Richard Romanus (born Richard Joseph Romanos; February 8, 1945) is an American actor. Among other roles, he has appeared in

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

's ''

Mean Streets ''Mean Streets'' is a 1973 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and co-written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. The film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was released by Warner Bros. on October 2, 1973. De Niro won the National ...

'' and provided voices for

Ralph Bakshi Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is an American animator and filmmaker. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatric ...

's animated films '' Wizards'' and '' Hey Good Lookin'.'' He played Richard La Penna,

Jennifer Melfi Jennifer Melfi is a fictional character on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos''. She is the psychiatrist of Mafia boss Tony Soprano. She is portrayed by Lorraine Bracco. Character description Melfi is an Italian-American, with her father's family ...

's ex-husband, later husband again, in four episodes of ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...

'' from 1999 to 2002. In 1999, he co-wrote the Christmas film '' If You Believe'' along with his wife

Anthea Sylbert Anthea Sylbert (born October 6, 1939) is an American film producer and costume designer, who was active during the "modern era" of American film. She was nominated twice for Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, first at the 47th Academy Awards ...

, which was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay award by the

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Guil ...

Personal life

Romanus was born in

Barre, Vermont Barre, Vermont may refer to: *Barre (city), Vermont *Barre (town), Vermont Barre ( ) is a New England town, town in Washington County, Vermont, Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,923 at the 2020 census, making it the 3r ...

, the son of Eileen (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Maloof) and Dr. Raymond Romanos. He lived in West Hartford, Connecticut, and in 1964 graduated from

Xavier University Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 studen ...

with a bachelor's in philosophy, before studying acting with

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931 ...

at the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

in New York. His younger brother

Robert Romanus Robert Romanus (born July 17, 1956), also billed as Bob Romanus, is an American actor and musician who has starred in film and television. He is perhaps best known for his role as ticket scalper Mike Damone in the 1982 comedy ''Fast Times at Rid ...

is also an actor. They both appeared in the ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both po ...

'' episode "The Prodigal" in 1985. He is of Lebanese descent. On May 20, 1967, he married Tina Bohlmann; they had a son before divorcing in 1980. Romanus has been married to Oscar-nominated costume designer

since August 11, 1985. In 2004, they moved to the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

island of

Skiathos Skiathos ( el, Σκιάθος, , ; grc, Σκίαθος, ; and ) is a small Greek island in the northwest Aegean Sea. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades group, east of the Pelion peninsula in Magnesia on the mainland, ...

, and since then he has focused on writing. In 2011, he published his memoirs, ''Act III'' (Aiora Press,

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, and

Armida Publications Armida Publications is an independent publishing house based in Nicosia, Cyprus. Founded in 1997 their primary goal is to promote high-level English-language publications from Cyprus, Greece, and the Eastern Mediterranean region in general. Their ...

Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...

), and first novel, ''Chrysalis'' (Armida Publications). In 2012, ''Act III'' was short-listed for the

International Rubery Book Award The Rubery International Book Award (founded in 2010 by Heather Painter) is the largest cash award for books published by independent publishers and self published authors in Great Britain. The ''London Review of Books'' described it as "independe ...

Filmography

This is a list of films that have featured Richard Romanus.

Films

* 1968 – '' The Ghastly Ones'' as Don * 1973 – ''

'' as Michael * 1974 – ''

The Gravy Train ''The Gravy Train'', also commonly known as ''The Dion Brothers'', is a 1974 American crime-comedy film directed by Jack Starrett, written by Terrence Malick (under the pseudonym David Whitney) and Bill Kerby, and starring Stacy Keach and Fred ...

'' as Carlo * 1975 – '' Russian Roulette'' as Ragulia * 1977 – '' Wizards'' as Weehawk (voice) * 1977 – ''Night Terror'' (TV movie) as The Killer * 1979 – '' Gold of the Amazon Women'' (TV movie) as Luis Escobar * 1980 – ''

Sitting Ducks ''Sitting Ducks'' is a lithograph created by the poster artist Michael Bedard in 1977. It depicts a literal interpretation of the idiom "sitting duck". Three ducks are relaxing in the sun on white chairs by the poolside, one looks up and no ...

'' as Joe 'Moose Joe' Mastaki * 1981 – '' Heavy Metal'' as Harry Canyon (voice) * 1982 – '' Pandemonium'' as Jarrett * 1982 – '' Hey Good Lookin''' as Vinnie (voice) * 1983 – '' Strangers Kiss'' as Frank Silva * 1984 – ''Crackups'' (TV movie) * 1984 – ''More than Murder'' (TV movie) as Bordante * 1984 – '' Second Sight: A Love Story'' (TV movie) as Dr. Ross Harkin * 1984 – ''

Protocol Protocol may refer to: Sociology and politics * Protocol (politics), a formal agreement between nation states * Protocol (diplomacy), the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state * Etiquette, a code of personal behavior Science and technology ...

'' as The Emir * 1986 – '' Murphy's Law'' as Frank Vincenzo * 1987 – ''Ghost of a Chance'' (TV movie) as Julio Mendez * 1988 – ''

The Couch Trip ''The Couch Trip'' is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie. It stars Dan Aykroyd, Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin and Donna Dixon. It is loosely based on the 1971 novel ''The Couch Trip'', by Ken Kolb. Plot Alleged mental pa ...

'' as Harvey Michaels * 1989 – ''Married to the Mob'' (TV movie) as Tony * 1990 – ''Hollywood Heartbreak'' as Niles Gregory * 1990 – ''Final Stage'' as The Producer * 1991 – ''

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

'' as Vendetti * 1991 – ''The Entertainers'' (TV movie) as 'Chick' * 1992 – ''To Protect and Serve'' as Captain Malouf * 1993 – ''

Point of No Return The point of no return (PNR or PONR) is the point beyond which one must continue on one's current course of action because turning back is dangerous, physically impossible or difficult, or prohibitively expensive. The point of no return can be a ...

'' as Fahd Bahktiar * 1994 – ''

Cops & Robbersons ''Cops & Robbersons'' is a 1994 American crime comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie, starring Chevy Chase, Jack Palance, Dianne Wiest, and Robert Davi. Plot When the police discover that a mob hitman has moved in next door to the Robbersons, ...

'' as Fred Lutz * 1995 – ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'': A Blessing in Disguise (TV movie) as Penguinetti * 1998 – ''Urban Relics'' as Charlie Shivers * 1998 – ''Giving Up the Ghost'' (TV movie) * 1999 – ''Carlo's Wake'' as Carmine D'Angelo * 1999 – '' If You Believe'' (TV movie) * 2001 – '' Nailed'' as Uncle Robert * 2003 – '' The Young Black Stallion'' as Ben Ishak

Television (partial)

* 1970 – '' Mission: Impossible'' – Episode "Gitano" as Guard * 1970–71 – ''

The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Clarence Williams III as ...

'' (as Richard Romanos) – Appeared In Two Episodes * 1974 – ''

Rhoda ''Rhoda'' is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns starring Valerie Harper that originally aired on CBS for five seasons from September 9, 1974, to December 9, 1978. It was the first spin-off of ''The Mary Tyle ...

'' – Episode: "9-E is Available" as Luis Alvarez * 1974 – ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, it ...

'' – Episode: "The Betrayal" as Detective Sam Calucci * 1977 – ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

'' – Episode: "The Big Tap-Out" as Roy David * 1977 – ''

Starsky & Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...

'' – Episode: "Huggy Bear and the Turkey" as 'Sonny' Watson * 1978 – ''

Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigato ...

'' – Episode: "Three Day Affair with a Thirty Day Escrow" as Sean Innes * 1978 – ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'' - Episode: "Small Potatoes" as Johnny Noah * 1981–82 – '' Strike Force'' * 1983 – ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very dif ...

'' – Episode: "Let Them Eat Pretzels" * 1984 – ''

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

'' – Episode: "High Bleacher Man" * 1985 – ''

Tales from the Darkside ''Tales from the Darkside'' is an American anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero. Debuting in October 1983 with a pilot episode and then being picked up for syndication in September 1984, the show ran for 4 seasons through July ...

'' – Episode: "Bigalow's Last Smoke" as Frank Bigalow * 1985 – ''

'' – Episode "The Prodigal" (as brother to his real-life brother

) * 1989 – ''

Midnight Caller ''Midnight Caller'' is an American drama television series created by Richard DiLello, which aired on NBC from October 25, 1988, to May 17, 1991. It was one of the first television series to address the dramatic possibilities of the then-growin ...

'' – Episode "Trash Radio" as Maurice Maxwell * 1989 – ''

Mission Impossible ''Mission: Impossible'' is a multimedia franchise based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 TV series ran for seven seasons and was revived in 1988 for two seasons. It inspired a serie ...

'' – Episode "The Fixer" as Arthur Six * 1996 – '' Diagnosis: Murder'' – Episode "Misdiagnosis Murder" as Dr. Ed Quiller

Bibliography

* ''Act III'', 2011 (Aiora Press, Athens, and Armida Publications, Nicosia) * ''Chrysalis'', 2011 (Armida Publications, Nicosia)

Awards and nominations

* 1999 – Best Original Screenplay in Long Form Television -

* 2012 – Short-listed for the International Rubery Book Award for ''Act III''

References

External links

*
High School Yearbook Picture of Richard and Robert Romanos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Romanus, Richard 1945 births American male film actors American male voice actors Male actors from Vermont Living people People from Barre, Vermont American male writers American people of Arab descent American people of Lebanese descent Songwriters from Vermont American emigrants to Greece