Who is Mary Murphy?
Mary Murphy is an American ballroom dance champion, accredited dance judge, a judge, and a choreographer on the Fox dance competition-reality show So You Think You Can Dance. She graduated from Ohio University with a degree in physical education and a minor in modern dance. She also answered a newspaper advertisement for studio instructor trainees.
Murphy then became an instructor after only one week then the studio owner invited her to attend the United States Ballroom Championships in New York City. It was the event that influenced her to commit to a career in ballroom dancing. She moved to California to search for a dance partner while working as an instructor. Murphy met Manfred Stiglitz during the U.K Open Championships in England. They both began to compete and became the 1990 and 1991 Austrian National Champions.
Regardless of their success, the constant travels and her domestic commitments took their toll. In 1990, she had opened the Champion Ballroom Academy in San Diego. She found it difficult to split herself between these two obligations. For the following five years she went on to build a list of accomplishments with partners based in California. She earned titles at the Southwest Regional Dance Tournament, the Saint Louis Star Ball, and the International Grand Ball.
With her partner Bill Milner, she made the U.S. Open Standard final in an unparalleled six months. In 1996, she and partner Jim Desmond made the final of the U.S. Open American Smooth and they won the U.S. Open American Nine Dance. She shifted her focus toward her dance academy and then retired from competition. She also acted as a dance double for Julia Roberts in the movie Something to Talk About. Mary appeared in Dance With Me, starring Vanessa L. Williams.
She also appeared in the 2010 movie “Degrassi Takes Manhattan” as a worker at a casino wedding chapel. Murphy now runs her dance studio and also organizes a Los Angeles dance competition, the Hollywood Dancesport Championships. She frequently also serves as a judge in several competitions which include the U.S. National Ballroom Championships.
How Old is Mary Murphy?
She was born Mary Ann Murphy on March 9 in 1958 in Lancaster, Ohio, United States. She is 65 years old as of 2023. Murphy shares her birthdate with other famous people such as Bobby Fischer, Brittany Snow, Bow Wow, and Morgan Rielly, Matthew Gray Gubler, among others.
Mary Murphy Family
Murphy was born as the only daughter in a family of four children. Her father used to work as an elementary school teacher and her mother was a stay-at-home mom. She was left at home to take care of the family. Life with her three brothers led her to see herself not as the only daughter in her household, but as a fourth brother. Keeping up with her brothers left her with little empathy for typically feminine pastimes. She spent most of her free time after school and on weekends participating in sports. This included athletics such as track and field, basketball, volleyball, and football.
Mary Murphy Husband | Divorce
She has been married three times. She revealed that in her first marriage, which lasted nine years, she was a victim of domestic abuse. On Larry King Live in October 2010, she said she was finally speaking out so that other victims could learn from her experience. She states how she endured, but escaped domestic violence. However, her first husband denies abusing her in any way neither physically nor mentally.
In 2008, she divorced her third husband Phillip Gott in a friendly manner. Philip remains an employee of her ballroom dance academy. She announced that she made amends with her second husband in his final days battling cancer on May 28, 2011. She stated in her online blog on July 22, 2011, “As we said goodbye to the contestants, I’m also saying goodbye to my ex-husband today, as cancer has taken another special person from my life. Even though our marriage did not work out, we became good friends. I will miss him and I will always love him.”
Mary Murphy Net Worth
She has a net worth of $10 million dollars.
Mary Murphy Cancer
During the announcements of her return as a permanent judge for season 8 of So, You Think You Can Dance in 2011. It was then revealed that she had undergone treatment for thyroid cancer. Though there was a possibility that she would not be able to ever speak again, she is currently free of cancer with vocal cords intact.
Mary Murphy So You Think You Can Dance
She was part of the original guest judge and choreographer pool in 2005 when season 1 began. For season two in 2006, she made more appearances at the judging table. In 2007, before season 3, she was announced as a permanent judge, replacing Nigel Lythgoe.
She made guest appearances on international versions of So You Think You Can Dance in 2008. She appeared on So You Think You Can Dance Australia then So You Think You Can Dance Canada and also So You Think You Can Dance Scandinavia.
In 2008, She reprised her role as a judge on season 4 with fellow regular, Nigel Lythgoe. On the season finale, she performed a surprise samba with Dmitry Chaplin. She then continued as a weekly permanent judge on season 5 and season 6.
It was announced that Mia Michaels would replace Murphy as a permanent judge for season 7. Although absent most of the season, she appeared with a seat at the judging table for Vegas Week as well as the final episode. Murphy returned to replace Mia Michaels as a permanent judge for season 8 in 2011.