If you started watching The 100 back in 2014, you probably wanted to see John Murphy get floated. Honestly, most of us did. He was the kid who urinated on someone just for the sake of being a jerk. He was "John No. 1," a background delinquent meant to be fodder for the Grounders or a quick lesson in why mob justice is bad. But then something weird happened. Richard Harmon happened.
Instead of dying in a ditch in Season 1, Richard Harmon’s Murphy became the soul of the show. By the time the series wrapped in 2020, he wasn't just a survivor; he was the one character you actually trusted to tell the truth. Why? Because while everyone else was busy playing "savior of the human race," Murphy was busy making sure his heart kept beating.
From "John No. 1" to a Series Regular
It’s kinda crazy to think that Richard Harmon originally auditioned for Bellamy Blake. Can you imagine that? He’s even admitted in interviews that he knew he wouldn't get it. The role didn't have his name written on it. But showrunner Jason Rothenberg saw something in Harmon’s "John No. 1." He saw a spark of genuine, unlikable humanity.
Rothenberg actually emailed Harmon after the pilot. He told him he liked what he was doing and gave the character a last name: Murphy. Suddenly, the background extra became the Season 1 antagonist.
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But Harmon didn't play him like a cartoon villain. He played him like a kicked dog. When Murphy gets hanged for a crime he didn't commit, you start to see the cracks. You start to see that this kid isn't just "evil." He’s a product of a space station that would kill you for stealing medicine to save your dying father. That’s the backstory that grounds him. His father was floated, and his mother drank herself to death blaming him for it. You’d be a bit of a cynical jerk too, right?
The "Cockroach" Philosophy
Raven Reyes calls him a cockroach. It’s the perfect label. In a world where Clarke Griffin is making "impossible choices" that kill hundreds, Murphy is the guy hiding in the bunker with a bottle of wine and some music.
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Richard Harmon has often talked about how Murphy's morality hasn't actually changed that much over seven seasons. It’s just that the camera finally stayed on him long enough for us to see his perspective. He’s a survivalist. Basically, if the ship is sinking, Murphy is the first one to the lifeboat. But as the show progresses, he starts leaving room in that lifeboat for others.
- The Emori Factor: His relationship with Emori is arguably the most stable and "real" romance in the entire series. They are two outcasts who found the one person they wouldn't betray.
- The Low Body Count: Here is a fun fact for you: Murphy actually has one of the lowest body counts of the main cast. While the "heroes" are committing genocide at Mount Weather, Murphy is usually just trying not to get shot.
- The Redemptive Arc: His growth isn't a straight line. It’s messy. He fails. He betrays people again. He seeks immortality in Season 6 because he’s terrified of what he saw when he "died" (that feeling of absolute dread and misery Harmon talked about at conventions).
Richard Harmon’s Post-100 Career
Since the show ended, Richard hasn't slowed down. You've probably seen him pop up in everything from The Flash (playing a new version of Captain Boomerang) to The Night Agent.
He’s a Canadian industry staple. He comes from a filmmaking family—his dad Allan is a director, his mom Cynde is a producer, and his sister Jessica Harmon actually played Niylah on The 100. Despite those connections, Harmon is famously prideful about carving his own path. He even considered quitting acting at 15 because he didn't think he had what it takes.
Thankfully, the horror movie Trick 'r Treat changed his mind. He felt like part of a family on that set, and the rest is history. In 2025, he joined the Final Destination: Bloodlines cast, playing a character he describes as "a bit of a dick" who loves his family. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Why He Still Matters to Fans
What Richard Harmon brought to The 100 was an antidote to the "chosen one" trope. We don't always need a hero who wants to save the world. Sometimes we just need a guy who wants to survive the night and maybe protect the one person he loves.
He’s nuanced. He’s sarcastic. He’s the comic relief when things get too "apocalypse-heavy." But more than that, he’s honest. Murphy never pretended to be a good person, which ironically made him one of the best people on that show.
How to Follow Richard Harmon’s Journey
If you’re looking to dive deeper into his work beyond the radiated forests of Earth, here is how you can stay updated:
- Watch "If I Had Wings": If you want to see Harmon’s range, watch this 2013 film. He plays a blind runner, and his performance is genuinely moving. It’s a total 180 from Murphy.
- Follow the Leo Awards: Richard is a frequent nominee and winner at these Canadian awards. It’s a great way to discover the indie projects he’s passionate about.
- Check out "Fakes": It’s a more recent project on Netflix where he plays a character named Tryst. It shows off his comedic timing and that signature "charming but dangerous" energy he perfected.
- Rewatch Season 3 of The 100: Pay close attention to the bunker scenes at the start of the season. That’s Harmon at his best—carrying entire episodes with almost no dialogue, just beard growth and isolation.
The "cockroach" survived the end of the world, and Richard Harmon’s career is doing the same. He’s proven that you don't need to be the lead to be the most memorable person on the screen.