Murphy had recently been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The actress died on Saturday at her home in New York City, her longtime agent, Alan Willig said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Murphy won an Emmy in 1976 for her work on the seminal miniseries 'Eleanor and Franklin', and was nominated the next year for her work on sequel 'Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years.'
The actress had a long career on the stage and was Tony nominated for lead actress in a play or featured actress in a play three times.
Murphy was also known for her work on soap operas.
Murphy was born in Munich, the daughter of a US diplomat. She attended Manhattanville College, studied acting with Sanford Meisner and made her feature debut in the 1949 German film 'Der Ruf.