Richard was born in Jacksonville, Florida, where his father, a career Marine of Scottish and Cherokee Indian descent, had relocated from New York City. His mother, born in Roanoke, Virginia, had also moved to Florida. Richard spent the first 18 years of his life as a Marine Corps Dependent, dividing his days between parochial school and his nights and weekends with the Corps.
He graduated from Mission Viejo High School in 1969 and briefly attended Occidental College from 1969 to 1970. Richard then joined the army in 1970, serving three years, including a tour of duty in Vietnam.
After his time in the army, Richard moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. He studied at the Film Actors Workshop at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank and made his television debut as a Mighty Carson Art Player on "The Tonight Show" in 1979. He also studied at the Herbert Berghof Studios in New York and the Actors Studio under Eli Wallach.
In 1980, Richard co-created the play "Tracers" with seven other Vietnam veteran actors, which marked a turning point in his career. Since then, he has been fortunate enough to work on a variety of projects, including the acclaimed "War of the Worlds" television series and the film "Predator".
Richard's film credits include "Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam", "Cease Fire", "Witness", and "Night Eyes II". He has also appeared in numerous television shows, such as "Star Trek: Voyager", "Walker, Texas Ranger", "F.B.I. The Untold Stories", "LA Law", "Babylon 5", "MacGyver", "Trials of Rosie O'Neill", "Miami Vice", "Hill St. Blues", "St. Elsewhere", and "Eight Is Enough". He was a series regular on "War of the Worlds" and co-starred in "Dallas".
In addition to his work in film and television, Richard has achieved success in live theater. "Tracers" received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Ensemble in 1980, and he won the Drama-Logue Award for Best Performance in "Vietnam Trilogy" in 1983. He was also honored with the New York Theatre World Award for Outstanding New Talent in "Tracers" in 1985.
Richard's other theater credits include "Police Officers Wives", "Santos & Santos", and "Pendleton Blanket". He currently resides in the Los Angeles area and continues to write, work, and contribute to the creative world.
