Sam McMurray is someone that a lot of people can probably recognize since they’ve seen him numerous times over the years. He’s been in so many movies and TV shows that it’s hard not to think that he’s been in just about anything and everything a person has ever seen. That’s a huge exaggeration of course, but it’s still funny to think about since the guy has been one of those that has the right look and attitude for the same type of role in so many projects that it’s not hard at all to think of why he’s been selected. The powerful build, broad shoulders, square jaw, and cocky attitude that he can bring to bear so easily have landed him the stereotypical role of that one guy that many people have met and think is a giant pain in the backside but is somehow blessed in life when no one can figure how or why. In short, he plays the jerk character that somehow gets ahead and drives everyone else crazy such he doesn’t appear to deserve what he has. But he’s also played the type of character that you can’t help but like since he is the kind of guy that has a nice smile and could be your next-door neighbor and best buddy. That’s a big part of why Sam is such a great actor.
One role that a lot of people might not remember him in is that of Andy from an episode of Married…With Children, in which he plays a homosexual man that asks Peggy to dance when she goes out one night with Marcy. Peggy has no idea that Andy is gay, and at the same Andy’s husband shows up at the Bundy household and tells Al that his husband is stepping out with Al’s wife. Obviously Al isn’t too broken up about this, and his usual stance towards homosexuals is challenged when he figures out that Pete, Andy’s husband, can cook and clean and does both for Al. A lot of people might have an issue with this episode since it doesn’t really take on the presence of homosexuality as it does kind of take advantage of it. But the episode is still funny since Sam plays the part of Andy in a manner that’s not so over the top and definitely not quite as obvious as other depictions of gay men have been in the history of television. Speaking plainly, both Andy and Pete play like regular individuals, like so many gay men actually are, which actually broke with tradition on the show since if one watched every season there have been flamboyant gay characters and then there were Pete and Andy, who were as down to earth as they could be.
Another role that Sam took on was that of Don Buckman in Addams Family Values, and this is one of the roles in which he was the kind of guy that a person might rather envision dragging behind their car while going top speed with a big smile on their face since he was a jerk and was perhaps even a bit of a bigot since he and his wife snickered and made fun of the kids who were selected to play the part of the indigenous people in the play near the end of the movie. It might be reaching, but that was one perception of the scene at least. In any case, Don was a character that a person might want to see get their comeuppance, but it never really happened since, well, it’s a comedy, and taking a pie to the face was deemed as good enough after watching their daughter being threatened with immolation. His role as Glen in Raising Arizona was pretty hilarious too since he played another jerk that really had it coming by the time it finally happened. That’s the thing, Sam can play guys that the audience can’t stand, and then in small roles such as the one he had in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, he was the nice guy that worked in an office and was more or less just there to offer a friendly ear and a quick pick me up.
There are plenty of actors in Hollywood that are skilled like this and a lot of them are crucial to the business since they fill a very important niche that people will their skill sets are perfect for when it comes to rounding out a cast. Sam has definitely aged quite a bit, but it makes a person remember that he’s been around for a long time and has earned every single accolade he has. Given that he’s still around it’s not certain if he’s ever going to retire or not, but until that day comes, he’s one actor that’s easy to enjoy no matter who he plays.
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