thedrifter
03-16-06, 07:12 AM
Former Leatherneck yearns for the footlights of acting
By LESTER R. DAILEY
Tampa Bay Newspapers
CLEARWATER – Most Americans saw the newsreels of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Baghdad being pulled down by an American armored vehicle. But John Murray saw it with his own eyes.
“That was my unit,” Murray said in a recent interview. “We thought the war was won at that point.”
Murray, 23, is a 2001 graduate of Dunedin High School, where he was in the Thespian Society and chorus and dreamed of a career in the theater. But first, he decided to try a hitch in the Marine Corps.
“It was just something I wanted to do for four years to test myself,” he explained.
A month into boot camp, the drill instructors told the recruits that there had been terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. At first the recruits were skeptical, thinking it was part of the training, but they soon realized it was real.
“Nine-eleven changed a lot of things,” Murray said. “It was scary all of a sudden.”
He was assigned to the 1st Marine Division, one of the first units into Baghdad. It was to be the first of three six-month tours in Iraq, where he alternated between being a truck driver and machine gunner in convoys.
On subsequent tours, he was stationed at the Hidatha Dam and in Faluja. In an ambush on the way to Faluja, three of Murray’s friends were wounded and their lieutenant was killed.
Since getting out of the Marines in August, Murray has been taking whatever acting parts he can get. He recently finished playing Prince John, the whiny youngest son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, in The Lion in Winter, at the Francis Wilson Playhouse in Clearwater.
“The Lion in Winter was a great experience,” he said. “I made some great friends, and it was a privilege to work with everyone who was on stage with me.”
The Pinellas County native will soon appear in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, at the Broadway Theater in Tampa, and he may someday head for the real Broadway.
“I plan on staying in this area for a while but I may move to New York, depending on how things go here,” he said. “I’m trying to build up my resume and get into professional acting. I’ve never done anything on camera and I’d love to try it, but right now I really enjoy being on the stage.”
Murray, who enjoys writing short stories, says he might write a book or screenplay some day. And he’ll probably draw upon his experiences in Iraq.
“It’s always a good idea to write about your own experience,” he said.
In the meantime, Murray and two friends have formed a nonprofit organization, which has not yet been named, to encourage budding actors, singers and dancers in this area.
“We’re looking for local businesses to get involved with us as sponsors,” he said. “Anyone who is interested should call our president, Stuart Best, at 698-4507.”
Ellie
By LESTER R. DAILEY
Tampa Bay Newspapers
CLEARWATER – Most Americans saw the newsreels of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Baghdad being pulled down by an American armored vehicle. But John Murray saw it with his own eyes.
“That was my unit,” Murray said in a recent interview. “We thought the war was won at that point.”
Murray, 23, is a 2001 graduate of Dunedin High School, where he was in the Thespian Society and chorus and dreamed of a career in the theater. But first, he decided to try a hitch in the Marine Corps.
“It was just something I wanted to do for four years to test myself,” he explained.
A month into boot camp, the drill instructors told the recruits that there had been terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. At first the recruits were skeptical, thinking it was part of the training, but they soon realized it was real.
“Nine-eleven changed a lot of things,” Murray said. “It was scary all of a sudden.”
He was assigned to the 1st Marine Division, one of the first units into Baghdad. It was to be the first of three six-month tours in Iraq, where he alternated between being a truck driver and machine gunner in convoys.
On subsequent tours, he was stationed at the Hidatha Dam and in Faluja. In an ambush on the way to Faluja, three of Murray’s friends were wounded and their lieutenant was killed.
Since getting out of the Marines in August, Murray has been taking whatever acting parts he can get. He recently finished playing Prince John, the whiny youngest son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, in The Lion in Winter, at the Francis Wilson Playhouse in Clearwater.
“The Lion in Winter was a great experience,” he said. “I made some great friends, and it was a privilege to work with everyone who was on stage with me.”
The Pinellas County native will soon appear in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, at the Broadway Theater in Tampa, and he may someday head for the real Broadway.
“I plan on staying in this area for a while but I may move to New York, depending on how things go here,” he said. “I’m trying to build up my resume and get into professional acting. I’ve never done anything on camera and I’d love to try it, but right now I really enjoy being on the stage.”
Murray, who enjoys writing short stories, says he might write a book or screenplay some day. And he’ll probably draw upon his experiences in Iraq.
“It’s always a good idea to write about your own experience,” he said.
In the meantime, Murray and two friends have formed a nonprofit organization, which has not yet been named, to encourage budding actors, singers and dancers in this area.
“We’re looking for local businesses to get involved with us as sponsors,” he said. “Anyone who is interested should call our president, Stuart Best, at 698-4507.”
Ellie