Richard Dean Anderson is probably best known as MacGyver, the clever
and inventive nonviolent hero who solved problems in his own unique way
for seven successful seasons on ABC. In his roles before and since, this
gifted actor has continued to demonstrate his remarkable talent and versatility.
Richard was
born on January 23, 1950 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father, Stuart
Anderson, taught English, drama, and humanities at a local high school,
and is an accomplished jazz bassist.His mother, Jocelyn, is an artist,
talented in both painting and sculpture. |
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Richard
is the eldest of four sons. He and his brothers, Jeffrey Scott, Thomas
John, and James Stuart, grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of Roseville,
where Richard developed early interests in sports, the arts, music, and
acting.
Like many boys growing up in Minnesota,
Richard
dreamed of becoming a professional hockey player. However, at the age of
16, he broke both arms, in separate accidents three weeks apart, while
playing in high school hockey games. He put aside his dreams of playing
professionally, though he still harbors a deep love for the sport. Richard
talks of his restlessness growing up, his early desire to explore, and
his adventures hitchhiking and hopping freight trains. At the age of 17,
he took a 5641 mile bicycle trip from his home in Minnesota through Canada
and Alaska, an experience which was sparked by his sense of adventure and
discovery, but which also gave him a more centered sense of direction.
He studied drama at St. Cloud State University and at Ohio University,
though he left just short of completing his degree. His travels took him
briefly to New York City, and he spent some time experiencing the cultural
revolution of the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, before finally
settling in Los Angeles. There he worked as a street mime and juggler,
and as a jester-singer at a Renaissance-style cabaret. He also worked for
a time at Marineland, where he wrote, directed, and performed in the marine
mammal shows. His job included holding fish in his mouth for the killer
whales to leap up and snatch, and he tells of the powerful whack to the
face he took while rehearsing his routine with an orca. He appeared in
plays and live theater as well, including landing a role in Superman in
the Bones at the Pilgrimage Theatre. During his early years he also joined
his friend Carl Dante, and for a time sang and played guitar as part of
Carl's rock band under the name "Ricky Dean and Dante".
Richard came to national attention in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber on the
popular daytime drama General Hospital. After five years in that role,
he felt it was time to move on, and he left to try his hand at prime time
television. He appeared in two short-lived television series for CBS, as
the eldest brother in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 1982, and as a
hot-shot Naval pilot in Emerald Point N.A.S. in 1983, as well as numerous
guest appearances in other series.
In 1985 Richard was cast in his signature role as MacGyver, on ABC.
He has told the story of how he won the role. He had been called in for
an audition, and asked to "cold read" an unfamiliar script. Being very
nearsighted, he asked to wear his glasses for the reading, and that simple
unselfconscious gesture immediately convinced the show's producers that
they had found the right man to become their unpretentious hero. MacGyver
ran for seven successful years, and continues to enjoy popularity all around
the world. Richard made his TV movie debut in 1986 in Ordinary Heroes,
with Valerie Bertinelli. In this remake of the 1945 movie Pride of the
Marines, Richard gave a moving performance as a soldier who is blinded
three days before returning home from Vietnam. In preparation for the emotional
demands of the role, he studied with the late Peggy Feury before shooting
began. He demonstrated his incredible talent for a variety of roles when
he appeared in several movies for CBS television following the finale of
MacGyver. In 1992 he starred as a disillusioned cop opposite Justine Bateman
in the movie In the Eyes of a Stranger, and as a psychotic stalker pursuing
Marg Helgenberger in Through the Eyes of a Killer. His chilling performance
as an abusive husband opposite Susan Dey in the 1994 movie Beyond Betrayal
caused Daily Variety to remark, "...credit Richard Dean Anderson with a
performance so creepy that masks of his character could be Halloween bestsellers."
In June of 1995 he explored the opposite end of the acting spectrum with
a powerful and touching performance as a father grieving the loss of his
young son in Past the Bleachers, for ABC.
As MacGyver
came to an end, Richard and his partner, Michael Greenburg, had
signed an overall deal with Paramount Pictures to develop and produce several
films and series for television for their own production company, Gekko
Film Corp. In their first project, Richard acted as both star and
executive producer of two MacGyver movies for television, both of which
were filmed in London in 1993. MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis and
MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday aired in 1994 to critical acclaim. Their next
project for Gekko was the 1995 TV series Legend for UPN. In it, Richard
portrayed Ernest Pratt, a dime novelist who reluctantly takes on the role
of his literary hero, Nicodemus Legend, in a lighthearted blend of western
and science fiction. Once again Richard took on the role of executive
producer, as well as demonstrating a considerable talent for comedy, in
what he has described as his favorite role to date.
Following the premature cancellation of Legend, Richard signed an
agreement with CBS television, and filmed a pilot episode for a new television
series, Firehouse, although the series was not picked up by the network.
His next appearance was as the heroic captain of a doomed airliner in the
1996 blockbuster NBC miniseries Pandora's Clock, which received critical
acclaim and was an important ratings winner for the network. He followed
this success by joining with MGM/UA and Showtime television in a joint
deal with Gekko Film Corp to produce and star in the new science fiction
series Stargate SG-1, based on the 1994 movie. His new series began production
in Vancouver in February of 1997, and debuted to outstanding ratings on
Showtime on July 27, 1997.
Richard
loves to travel, and he has retained his love for music and the arts. He
enjoys collecting art, with his tastes running from the French Impressionists
to the more modern. He continues to play the guitar, and has even tried
his hand at composing, including the original piece, Eau d'Leo, which was
used in the series MacGyver. He has expressed his appreciation for both
classical music and jazz, as well as the country-rock guitar style of artists
such as Steve Earle, and has considered Leo Kottke to be his musical idol
for years.
| An avid sports fan, he indulges
his passions for hockey, skiing, baseball, sky diving, cycling, and auto
racing whenever possible. He enjoys fast cars and motorcycles, and owns,
among others, both a 1000cc Harley-Davidson Sportster and a black Acura
NSX. He has participated in the Toyota Celebrity Long Beach Grand Prix
twice, as well as various other racing events around the country. He can
often be found on the ski slopes, both in his off time, and for numerous
celebrity events for charity. |
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Richard actively supports many charities and organizations. For many years
he has been on the Board of Trustees for the Challengers Boys and Girls
Club, a youth organization founded in 1968 with the help of MacGyver executive
producer Stephen Downing, and upon which the Challenger Center of the TV
series was based. He is the recipient of the 1995 Celebrity Award from
the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and his commitment to the Foundation, an organization
that grants wishes to terminally ill children, has included many opportunities
for his young fans to visit the set. He has supported the Multiple Sclerosis
Society, and has done several public service announcements for causes he
strongly supports, including the Center for the Prevention of Handgun Violence,
and Project Literacy US.
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For many years he has given his support to the Special Olympics, and was
one of the key speakers at the opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics
games in 1991.
Richard Dean Anderson is 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with naturally dark brown
hair and eyes. He has a deep love of dogs, whom he refers to as his "favorite
people," and his most constant companion for many years had been Whiskey,
the Australian shepherd he had raised from a puppy, and a permanent fixture
on the MacGyver set, who passed away in 1989 at the age of 13. In 1996,
Richard found himself a new companion in Zoë, yet another Australian
shepherd puppy and "best friend." |
Richard has
never married, and although he prefers to keep his private life private,
he has been linked in the past with several high-profile women, including
Deidre Hall, Sela Ward, Marlee Matlin, Katarina Witt, Teri Hatcher, and
Lara Flynn Boyle. Richard's current companion is Apryl Prose, whom he met
in 1996, a woman he has described as "beautiful, smart, and funny", and
"peripherally in the business." Richard and Apryl celebrated the birth
of their first child, a daughter, on August 2, 1998. Wylie Quinn Annarose
Anderson entered the world at 7 lbs. 11 oz. Father, mother, and baby are
all healthy and happy, and Richard speaks with enthusiasm about his new
adventure of fatherhood.
Richard lives both in Vancouver
and near Los Angeles, as well as owning a cabin in northern Minnesota.
Throughout his career, Richard has made a point of selecting roles that
would allow him to stretch and demonstrate the range of his remarkable
skill. With additional projects in development from Gekko Film Corp, Richard's
fans can look forward to many more appearances from this accomplished and
versatile actor. |
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