F. Murray Abraham: More Than Just Salieri Quiz

Answer: Fahrid

Fahrid Murray Abraham was born in Pittsburgh to a Syrian father and Italian mother. Abraham's father fled Syria during a famine in the 1920s. Abraham was educated at the University of Texas and excelled in drama. He married Kate Hannan in 1962.

Answer: They Might be Giants

"They Might Be Giants" was a 1971 film that was never released in the US. The film starred George C. Scott as a millionaire imagining himself as Sherlock Holmes and Joanne Woodward as his psychiatrist. Abraham played an usher.

Answer: Serpico

"Serpico" was the Sidney Lumet movie, based on the true story of the New York police officer who famously testified against police corruption. "Serpico" was nominated for three Grammy Awards and starred Al Pacino as the undercover cop.

Answer: Texas-Austin

After graduating from college, Abraham studied under Uta Hagen in New York. He made his professional stage debut in Los Angeles in a production of Ray Bradbury's "THe Wonderful Ice Cream Suit".

Answer: Bernardo Gui

"The Name of the Rose" centered around a death inside an abbey. The Jean-Jacques Annaud film starred Sean Connery as William and Christian Slater as Asdo. Gui was an inquisitor during the time of Pope Clement V, who was trying to find those responsible for the deaths in the abbey.

Answer: Mighty Aphrodite

"Mighty Aphrodite" was about a sportswriter (Woody Allen) who searched for the biological mother (Best Supporting Actress winner Mira Sorvino) of his adopted son. The movie was based on the classic Greek play "Pygmalion." Sorvino herself would become one of the many victims of what Leonard Maltin has termed 'F. Murray Abraham Syndrome,' as Sorvino's other work has been mostly television movies, guest spots on TV shows, and independent films.

Answer: Insurrection

"Insurrection" (1998) contained the cast of "The Next Generation". Abraham played the Son'a leader, whose tribe was trying to steal the star planet of peaceful rival Baku for themselves. "Insurrection" was not as highly received as the previous movie, "First Contact".

Answer: Finding Forrester

"Finding Forrester" (2000) was about a teenager (Rob Brown) who got accepted into a prestigious high school and befriended a reclusive writer (Sean Connery). Murray played Robert Crawford. Others who appeared in the movie included Busta Rhymes, Anna Paquin, and Matt Damon.
"Finding Forrester" received positive reviews and was initially (in 2000) in a 200-theater release. After wider release, the movie netted over $80 million worldwide.

By the way, the two also appeared in "The Name of the Rose" (1980) as opponents; Connery was a friar sent to a monastery to investigate a murder, and Abraham was the head of the Inquisition.

Answer: El Paso

As a teenager, Abraham became involved in one of El Paso's gangs, using knives and chains instead of guns. He walked away from the lifestyle after a drama teacher gave him Marc Antony's famous "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" speech to read.

Answer: Saving Grace

Abraham played the angel of a murder victim trying to win Grace (Holly Hunter, who won an Oscar in 1993 for "The Piano"). He was trying to be different from her regular angel Earl (Leon Rippy) who was trying to reform Grace from her past.

Abraham's other work included "The Bridge of San Luis Rey", "Thir13en Ghosts", "Muppets from Space", "A House Divided" and a comedy released in Italy, with a translated title of "Too Much Romance...It's Time for Stuffed Peppers". A full list of Abraham's works can be found on the Internet Movie Database website.