Richard Dysart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Dysart
Dysart in 1988
Born	Richard Allen Dysart (1929-03-30)March 30, 1929 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	April 5, 2015(2015-04-05) (aged 86) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other names	Richard A. Dysart
Education	Cony High School Gould Academy Emerson College George Washington University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1953–2004
Spouse(s)	Kathryn Jacobi ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	1

Richard Allen Dysart (born March 30, 1929 – died April 5, 2015) was an American actor. He was famous for playing Leland McKenzie in the TV show L.A. Law. For this role, he won a Primetime Emmy Award. He also appeared in many movies. Some of his well-known films include Being There, The Thing, and Wall Street.

Richard Dysart's Early Life

Richard Dysart was born near Boston, Massachusetts. His birthday was March 30, 1929. His parents were Alice and Douglas Dysart. He grew up in towns like Skowhegan, Maine and Augusta, Maine.

Education and Military Service

Dysart went to Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine. His mother encouraged him to act in plays during the summer. He also worked at a local radio station.

He joined the United States Air Force for four years. This was during the Korean War. After his service, he went to Emerson College in Boston. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1956. Later, in 1981, he earned his master's degree from the same college. He also studied at George Washington University.

Richard Dysart's Acting Career

Richard Dysart started his acting career on stage. He helped start the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California, in 1960. He performed in several plays on Broadway in New York City.

Broadway Plays

Some of his Broadway plays included All in Good Time (1965) and A Place Without Doors (1970–1971). He also acted in The Little Foxes (1967–1968) with Ann Bancroft. A very important role was Coach in That Championship Season (1972–1974). This play won a Pulitzer Prize.

Film and TV Roles

In 1979, Dysart played a kind doctor in the movie Being There. He was also in The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd (1980) as Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton.

He lent his voice to characters in animated films. He was Uncle Pom in the English version of Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky (1986). He also voiced Cogliostro in Todd McFarlane's Spawn: The Animated Series on HBO.

Other movies he appeared in include The Hindenburg, The Thing, and Pale Rider. He worked with famous directors like John Carpenter and Clint Eastwood.

Awards and Recognitions

Richard Dysart received a Drama Desk Award in 1972. This was for his role as Coach in the play That Championship Season.

He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series four years in a row. This was for his role as Leland McKenzie on L.A. Law. He won the award once, in 1992.

Personal Life and Passing

Richard Dysart was married three times. His third wife was artist Kathryn Jacobi. They were married from 1987 until he passed away. He did not have his own children. However, he had a stepson and two step-grandchildren from his third wife.

Richard Dysart died at his home in Santa Monica, California. He passed away on April 5, 2015, at 86 years old. He had been battling cancer for a long time.

Selected filmography

See also

In Spanish: Richard Dysart para niños