---
name: "Richard Dysart"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/richard-dysart"
fi1m_id: "richard-dysart"
imdb_id: "nm0246004"
tmdb_id: 15413
wikidata_id: "Q110628"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "30 March 1929"
died: "5 April 2015"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-07T10:16:44.131060+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Richard Dysart

## Identity

Richard Dysart

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/richard-dysart
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** richard-dysart
- **IMDb ID:** nm0246004
- **TMDB ID:** 15413
- **Wikidata ID:** Q110628
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dysart, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110628, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0246004/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15413

Actor. Born 30 March 1929 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Died 5 April 2015.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 30 March 1929, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- **Died:** 5 April 2015
- **Active:** 1971–1998
- **Also known as:** Richard A. Dysart, Richard Allen Dysart
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won · 3 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as actor, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 85 (2), 1980s 75 (5), 1990s 61 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 65 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 6 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Crime 4, Mystery 2, Thriller 2, Action 1, Comedy 1
- **Screen time:** 14 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $220m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dysart, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110628, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0246004/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15413

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Thing*](https://film.one/film/the-thing.md) (88), [*Being There*](https://film.one/film/being-there.md) (84)
- **Tubi:** [*The Falcon and the Snowman*](https://film.one/film/the-falcon-and-the-snowman.md) (54)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Richard Dysart was an American actor. He appeared in supporting roles in films including *Being There* (1979), *The Thing* (1982) as Dr. Copper, *Mask* (1985), *Pale Rider* (1985) as Coy LaHood and *Wall Street* (1987). He also provided voice work for animated series such as *Batman: The Animated Series* (1992) and *Spawn* (1997).

Dysart was a founding member of the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. He served in the US Air Force during the Korean War and received a Drama Desk Award in 1972. He is best known for playing Leland McKenzie in the television series *L.A. Law* (1986–1994), appearing in every episode and winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1992.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on 30 March 1929, Dysart died in Santa Monica, California, on 5 April 2015.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (8)

- *Hard Rain* (1998), Fi1m 61, as Henry Sears — [page](https://film.one/film/hard-rain.md)
- *Wall Street* (1987), Fi1m 74, as Cromwell — [page](https://film.one/film/wall-street.md)
- *Mask* (1985), Fi1m 81, as Abe — [page](https://film.one/film/mask.md)
- *Pale Rider* (1985), Fi1m 77, as Coy LaHood — [page](https://film.one/film/pale-rider.md)
- *The Falcon and the Snowman* (1985), Fi1m 54, as Dr. Lee — [page](https://film.one/film/the-falcon-and-the-snowman.md)
- *The Thing* (1982), Fi1m 88, as Dr. Copper — [page](https://film.one/film/the-thing.md)
- *Being There* (1979), Fi1m 84, as Dr. Robert Allenby — [page](https://film.one/film/being-there.md)
- *Columbo* (1971), Fi1m 86, as Max Duval — [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md)

## Complete filmography (66)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Proteus: A Nineteenth Century Vision* (2004), as The Ancient Mariner (voice)
- *L.A. Law: The Movie* (2002), as Leland McKenzie
- *Todd McFarlane's Spawn: Season 2* (1998), as Cogliostro
- *Hard Rain* (1998), as Henry Sears — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/hard-rain.md)
- *Spawn* (1997), series, as Nicholas Cogliostro (voice)
- *E! True Hollywood Story* (1996), series, Actor
- *A Child Is Missing* (1995), as Riley Hallihan
- *Truman* (1995), as Henry L. Stimson
- *Panther* (1995), as J. Edgar Hoover
- *Marilyn & Bobby: Her Final Affair* (1993), as J. Edgar Hoover
- *Batman: The Animated Series* (1992), series, as Dr. Bartholomew (voice)
- *Back to the Future Part III* (1990), as Barbwire Salesman
- *Day One* (1989), as President Harry S. Truman
- *Mickey's 60th Birthday* (1988), as Leland McKenzie
- *Moving Target* (1988), as Arthur Cambridge
- *Wall Street* (1987), as Cromwell — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/wall-street.md)
- *Six Against the Rock* (1987), as Warden James Johnston
- *The Last Days of Patton* (1986), as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Leland McKenzie
- *L.A. Law: Pilot* (1986), as Leland McKenzie
- *Blood & Orchids* (1986), series, as Harvey Koster
- *Warning Sign* (1985), as Dr. Nielsen
- *Pale Rider* (1985), as Coy LaHood — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/pale-rider.md)
- *Mask* (1985), as Abe — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/mask.md)
- *The Falcon and the Snowman* (1985), as Dr. Lee — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/the-falcon-and-the-snowman.md)
- *Malice in Wonderland* (1985), as Louis B. Mayer
- *Missing Children: A Mother's Story* (1982), as Hunter Burgess
- *The Thing* (1982), as Dr. Copper — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-thing.md)
- *Bitter Harvest* (1981), as Dr. Morton Freeman
- *People vs. Jean Harris* (1981), as Judge Russell R. Leggett
- *The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd* (1980), as Edwin Stanton
- *Bogie* (1980), as Jack Warner
- *Being There* (1979), as Dr. Robert Allenby — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/being-there.md)
- *Meteor* (1979), as Secretary of Defense
- *Churchill and the Generals* (1979), as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
- *Prophecy* (1979), as Trevor Isley
- *First, You Cry* (1978), as Dr. Brennerman
- *An Enemy of the People* (1978), as Aslaksen
- *It Happened One Christmas* (1977), as Peter Bailey
- *The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer* (1977), as President Ulysses S. Grant
- *The Andros Targets* (1977), series, as Dr. Kipness
- *Gemini Man* (1976), series, as Leonard Driscoll
- *Riding with Death* (1976), as Leonard Driscoll
- *The Hindenburg* (1975), as Lehman
- *Doc* (1975), series, Actor
- *Doctors' Hospital* (1975), series, Actor
- *The Day of the Locust* (1975), as Claude Estee
- *Baretta* (1975), series, Actor
- *The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman* (1974), as Master Bryant
- *The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder* (1974), as Father
- *Lincoln* (1974), series, as David Davis
- *The Terminal Man* (1974), as Dr. John Ellis
- *Maude* (1972), series, Actor
- *The Hospital* (1971), as Dr. Welbeck
- *Columbo* (1971), series, as Max Duval — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md)
- *Cannon* (1971), series, Actor
- *The Sporting Club* (1971), as Spengler
- *All in the Family* (1971), series, as Russ DeKuyper — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/all-in-the-family.md)
- *The Lost Man* (1969), as Barnes
- *Shadow Game* (1969), as Jerry Arnst
- *Petulia* (1968), as Motel Receptionist
- *CBS Playhouse* (1966), series, as Jerry Arnst
- *NET Playhouse* (1966), series, as Tarleton
- *Love with the Proper Stranger* (1963), as Accountant (uncredited)
- *The Defenders* (1961), series, as Mr. Westfall
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Richard Dysart](https://film.one/media/person/95379/gallery-008e1ea35a4d.jpg) Richard Dysart — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Richard_Dysart_%281988%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Richard Dysart (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/95379/gallery-95868189495b.jpg) Richard Dysart (2006) — Schirmbeck/AdK, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/RichardDysartPotsdamGermanyMay2006.jpg/1280px-RichardDysartPotsdamGermanyMay2006.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![1990 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan](https://film.one/media/person/95379/gallery-c389c626f7db.jpg) 1990 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Richard_Dysart_%282081526541%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![1990 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan](https://film.one/media/person/95379/gallery-63df87a5c89c.jpg) 1990 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Richard_Dysart_%282082299808%29.jpg/1280px-Richard_Dysart_%282082299808%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Richard Dysart](https://film.one/media/person/95379/gallery-afe91bf021d4.jpg) Richard Dysart — Image via TMDB
- ![1988 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan](https://film.one/media/person/95379/gallery-3ed4d9112f44.jpg) 1988 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Richard_Dysart_%282092477928%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![42nd Emmy Awards - Sept. 1990- Governor's Ball - Permission granted to copy, publish or post but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can](https://film.one/media/person/95379/gallery-34a17e7ca2f0.jpg) 42nd Emmy Awards - Sept. 1990- Governor's Ball - Permission granted to copy, publish or post but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Richard_Dysart_%28210420908%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won, 3 nominated

- 1992: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *L.A. Law*
- 1991: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (nominated), for *L.A. Law*
- 1990: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (nominated), for *L.A. Law*
- 1989: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (nominated), for *L.A. Law*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/richard-dysart