Richard Roat (July 3, 1933 – August 5, 2022) was an American actor.

Early years

Roat was born on July 3, 1933, in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Roat, and he graduated from Trinity College. He pursued acting as a career despite a lack of encouragement from his dramatic coach at Trinity.

Career

Before he achieved professional status, Roat performed with amateur theatrical groups around Hartford, including the Mark Twain Masquers and Oval in the Grove. He also directed the premiere production of the Tunxis Players. During those years he worked for Aetna Fire and drove a delivery truck for the Newton Robertson Bakery. In 1957, Roat hitchhiked to New York City to seek work as an actor there. There he studied with Uta Hagen and

Herbert Berghof Herbert Berghof (13 September 1909 – 5 November 1990) was an Austrian-American actor, director and acting teacher.Kennedy, Dennis. ''The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance'', Oxford Univ. Press (2010) p. 61 Early life Born and educ ...

and supported himself with jobs that included working in a gift shop and hanging wallpaper. On January 1, 1961, he replaced Michael Ebert in ''The Wall'' at Broadway's Billy Rose Theater. His other Broadway credits included ''Sunday in New York'' (1961) and ''Come on Strong'' (1962). He also performed for a season in summer stock theater in the Adirondack Mountains. On television, Roat starred on the daytime drama '' The Doctors'' in addition to appearing on '' Car 54, Where Are You?'', '' Naked City'', and other programs. In addition to his performing, Roat prepared taxes for entertainers for more than 50 years.

Personal life and death

Roat died of a heart attack on August 5, 2022, in

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island, Newport ...

. At the time of his death, he was married to Kathy Arntzen.

Partial filmography

Film

*''March'' (2001) *''California Myth'' (1999) *''Heart and Souls'' (1993) *''Murder by Numbers'' (1990) *''House Made of Dawn'' (1987) *''

American Hot Wax ''American Hot Wax'' is a 1978 biographical film directed by Floyd Mutrux with a screenplay by John Kaye from a story by John Kaye and Art Linson. The film tells the story of pioneering disc jockey Alan Freed, who in the 1950s helped introduce ...

'' (1978) *'' Westworld'' (1973) *''Babo 73'' (1964)

Television

*Cold Case (2006) *Medical Investigation (2004) *'' Rock Me Baby'' (2004) *''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' (2000) *'' Family Law'' (1999) *''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...

'' (1996) *''

Melrose Place ''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, in ...

'' (1993) *'' Who's the Boss?'' (1991) *'' ALF'' (1987) *''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

'' (1986) *'' Dynasty'' (1986) *''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'' (1985) *'' Hill Street Blues'' (1982-1985) *'' Kojak'' (1978) *''

Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC f ...

'' (1971) *'' The Fugitive'' (1965) *'' Car 54, Where Are You?'' (1962)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roat, Richard 1933 births 2022 deaths American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Broadway theatre people Actors from Hartford, Connecticut