Richard Dysart

Richard Allen Dysart, an American actor, was born on March 30, 1929 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Alice and Douglas Dysart, a podiatrist. He grew up in Skowhegan and Augusta, Maine, attending Gould Academy in Bethel. Encouraged by his mother, Dysart initiated his acting career with summer stock performances at Lakewood Theater. He also gained experience while working at a local radio station. Post his service in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, he earned a bachelor's degree (1956) and a master's degree (1981) from Emerson College in Boston. Dysart's acting career gained momentum as a founding member of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He was known for his striking roles on Broadway, in plays like 'All in Good Time', 'A Place Without Doors' and 'That Championship Season'.

On screen, Dysart held notable roles such as the physician in 'Being There' and Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in 'The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd'. His voice work includes characters in Disney's 'Castle in the Sky' and HBO's 'Spawn: The Animated Series'. His film career includes performances in 'The Hindenburg', 'An Enemy of the People', 'Prophecy', 'The Thing', 'Pale Rider', and 'Day One'. Dysart gained widespread recognition for his role as Leland McKenzie in the television series L.A. Law, which earned him an Emmy Award. Dysart married thrice; his third wife being artist Kathryn Jacobi. Dysart passed away on April 5, 2015, after battling cancer.