Richard Mulligan
Richard Mulligan | |
---|---|
![]() Richard Mulligan at the 1991 Emmy Awards | |
Born | [1] | November 13, 1932
Died | September 26, 2000 | (aged 67)
Cause of death | Colorectal Cancer |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1960–2000 |
Spouse(s) | Patricia Jones (1955–1960) Joan Hackett (1966–1973) Lenore Stevens (1978–1990) Rachel Ryan (1992–1993) |
Children | James Mulligan |
Richard Mulligan (November 13, 1932 – September 26, 2000) was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Burt Campbell in the 1970s sitcom Soap and later as Dr. Harry Weston on The Golden Girls and its spin-off Empty Nest.[1]
Early life
He was born in New York City, the younger brother of director Robert Mulligan. After attending Columbia University, Mulligan began working in theatre, making his debut as a stage manager and performer on Broadway in All the Way Home in 1960. Additional theatre credits included A Thousand Clowns, Never Too Late, Hogan's Goat, and Thieves.
Early career
Mulligan starred with Mariette Hartley in the 1966-67 season comedy series The Hero, in which he played TV star Sam Garret, who in turn starred on a fictional series as Jed Clayton, U.S. Marshal. The Hero lasted only 16 episodes. Another notable TV appearance was on the I Dream of Jeannie episode "Around the World in 80 Blinks", as a navy commander accompanying Major Nelson (Larry Hagman) on a mission.
Notable roles
Mulligan's most notable film role was as General Custer in Little Big Man, whom he portrayed as a borderline psychotic. He also appeared in the disaster movie spoof The Big Bus (1976), where he was reunited with Larry Hagman, with whom he starred in an episode of I Dream of Jeannie (see above). As for his radio work, he starred in the adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Oblong Box" heard on The CBS Radio Mystery Theater (1975).
In 1983, he was cast as Reggie Potter in the television series Reggie, a loose adaptation of The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin that ran for only one season.
His best-known roles in television were as Burt Campbell in the sitcom Soap, for which he won a Best Actor Emmy Award, and as Dr. Harry Weston in the NBC series Empty Nest, a spinoff of The Golden Girls. Empty Nest ran for seven seasons, and Mulligan won a Best Actor Emmy Award as well as a Golden Globe Award for his performance. He also played Secretary of State William Seward in the 1988 made for TV movie, "Gore Vidal's Lincoln."
Mulligan returned to perform on Broadway and in films, in which he usually played supporting roles. A notable exception was the 1981 black comedy S.O.B., in which he played lead character Felix Farmer, a Hollywood producer-director modeled on the film's actual producer-director, Blake Edwards. The film again featured Larry Hagman.
He also played in "Night of the Meek", an episode of The New Twilight Zone in 1986, where he took on the role of Santa Claus in the remake of the 1959 Christmas episode The Night of the Meek, taking over the same character that actor Art Carney did in the older version. He appeared in the Twilight Zone episode "The Toys of Caliban".
He appeared in Disney's 1988 film, Oliver & Company, as the voice of the oafish Great Dane, ironically named Einstein. His final performance was a voice over on Hey Arnold in 2000 as the voice of Jimmy Kafka, the long mentioned but never seen former friend of Arnold's Grandpa.
Marriages
Mulligan married four times. He was first married to Patricia Jones from 1955 to 1960, with whom he had a son, James.[citation needed] That was followed by marriages to Joan Hackett from January 3, 1966, to June 1973 and Lenore Stevens from 1978 to 1990. His last marriage was to adult film actress Rachel Ryan on April 27, 1992, which lasted two years.[citation needed]
Death
After making his last appearance in an episode of Hey Arnold!, on September 26, 2000, Mulligan died of colorectal cancer at his home in Los Angeles, California. At his own request, he was cremated and there was no funeral service. Mulligan was survived by his son James Mulligan from his first marriage, and two brothers, Robert and James.[citation needed]
Mulligan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6777 Hollywood Blvd.[citation needed]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1962 | 40 Pounds of Trouble | Bellhop | Uncredited |
1963 | Car 54, Where Are You? | Patrolman | Episode: "The Curse of the Snitkins" |
1963 | Route 66 | County Prosecutor | Episode: "Shadows of an Afternoon" |
1963 | Love with the Proper Stranger | Louie | Uncredited |
1964 | One Potato, Two Potato | Joe Cullen | |
1966 | The Group | Dick Brown | |
1966-1967 | The Hero | Sam Garret | 16 episodes |
1967 | The Rat Patrol | Major Lansing | Episode: "Take Me to Your Leader Raid" |
1967 | Mannix | Dr. Bob Adams | Episode: "Beyond the Shadow of a Dream" |
1967 | Gunsmoke | Jud Pryor | Episode: "Wonder" |
1969 | I Dream of Jeannie | Wingate | Episode: "Around the World in 80 Blinks" |
1969 | The Undefeated | Dan Morse | |
1970 | The Most Deadly Game | Jordan | Episode: "Witches' Sabbath" |
1970 | Little Big Man | George Armstrong Custer | |
1971 | Love, American Style | George | Episode: "Love and the Jury" |
1971 | Police Surgeon | Kramer | Episode: "A Taste of Sun" |
1971 | Bonanza | Dr. Mark Sloan | Episode: "Don't Cry, My Son" |
1971 | Bonanza | Farley | Episode: "Kingdom of Fear" |
1971 | The Partridge Family | Dr. Jim Lucas | Episode: "Why Did the Music Stop?" |
1972 | Irish Whiskey Rebellion | Paul | |
1972 | Harvey | Dr. Lyman Sanderson | Television movie |
1972 | Circle of Fear | Tom | Episode: "House of Evil" |
1973 | From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler |
Mr. Kincaid | |
1973 | Diana | Jeff Harmon | 2 episodes |
1973 | The Partridge Family | Mr. Lipton | Episode: "The Diplomat" |
1974 | Visit to a Chief's Son | Robert | |
1975 | Medical Story | Dr. Ted Freeland | Episode: "The Right to Die" |
1975 | Matt Helm | Jack Harte | Episode: "Dead Men Talk" |
1976 | Little House on the Prairie | Granville Whipple | Episode: "Soldier's Return" |
1976 | The Big Bus' | Claude Crane | |
1976 | Switch | Andy Rowen | Episode: "The Argonaut Special" |
1976 | Charlie's Angels | Kevin St. Clair | Episode: "Night of the Strangler" |
1976 | Spencer's Pilots | Babcock | Episode: "The Matchbook" |
1976 | The McLean Stevenson Show | Lloyd | Episode: "Oldie But Goodie" |
1976 | Gibbsville | Ben | Episode: "Saturday Night" |
1977 | Hunter | Dr. Harter | Episode: "Mirror Image" |
1977 | Kingston: Confidential | Harlan Scott | Episode: "Triple Exposure" |
1977 | Dog and Cat | Brother Saul | Episode: "Brother Death" |
1977 | The Love Boat | Ron Larsen | Episode: "Ex Plus Y" |
1977-1981 | Soap | Burt Campbell | 83 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated-Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series |
1978 | Having Babies III | Jim Wexler | Television movie |
1978 | The Love Boat | Mark Littlejohn | Episode: "Where Is It Written?" |
1981 | S.O.B. | Felix Farmer | |
1982 | Trail of the Pink Panther | Clouseau's father | |
1983 | Reggie | Reggie Potter | 6 episodes |
1984 | Jealousy | Merrill Forsyth | |
1984 | Meatballs Part II | Coach Giddy | |
1984 | Teachers | Herbert Gower | |
1985 | The Heavenly Kid | Rafferty | |
1985 | Doin' Time | Mongo Mitchell | |
1986 | A Fine Mess | Wayne 'Turnip' Parragella | |
1986 | The Twilight Zone | Ernie Ross | Episode: "The Toys of Caliban" |
1986 | Highway to Heaven | Jeb Basinger | Episode: "Basinger's New York" |
1988 | Lincoln | William H. Seward | |
1988 | Oliver & Company | Einstein | |
1988-1995 | Empty Nest | Dr. Harry Weston | 170 episodes Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated-Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy (1990-1991) Nominated-Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1990-1991) |
1988-1989 | The Golden Girls | Dr. Harry Weston | 3 episodes |
1991-1993 | Nurses | Dr. Harry Weston | 4 episodes |
1995 | The John Larroquette Show | Richard Hemingway | Episode: "An Odd Cup of Tea" |
1996 | London Suite | Dennis Cummings | Television movie |
1997 | The Angry Beavers | Old Gramps | Episode: "Fish and Dips" |
2001 | Hey Arnold! | Jimmy Kafka | Episode: "Old Iron Man" |
References
- ^ a b c Van Gelder, Lawrence (September 29, 2000). "Richard Mulligan, 67, Actor On 'Soap' and 'Empty Nest'". The New York Times.
External links
- 1932 births
- 2000 deaths
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
- Cancer deaths in California
- Columbia University alumni
- Deaths from colorectal cancer
- Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
- American people of Irish descent
- Male actors from New York City
- Male actors from Los Angeles, California
- People from Manhattan
- People from the Bronx
- 20th-century American male actors