Richard Frank
Born
Richard Edward Frank

(1953-01-04)January 4, 1953
DiedAugust 27, 1995(1995-08-27) (aged 42)
Burial placeSharon Memorial Park
Sharon, Massachusetts
OccupationActor
Years active1975–1995

Richard Edward Frank (January 4, 1953 August 27, 1995) was an American actor. He was perhaps best known as Father Vogler in the 1984 movie Amadeus. Frank had numerous guest appearances in television shows, with a regular role in the sitcom Anything but Love.

Biography

Born in Boston, Frank was a graduate of Juilliard's acting school. In addition, Frank appeared in numerous theater productions, including Hang on to Me at the Guthrie Theater, directed by Peter Sellers, as well as many productions in Los Angeles, mostly at the Taper. He created the Struggling Actor's Coloring Book and dozens of paintings, which are now in private collections. He was noted by colleagues for his intelligence and endless wit.

Frank played infamous lawyer and informal powerbroker Roy Cohn in the first performance of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America. Cohn also died from AIDS-related complications.

By 1993, Frank had already gone public with his affliction with AIDS. In the wake of his public disclosure, Frank was asked to guest-star in the fourth season Life Goes On episode "Bedfellows". Frank played Chester, the hospital roommate of Jesse McKenna (Chad Lowe), while both were admitted for illnesses related to their AIDS statuses. Chester has a more advanced stage of AIDS, and is not expected to live much longer; Jesse has to convince Chester at one point not to take his life by jumping off the hospital roof. Chester does lose his battle with AIDS before the episode's end, but not before passing on wisdom to Jesse for his own dealings with his illness.

Following his landmark appearance on Life Goes On, Frank's health began a gradual decline, but throughout 1994, he kept up his steady guest turns on series ranging from The Larry Sanders Show to Matlock. By the beginning of 1995, in order to preserve his frail health, Frank made the decision to become a television director. That year, an episode of Mad About You he directed was slated to be the first of many such jobs for the actor, but ultimately it became his final work in show business.

Death

On August 27, 1995, Frank died in Los Angeles of complications from AIDS.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1981NinguemNinguemFeature film role
1982The WallStefan MazorTV movie
1984AmadeusFather VoglerFeature film
1985 Remington Steele (TV series) Scott Jefferson 1 episode, "Steele of Approval"
Stir Crazy (TV series) Jess Morgan 1 episode, "Welcome to the Tribe"
Cagney & Lacey (TV series) Eli Leavitt 1 episode, "The Psychic"
The Equalizer (TV series) 1st Client 1 episode, "Mama's Boy"
1986 Falcon Crest (TV series) Mr. Bloom 2 episodes, "Double Jeopardy" & "Perilous Charm"
1987 Cracked Up Resident Doctor TV movie
Max Headroom (TV series) Biller in episode "Whacketts"
Night Court (TV series) Gary Fenton 2 episodes, "Her Honor", Parts 3 & 4
Perfect Strangers (TV series) Frank Peterson in episode "The Break-In"
1988 Valerie Mr. Standish in episode "Close Encounters"
1990 Baby Brown FBI Agent #2 Feature film role
Room For Romance (TV series) 1 episode, "A Midsummer Night's Reality"
1989-1992Anything But Love (TV series)Jules BennettRecurring role, 56 episodes
1992 The Jackie Thomas Show (TV series) Otto in episode "Jack & the Bean Stalker"
Sisters Marcus DeWitt 1 episode, "Accidents Will Happen"
1993 The Larry Sanders Show (TV series) Thomas 1 episode, "Larry Loses Interest"
Life Goes On (TV series) Chester 1 episode, "Bedfellows"
1994 Matlock (TV series) Wally McDaniel 1 episode, "The Crook"
The Sinbad Show (TV series) in episode "David Goes Skiing"
1995 Mad About You (TV series) Director in episode "Just My Dog"
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