Richard Paul (June 6, 1940 – December 25, 1998) was an American actor who was born in Los Angeles, California.[1]
Richard Paul | |
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![]() Paul's publicity photograph. | |
Born | (1940-06-06)June 6, 1940 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Died | December 25, 1998(1998-12-25) (aged 58) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Education |
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Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1973–1997 |
Spouse | Patty Oestereich (m. 1968) |
Paul was born in Los Angeles, California. Richard earned a Bachelor of Arts in public affairs from Claremont Men's College and a Master of Arts in psychology from California State University, Los Angeles. He was near completion of his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona in Tucson, but gave up his career as a therapist to become a full-time performer.
From 1977 to 1979, he played Mayor Teddy Burnside in Carter Country. His famous catchphrase was "Handle it, Roy, handle it!".
In 1980, he guest starred in the ABC comedy One in a Million which aired for only one season,[2] and on an episode of M*A*S*H as Capt. Bill Bainbridge.
Paul was also a frequent panelist on Match Game from 1978 to 1982, and later played the recurring character of Cabot Cove mayor Sam Booth in Murder, She Wrote. During the late 80s and early 90s, he also had a recurring role as TV station manager Mr. Strowbridge on Full House.
The role of Bob Halyers in the "Clean Up Radio Everywhere" episode of WKRP in Cincinnati (1978) was written for him by the show's creator. Paul played Jerry Falwell twice: once in Fall From Grace, a Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker TV movie made in 1990, and then in The People vs. Larry Flynt in 1996.[3][4]
Paul was in the film Eating Raoul (1982), written and directed by Paul Bartel.[5] Also in 1982, he co-starred on the short-lived sitcom Herbie, the Love Bug. He also appeared in Bartel's short film, The Secret Cinema, which was part of the Amazing Stories series on television. Paul also appeared in Not for Publication, written and directed by Bartel.[6]
He volunteered with Actors and Others for Animals. He was on the Mental Health Advisory Board of Los Angeles County. He volunteered at childhood immunization clinics for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. He read books into tapes by special request at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles. He married Patty Oestereich on September 7, 1968, in Pasadena, California, and they remained married until his death.[1]
Paul died of cancer at age 58 on Christmas Day (December 25) 1998 at his home in the Studio City area of Los Angeles.[7]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1975 | Coonskin | Sonny | Voice, Uncredited |
1977 | Exorcist II: The Heretic | Man on the Plane | |
1982 | Eating Raoul | Mr. Cray | |
1983 | The Man Who Wasn't There | Pudgy Aide | |
1984 | Not for Publication[6] | Troppogrosso | |
1986 | Uphill All the Way | Thaddeus Dillman | |
1987 | The Princess Academy | Drago | |
Project X | Lead Ape | Uncredited | |
1988 | Pass the Ammo | G.W. Wraith | |
1992 | Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight | Goddard | |
1994 | Beanstalk | Mayor Cecil Boggs | |
1996 | The Glass Cage | Mr. Silkerman | |
The People vs. Larry Flynt | Reverend Jerry Falwell | ||
Mind Games | Dean Meyer | ||
2000 | The Independent | Jeffries | (final film role) |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1976 | Maude | Mr. Bell | Episode: "Carol's Promotion" (S 4:Ep 23) |
Emergency! | Tom Ellis | Episode: "The Game" (S 6:Ep 1) | |
Holmes and Yoyo | Claude | Episode: "Connection, Connection II" (S 1:Ep 11) | |
1977–78 | Carter Country | Mayor Teddy Burnside | Main cast |
1978 | Space Force | D.O.R.C. | voice |
1979 | CHiPs | Himself (uncredited role) | Episode: "Roller Disco, part 2" (S 3:Ep 2) |
Fantasy Island | Colonel Hank Sutton | Episode: "The Handy Man / Tattoo's Romance" (S 3:EP 8) | |
1980 | The Love Boat | Floyd Schofield | Episodes: "Kinfolk/Sis and the Slicker/Moonlight and Moonshine/Too Close for Comfort/The Affair, parts 1 and 2" (S 3:Eps. 18-19) |
Disneyland | Al Mathews | Episode: "The Sultan and the Rock Star" (S 26:Ep 14) | |
Himself | Episode: "Disneyland's 25th Anniversary Show" (S 27:Ep1) | ||
One in a Million | Barton Stone | Main cast | |
CHiPs | Himself (uncredited role) | Episode: "The Great 5K Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party, part 2" (S 4:Ep 6) | |
Eight is Enough | Chuck | Episode: "Strike" (S 5:Ep 8) | |
M*A*S*H | Captain Bainbridge | Episode: "Letters" (S 9:Ep 2) | |
1981 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Clyde Amos | Episode: "By-Line, Daisy Duke" (S 3:Ep 18) |
WKRP in Cincinnati | Dr. Bob Halyers | Episode: "Clean Up Radio Everywhere" (S 3:Ep 22) | |
1982 | Herbie, the Love Bug | Bo Phillips | Main cast |
Gimme a Break! | Stanley Nichols | Episode: "Nell Goes Door to Door" (S 2:Ep 10) | |
Happy Days | Dick | Episode: "All I Want for Christmas" (S 10:Ep 10) | |
1983 | Quincy, M.E. | Boxwell | Episode: "Quincy's Wedding, parts 1 and 2" (S 8:Ep 17-18) |
At Ease | Crenshaw | 'Episode: "Valentine's Day" (S 1:Ep 12) | |
1985 | Hail To the Chief | Rev. Billy Joe Bickerstaff | Main cast |
1986–87 | The New Gidget | Wilton Parmenter | 4 episodes |
1986 | Amazing Stories | Mr. Krupp | Episode: "Secret Cinema" (S 1:Ep 20) |
1987 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Tagsworth | Episode: "Do You Take This Spy?" (S 4:Ep 16) |
227 | Mr. Davis | Episode: "The Audit" (S 2:Ep16) | |
Married... with Children | Sheriff | Episode: "Poppy's By the Tree, part 2" ( S2:Ep 2) | |
1987–91 | Murder, She Wrote | Mayor Sam Booth | 7 episodes |
1988–95 | Full House | Mr. Strowbridge | 6 episodes |
1990 | Fall from Grace | Jerry Falwell | |
1991 | Beverly Hills 90210 | Bob Barnett | 'Episode: "B.Y.O.B." (S 1:Ep 11) |
Out of This World | Tex | Episode: "Would You Buy a Used Car From This Dude" (S 4:Ep 16) | |
1992 | Who's the Boss? | Minister | Episode: "Better Off Wed, part 2" (S 8:Ep 18) |
Herman's Head | Mr. Fitzer | 'Episode: "A Charlie Brown Fitzer" (S 2:Ep 13) | |
1994 | RoboCop: The Series | Reverend Bob Taker | Episode: "Prime Suspect" (S 1:Ep3) |
1996 | The Drew Carey Show | Burt | Episode: "Something Wick This Way Comes" (S 2:Ep 2) |
1997 | Roseanne | Mayor | Episode: "Lanford's Elite, part 1" (S 9:Ep 16) |