Richard Lynch

Richard Lynch (February 12, 1940 – June 19, 2012) was an American actor best known for portraying villains in films and television.

His film credits included The Sword and the Sorcerer, Invasion USA, The Seven-Ups, Scarecrow, Little Nikita, Bad Dreams, God Told Me To, and Halloween. He appeared in science fiction productions, including Battlestar Galactica (as Wolfe) and its sequel series Galactica 1980 (as Commander Xaviar). He also appeared in such shows as Starsky and Hutch, Baretta, T. J. Hooker, Blue Thunder, Airwolf, The A-Team, Charmed and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Spouses

Béatrix Lynch (divorced)
Lily Lynch

Family - Barry Lynch (brother)

Contents

Early life and career

Richard Hugh Lynch was born on February 12, 1940 (sometimes incorrectly cited as 1936) in Brooklyn, New York to Roman Catholic parents of Irish descent. His younger brother is actor Barry Lynch. Lynch served in the United States Marine Corps for four years.

Lynch's distinct scarred appearance made him a popular nemesis, and he can be seen in more than 100 film and television performances. The scars came from a 1967 incident in New York's Central Park in which, under the influence of drugs, he set himself on fire, burning more than 70% of his body. He spent a year in recovery, gave up drug taking and ultimately began training at The Actors Studio and at the HB Studio. In 1970, he co-starred with Robert De Niro, Sally Kirkland and Diane Ladd in the short-lived off-Broadway play One Night Stands of a Noisy Passenger, written by Shelley Winters. He often played a villain in features, including Scarecrow, which marked his film debut, The Seven-Ups, Bad Dreams, The Sword and the Sorcerer, and Little Nikita.

In 1982, Lynch won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the evil King Cromwell in The Sword and the Sorcerer. Although Richard Lynch is best known for playing villains, he was cast as the president of the United States in the 2007 film Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy. Lynch starred alongside Judson Scott in the 1982 short-lived science fiction TV series The Phoenix.

In addition to acting, Lynch was a musician, and he played the saxophone, guitar, piano, and flute. He held Irish citizenship through his Irish-born parents and was a frequent visitor to Ireland. He starred together with brother Barry in the films Nightforce and Total Force. Lynch's wife Lily starred with him in the film Breaking the Silence (1998) and son Christopher Lynch appeared with him in the science fiction film Trancers II. In 1977, Richard Lynch shared the stage with actor Al Pacino, a close friend, in the Broadway play The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. Lynch played a Vietnam veteran who used a wheelchair, and was nominated for a Tony in 1977.

Through the years, Lynch worked with friend and colleague Don Calfa in the films Necronomicon (1993), Toughguy (1995), Corpses Are Forever (2003), and Lewisburg (2009).

Later life and death

Lynch married twice — once to Béatrix Lynch (their son Christopher died in 2005 from pneumonia), and later to Lily Lynch.

Lynch's body was found in his home in Yucca Valley, California on June 19, 2012. It is not known if Lynch died on June 18 or June 19. After not having heard from Lynch for several days, friend and actress Carol Vogel went to his home to find the door open and his body in his kitchen. He was survived by his brother Barry and two sisters, Carole Taylor and Cathy Jones. News reports following his death incorrectly identified his birth year as 1936, but the obituary in the Los Angeles Times published by his family correctly listed the year as 1940.

Filmography

Films

• Scarecrow (1973) as Riley
• The Seven-Ups (1973) as Moon
• Starsky & Hutch (1974) as Art
• The Happy Hooker (1975) as The Cop
• The Premonition (1976) as Jude
• God Told Me To (1976) as Bernard Phillips
• The Baron (1977) as Joey
• Stunts (1977) as Pete Lustig
• Deathsport (1978) as Ankar Moor
• Steel (1979) as Dancer
• Delta Fox (1979) as David 'Delta' Fox
• Vampire (1979) as Prince Anton Voytek
• The Ninth Configuration (1980) as 2nd Cyclist (Richard)
• The Formula (1980) as General Helmut Kladen / Frank Tedesco
• Sizzle (1981) as Johnny O'Brien
• The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) as Cromwell
• Treasure: In Search of the Golden Horse (1984) as Narrator (voice)
• Cut and Run (1985) as Colonel Brian Horne
• Invasion U.S.A. (1985) as Mikhail Rostov
• Savage Dawn (1985) as Rev. Romano
• The Barbarians (1987) as Kadar
• Nightforce (1987) as Bishop
• Little Nikita (1988) as Scuba
• Bad Dreams (1988) as Harris
• One Man Force (1989) as Adams
• High Stakes (1989) as Slim
• The Forbidden Dance (1990) as Benjamin Maxwell
• Aftershock (1990) as Commander Eastern
• Return to Justice (1990) as Sheriff Jethro Lincoln
• Invasion Force (1990) as Michael Cooper
• Lockdown (1990) as James Garrett
• Alligator II: The Mutation (1991) as Hawk Hawkins
• Trancers II (1991) as Dr. Wardo
• The Last Hero (1991) as Montoro
• Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge (1991) as Major Kraus
• Maximum Force (1992) as Max Tanabe
• Inside Edge (1992) as Mario Gio
• Double Threat (1992) as Detective Robert Fenich
• Merlin (1993) as Pendragon
• Showdown (1993) as The Commander
• H.P. Lovecraft's: Necronomicon (1993) as Jethro De Lapoer (part 1)
• Scanner Cop (1994) as Karl Glock
• Cyborg 3: The Recycler (1994) as Lewellyn
• Midnight Confessions (1994) as Detective Harris
• Dangerous Waters (1994) as The Admiral
• Death Match (1994) as Jimmie Fratello
• Loving Deadly (1994) as Dr. Mel
• Werewolf (1995) as Noel
• Terrified (1995) as Office Worker #2
• Dragon Fury (1995)
• Terminal Virus (1995) as Calloway
• Warrior of Justice (1995) as Doug aka 'The Master'
• Takedown (1995)
• Destination Vegas (1995) as Richard
• Lone Tiger (1996) as Bruce Rossner
• Total Force (1996) as Dr. Edmund Wellington
• Diamond Run (1996) as Sloan
• Vendetta (1996) as Dr. David Wilson
• The Garbage Man (1996)
• Under Oath (1997) as Daniel Saltarelli
• Ground Rules (1997)
• Divine Lovers (1997) as Gregory
• Shattered Illusions (1998) as Sal
• Armstrong (1998) as Colonel Zukov
• Love and War II (1998)
• Lima: Breaking the Silence (1999) as James Gallagher, Ambassador (Ireland)
• Eastside (1999) as Mihalas Gabriel
• Enemy Action (1999) as Dimitri
• Death Game (2001) as Chief Canton
• Ankle Bracelet (2001) as Jerry
• Outta Time (2002) as Franco
• Crime and Punishment (2002) as Peter Luzhin, Dunia's suitor
• Curse of the Forty-Niner (2002) as Old Man Prichard
• Fabulous Shiksa in Distress (2003) as The Messenger (uncredited)
• Ancient Warriors (2003) as Curtis Mayhew
• The Mummy's Kiss (2003) as Dr. Wallis Harwa
• Final Combat (2003)
• Corpses Are Forever (2003) as General Morton
• The Great Wall of Magellon (2005) as Old Akillian
• Wedding Slashers (2006) as Daddy
• Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy (2007) as President of the United States
• Halloween (2007) as Principal Chambers
• Dark Fields (2009) as Mr. Jones
• Chrome Angels (2009) as Uncle Ted
• The Rain (2009) as Karl Lumis
• Resurrection (2010) as President
• Gun of the Black Sun (2011) as Damian Lupescu
• The Lords of Salem (2012) as Reverend Hawthorne (Frankenstein and the Witchhunter) (uncredited) (Due to poor health, Lynch was replaced by Andrew Prine during early stages of filming.)

Television

• Streets of San Francisco Season 5 - Episode 23 "Time Out" (06/02/1977) as Harry Kraft
• Battlestar Galactica episode Gun on Ice Planet Zero (1978) as Wolfe
• Vega$ episode Kill Dan Tanna (1978) as Mr. North
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) as Morgan Velosi
• Charlie's Angels episode Angels on the Street (1979) as Freddie Jefferson
• Starsky & Hutch episode Starsky vs Hutch s04 e21 (1979) as Joey
• Galactica 1980 (1980) as Commander Xavier
• Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (1980) as Sam Shockley
• The Phoenix (1982) as Justin Preminger
• Blue Thunder (1984) as P.V.C.
• Airwolf episode The Horn of Plenty (1985) as John Bradford Horn / Gerald Van Dorian / Neal Streep
• The Law & Harry McGraw Season 1 - Episode 3 "Mr. Chapman, I Presume?" (10/13/1987) as Trent
• Werewolf (1987) as Servan Domballe
• Hunter episode The Legion (1989) as Frank Lassiter
• Super Force Season 1 - Episode 16 & 17 "The Sins of the Fathers" (1991) as Dr. Lothar Presley
• Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Gambit (1993) as Baran
• Murder, She Wrote episode To the last will I grapple with thee (1992) & Amsterdam Kill (1994) as Philip de Kooning / Michael O'Connor
• Highlander: The Series (1995) as John Kirin / Cage
• Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming (1999) as Count Iblis
• Charmed (2003) as Cronyn