Richard Mulligan | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Mulligan in 1977 | |
| Born | (1932-11-13)November 13, 1932[1] The Bronx, New York, U.S.[1] |
| Died | September 26, 2000(2000-09-26) (aged 67) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1962–2000 |
| Spouses | |
| Relatives | Robert Mulligan (brother) |
Richard Mulligan (November 13, 1932 – September 26, 2000) was an Americancharacter actor. He was known for his roles in thesitcomsSoap (1977–1981) andEmpty Nest (1988–1995).[1] Mulligan was the winner of twoEmmy Awards (1980 and 1989)[2] and oneGolden Globe Award (1989).[3] He was the younger brother of film directorRobert Mulligan.
Mulligan was born on November 13, 1932, in New York City. He served in the Navy in the early 1950s during theKorean War and later studied to become a playwright atColumbia University.[4][5] After college, he began working in theatre, making his debut as astage manager and performer onBroadway inAll the Way Home in 1960. Additional theatre credits includedA Thousand Clowns,Never Too Late,Hogan's Goat, andThieves.
Mulligan made a brief, uncredited appearance in the 1963 filmLove with the Proper Stranger, which was directed by his elder brother. He starred withMariette Hartley in the 1966–67 season comedy seriesThe Hero, in which he played TV star Sam Garrett. Garrett had starred in a fictional series as Jed Clayton,U.S. Marshal.The Hero lasted for 16 episodes. Another notable TV appearance was on theI Dream of Jeannie episode "Around the World in 80 Blinks", as a navy commander accompanying Major Nelson (Larry Hagman) on a mission. He also appeared in the season-13 episode "Wonder" of the Western TV showGunsmoke. He also was in an episode ofThe Rat Patrol, 1967.
Mulligan's most notable film role was as GeneralGeorge Armstrong Custer inLittle Big Man, whom he portrayed as a borderlinepsychotic. He also appeared in adisaster moviespoof,The Big Bus (1976), where he was reunited with Larry Hagman fromI Dream of Jeannie, and in the 1966 filmThe Group, in which he played Dick Brown, Harold's (Hagman) New York artist friend. In 1975, he starred in a radio adaptation ofEdgar Allan Poe's "The Oblong Box" heard on theCBS Radio Mystery Theater.
Mulligan's best-known roles in television were as Burt Campbell in the sitcomSoap (1977–81), for which he won aBest ActorEmmy Award, and as Dr. Harry Weston in theNBC seriesEmpty Nest, aspin-off ofThe Golden Girls in which his character had appeared in a couple of episodes.Empty Nest ran for seven seasons, and Mulligan won a Best Actor Emmy Award as well as aGolden Globe Award for his performance. He also playedSecretary of StateWilliam Seward inLincoln (1988), aTV movie based onGore Vidal'snovel.
Mulligan returned to perform on Broadway and in films, in which he usually playedsupporting roles. A notable exception was theblack comedyS.O.B. (1981), in which he played aleading character, Felix Farmer, aHollywood producer-director based upon the film's actual producer-director,Blake Edwards. The film starredJulie Andrews andWilliam Holden, and also featured Larry Hagman. Mulligan was cast as Reggie Potter in the television seriesReggie (1983). Lasting for only six episodes, it was a loose adaptation of the popularBBC seriesThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. In the 1984 filmTeachers, he played an eccentric high-school history teacher (who in one scene teaches theBattle of the Little Bighorn, once more dressed as General Custer).
In 1985, he guest-appearedThe Twilight Zone episode "Night of the Meek", where he took on the role of Henry Corwin, analcoholic department-storeSanta Claus who becomes the genuine article, in the remake of the 1959Christmas episode "The Night of the Meek", the characterArt Carney had played in the original version. The next year, he appeared in another episode of the series, "The Toys of Caliban".
Mulligan lent his voice toDisney's 1988 animated film,Oliver & Company, as the oafishGreat Dane named Einstein. His final performance was a voice-over onHey Arnold! in 2000 as the voice of Jimmy Kafka, the long mentioned, but never seen former friend of Arnold's grandpa.
Mulligan married four times. He was first married to Patricia Jones from 1955 to 1960. That was followed by marriages toJoan Hackett from January 3, 1966, to June 1973 and Lenore Stevens from 1978 to 1990. His last marriage was toadult film actress Rachel Ryan on April 27, 1992, which lasted only six months.
On September 26, 2000, Mulligan died ofcolorectal cancer at his home inLos Angeles.[6] He was 67 years old. At his own request, his remains were cremated.
In 1989, Mulligan won both theEmmy Award and theGolden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for portraying Dr. Harry Weston inEmpty Nest (1988–1995). On September 30, 1993, he received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for his work in the television industry, located at 6777Hollywood Boulevard.[7][8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 40 Pounds of Trouble | Bellhop | Uncredited |
| 1963 | Love with the Proper Stranger | Louie | Uncredited |
| 1964 | One Potato, Two Potato | Joe Cullen | |
| 1966 | The Group | Dick Brown | |
| 1969 | The Undefeated | Dan Morse | |
| 1970 | Little Big Man | George Armstrong Custer | |
| 1971 | A Change in the Wind | ||
| 1972 | Irish Whiskey Rebellion | Paul Lachaise- Alcoholic Actor | |
| 1972 | Harvey | Dr. Lyman Sanderson | TV movie |
| 1973 | From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler | Mr. Kincaid | |
| 1974 | Visit to a Chief's Son | Robert | |
| 1976 | The Big Bus | Claude Crane | |
| 1978 | Having Babies III | Jim Wexler | TV movie |
| 1979 | Scavenger Hunt | Marvin Dummitz | |
| 1981 | S.O.B. | Felix Farmer | |
| 1982 | Trail of the Pink Panther | Clouseau's father | |
| 1983 | Malibu | Charlie Wigham | TV movie |
| 1984 | Jealousy | Merrill Forsyth | TV movie |
| 1984 | Meatballs Part II | Coach Giddy | |
| 1984 | Teachers | Herbert Gower | |
| 1984 | Micki + Maude | Leo Brody | |
| 1985 | Doin' Time | Mongo Mitchell | |
| 1985 | The Heavenly Kid | Rafferty | |
| 1986 | A Fine Mess | Wayne 'Turnip' Parragella | |
| 1986 | Babes in Toyland | Barnie / Barnaby Barnicle | TV movie |
| 1988 | Lincoln | William H. Seward | TV Mini-Series |
| 1988 | Oliver & Company | Einstein | Voice |
| 1996 | London Suite | Dennis Cummings | TV movie |
| 1997 | Dog's Best Friend | Fred | TV movie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Defenders | Lt. Summers | Episode: "The Empty Chute" |
| 1963 | Car 54, Where Are You? | Patrolman | Episode: "The Curse of the Snitkins" |
| 1963 | Route 66 | County Prosecutor | Episode: "Shadows of an Afternoon" |
| 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 | Commander Wingate | Episode: "Around the World in 80 Blinks" |
| 1970 | The Most Deadly Game | Jordan | Episode: "Witches' Sabbath" |
| 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 | Circle of Fear | Tom | Episode: "House of Evil" |
| 1973 | Diana | Jeff Harmon | 2 episodes |
| 1973 | The Partridge Family | Mr. Lipton | Episode: "The Diplomat" |
| 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 | 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 | 82 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 | The Love Boat | Mark Littlejohn | Episode: "Where Is It Written?" |
| 1979 | $weepstake$ | Dewey | Episode: "Dewey and Harold and Sarah and Maggie" |
| 1983 | Reggie | Reggie Potter | 6 episodes |
| 1985-1986 | The Twilight Zone | Henry Corwin, Ernie Ross | 2 Episodes: "Night of the Meek", "The Toys of Caliban" |
| 1986 | Highway to Heaven | Jeb Basinger | Episode: "Basinger's New York" |
| 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(1990–91) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series(1990–91) Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series(1990–91) |
| 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" |
| 1997 | The Angry Beavers | Old Gramps | Episode: "Fish and Dips" |
| 2001 | Hey Arnold! | Jimmy Kafka | Episode: "Old Iron Man", (final appearance) |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
