 EDITOR'S
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| This is the thirteenth in a continuing feature at IndustryCentral profiling "The Working Actor". (See Archives below) William Shakespeare said "There are no small parts.....". William Shatner may have said it too, but the longhair with the tights was first, or so the reports go. In this feature we will explore what it really means to be an actor working in Motion Pictures and Television. Broad public acknowledgment may have eluded some who find their way to these pages, or perhaps they may have brushed against what is referred to as stardom by virtue of one or more remarkable performances. However for many, the rewards of plying their craft in a field which has allowed them to earn a living may exceed the burdens of public acclaim. Given the chance, some in this clan might prefer the longevity offered by anonymity over the potential for short lived fame. These individuals, either by design or fate, have managed to sustain a career by crafting performances which rendered them a good casting choice. They are usually thought of as a face you recognize, but you just can't get the name past the tip of your tongue. Most of these folks have spent countless hours on stage in theaters ranging from 20 seats to 2000, building characters from the works of Ibsen, to Eliot, to Williams, to yes even Shakespeare, and so many of the modern Playwrights. They have rounded their skills doing drama, comedy, & musicals. Their work is a serious venture. These people have given us screen performances which quite often were the catalyst that brought an Oscar or Emmy to another and yet they continue to work as "Characters" or "Co-Stars" without the trophies and plaques adorning their mantle. |
| Richard Riehle | ||||||||
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Richard Riehle was born and raised in the midwest. He earned his undergrad degree BA (cum laude) in Speech and Drama at the University of Notre Dame and spent 15 months in Europe as a German Major studying in Salsburg and Innsbruck. Later he added an MFA in Theater Arts at the University of Minnisotta and received another diploma from The John Fernald Academy. Richard spent most of his first 25 years as an actor doing regional theater from Summer Stock in Indiana in 1969 to his Broadway Debut in Execution of Justice. He apprenticed at the Meadowbrook Theater in Michigan right out of school and earned his Equity Card there in 1974. The next year he broadened his professional status earning his A.F.T.R.A. membership doing Commercial and Local TV work in Michigan and joined the Screen Actors Guild while shooting Joy ride in Washington State in 1976. Until moving to New York in 1984, Richard was (in his own words) "pretty peripatetic", traveling from job to job, with no permanent residence. "I hardly ever stayed anywhere as long as a year". Early on, he worked in the Midwest, and in 1972 began pursuing work west of the Mississippi. It wasn't until 1976 that Richard made the move to the West Coast and concentrated on jobs from Alaska to Arizona and pretty much everywhere in between. He got his "feet wet" with some Film and TV work wherever he could. He was cast as the Quartermaster in Glory in December of 1989 and by the TV Pilot Season in 1990 Richard found himself in LA. He feels that it was the fact that it was in the middle of a successful Theatrical Run that many doors opened up for him. That season, he was cast as a regular in NBC's Ferris Bueller and the show (along with Richard) was picked up for 13 episodes. Since that time, Richard has been living and working out of Los Angeles for the most part with departures back to NYC in 1999 to do Babes in Arms as part of the City Center Encore Series and Iceman Cometh with Kevin Spacey on Broadway. Say's Richard, "I've been fortunate enough to work fairly steadily, going back and forth between Film and TV for the past 10 years with a lot of terrific people. I hope to keep it up in the future." ............. We have no doubt that he will! Representation:
Richard Riehle's Credits (partial) Film and Television
For more info and credits see -- ---End |
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