Richard Derr was born on June 15, 1917, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, as the younger of two sons. He was an exceptionally intelligent individual who graduated from his local high school at the age of 16. With a strong interest in acting, he joined a theatre group, The Dramateurs, in town and appeared in amateur shows he helped produce. To support himself, he worked as a bank clerk.
Derr's passion for acting led him to join a Pennsylvania theatre group, Hedgerow Theatre, where he was discovered by New York agent Maynard Morris. He was brought to New York and joined the Actor's Studio, becoming a lifelong member. After appearing in a few plays, he was screen-tested by 20th Century-Fox and approved for a seven-year contract with Darryl F. Zanuck.
Derr made his film debut at the age of 23 in Charlie Chan in Rio (1941) and went on to appear in several WWII-themed films, including Man at Large (1941),The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942),Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942),Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942),Cry 'Havoc' (1943),and Tonight We Raid Calais (1943). However, he broke his Fox contract due to unhappiness with the direction of his career.
After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps, Derr worked for MGM, occasionally taking on "other man" roles. He appeared in films such as The Bride Goes Wild (1948),Luxury Liner (1948),and Joan of Arc (1948).
Derr made his Broadway debut in 1949 with "The Traitor" and went on to appear in several productions, including "The Closing Door" (1949),A Phoenix Too Frequent" (1950),and "The Grand Tour" (1951). He also portrayed Halliday in the Broadway production of "Dial 'M' for Murder" (1952) and took on the musical lead in "Plain and Fancy" (1955).
In the 1950s, Derr transitioned to television, appearing in a number of anthology series, including "Studio One in Hollywood," "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse," "Hallmark Hall of Fame," "Kraft Theatre," and "Goodyear Playhouse." He also appeared in several episodes of "Robert Montgomery Presents."
Derr continued to work in television throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, essaying gray-haired authoritarians on shows such as "Perry Mason," "The Outer Limits," "The Magical World of Disney," "Mannix," "Here's Lucy," "The F.B.I.," "Cannon," "Marcus Welby," "Charlie's Angels," "Starsky and Hutch," "Barnaby Jones," "Dallas," and "Trauma Center."
In addition to his television work, Derr appeared in a few films, including leads in the action crime drama Invisible Avenger (1958) and sci-fi horror Terror Is a Man (1959). He also had white-collar featured parts in Rosie! (1967),Three in the Attic (1968),Adam at Six A.M. (1970),The Drowning Pool (1975),American Gigolo (1980),and Firefox (1982).
After retiring from acting, Derr earned a realtor's license and died on May 8, 1992, due to pancreatic cancer.
