F. Murray Abraham was born on October 24, 1939, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to a Syrian father, Fred Abraham, and an Italian-American mother, Josephine Stello Abraham. He was raised in El Paso, Texas, and was given the name "Murray" at birth, later adding an "F." to distinguish his stage name.
Abraham began his career as a stage actor, making his screen debut as an usher in George C. Scott's comedy They Might Be Giants in 1971. By the mid-1970s, he had steady employment as an actor, appearing in commercials and voice-over work. He also had small roles in films such as Serpico, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Sunshine Boys, and All the President's Men.
Despite these early successes, Abraham grew frustrated with the lack of substantial roles and decided to give up commercials and voice-over work in 1978. He and his wife, Kate Hannan, decided to switch roles, with her becoming an assistant and him becoming a "house husband." During this time, he appeared in a few films, including Scarface, and gained visibility voicing a talking bunch of grapes in Fruit of the Loom commercials.
Abraham's breakthrough role came in 1984 when he played the part of Antonio Salieri in Amadeus, a role that earned him the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. He was also honored with a Golden Globe and other awards for his performance. His iconic role as Salieri was widely praised, and his work in the film is still considered some of his best.
After Amadeus, Abraham appeared in The Name of the Rose, in which he played Bernardo Gui, the nemesis of Sir Sean Connery's character. Despite reports of tension on set, the film was a critical success. Abraham had tired of playing villains and wanted to return to his background in comedy, and he has since appeared in a variety of films and television shows.
