murphy was considering quitting acting as a career path when, in 2013, she auditioned for and got the role of Alexis Rose on the CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek. She recalled in 2020, "My house had just burnt down, I had like, $3 in my bank account, I hadn't worked in close to two years. And I had just blown my very first screen test—like blown it, blown it, blown it… I found myself crying in the Pacific Ocean, a very snotty cry, and the universe was like, 'Don't do this anymore. This is not for you!' But then, two days later, I got the audition for Schitt's Creek." She played the character for the series' entire run of six seasons, from January 2015 until April 2020.

After six years in Montreal, Murphy moved to Toronto, where she co-created and starred in The Plateaus, a 2015 web series about four insufferable musicians. Her performance in the show earned her a nomination at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards for Best Performance in a Program or Series Produced for Digital Media. At the same ceremony, Murphy was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in Schitt's Creek. She earned the same nomination for this performance in 2018, 2019, and 2020. It also brought her nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2019 Critics' Choice Television Awards, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Best Actress in a Breakthrough Role at the 2019 Gracie Awards, the latter of which she won. In September 2020, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in the final season of Schitt's Creek.

In February 2020, she was cast as the lead in AMC's television dark comedy series Kevin Can F**k Himself. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, production of the show was delayed by several months, but resumed in September 2020.

In 2020, Murphy appeared in a holiday advertising campaign for Hudson's Bay department stores opposite her Schitt's Creek co-star Catherine O'Hara. She also appeared in a series of ads for meal-kit company HelloFresh, including in a soap-opera style web series titled Hungry Hearts. In January 2021, she appeared in a commercial for Nintendo Switch, appearing in one scene opposite her real-life mother. .....

In 2022, Murphy portrayed young Ruth Brenner in the Netflix comedy-drama series Russian Doll. In 2023, she appeared opposite Salma Hayek in an episode of the Netflix anthology series Black Mirror, titled "Joan Is Awful".

Activism

Murphy is an ambassador for the global relief agency Care Canada. In 2019, she visited Jordan to learn about Care's efforts to empower women and girls in the region. In January 2021, she donated proceeds from the auction of her first red carpet dress to Encampment Support Network, a not-for-profit that helps Toronto's homeless people.

Personal life

Murphy married singer and musician Menno Versteeg, lead singer of the bands Hollerado and Anyway Gang, in August 2011. In 2013, a fire occurred at their home; the two were uninjured but lost most of their belongings.

Murphy has a tattoo of James Stewart's silhouette on her wrist, citing his "heartbreaking, sweet, and funny" performance in Harvey as one of her influences.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Story of Jen Ana
2010 Lick Jennifer
A Windigo Tale Friend in Art Gallery
2012 Overwatch Clare Short film
2014 Saturday Night Special Charlotte Short film
2023 Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken Queen Nerissa (voice)
Fingernails Natasha

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Lethal Obsession Sarah Television film
2007 The Business Lawyer Episode: "Lance-A-Lot"
2008 Picture This Kid on Phone Television film
2009 The Beautiful Life: TBL Sarah Episode: "Pilot"
2010 Blue Mountain State Jill 2 episodes
2011 Against the Wall Tanya Episode: "Memories We Fear"
2012 Beauty & the Beast Amy Episode: "Saturn Returns"
2012 Flashpoint Daycare Worker #2 Episode: "Keep the Peace (Part 1)"
2012 Good God Tara Episode: "The Naked Truth"
2012 Rookie Blue Angela Kehoe Episode: "Girls' Night Out"
2015 The Plateaus Morgan 10 episodes
2015–2020 Schitt's Creek Alexis Rose 80 episodes
2021–2022 Crank Yankers Angela (voice) 3 episodes
2021 American Dad! Klaus' Date (voice) Episode: "Flush After Reading"
2021 Robot Chicken Various voices Episode: "May Cause Immaculate Conception"
2021–2022 Kevin Can F**k Himself Allison McRoberts 16 episodes
2022 Murderville Herself Episode: "Murder by Soup"
2022 Russian Doll Ruth Brenner 5 episodes
2022 Fairfax Various voices Episode: "Career Day"
2023 Black Mirror Joan Tait / Herself Episode: "Joan Is Awful"
2023 Praise Petey Petra "Petey" St. Barts (voice) 10 episodes
2024 Nine Perfect Strangers Imogen Season 2

Music videos

Year Title Role Artist
2011 "Good Day at the Races" Woman Hollerado
2014 "Desire 126" Woman 1
2018 "I Really Like You" Tom Little Junior
2020 "The Shining But Tropical" Woman Wild Pink

Discography

Singles

Title Year Peak positions Album
US
Dance
Dig.
"Yng Luv" (as part of The Plateaus) 2014 Non-album single
"A Little Bit Alexis" 2019 21 Non-album single

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result Ref.
2014
Juno Awards Recording Package of the Year White Paint Nominated
2016 Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance in a Program or Series Produced for Digital Media The Plateaus Nominated
Best Actress in a Comedy Series Schitt's Creek Nominated
2018
Canadian Screen Awards Nominated
2019 Canadian Screen Awards Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
Gracie Awards Best Actress in a Breakthrough Role Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
2020 Canadian Screen Awards Best Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
Dorian Awards TV Musical Performance of the Year ("A Little Bit Alexis") Nominated
Best TV Performance – Supporting Actress Won
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Won
2021 Canadian Screen Awards Best Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Comedic Performance Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Annie Murphy para niños

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