Richard James Branda (August 28, 1935 – January 7, 1993) was an American actor and writer. He appeared in numerous plays, films and TV series throughout the 1950s to the 1980s.

Biography

Branda was born in Jefferson County, Texas in 1935, the youngest of five brothers. After serving for two years as a theatrical director in the Armed Forces, his acting career began at the

Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...

in 1961, performing in shows like The Great White Hope or Dr. Faustus. He appeared in TV series like

Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, '' Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police ...

, McMillan & Wife,

Tabitha Tabitha () is an English feminine given name, originating with (or made popular through) Tabitha ( Dorcas), mentioned in the New Testament Acts 9:36. In the Bible Tabitha, or Dorcas, the Greek equivalent of the name, is a woman mentioned in t ...

and Quincy, M.E. among others. He also acted in films such as

Lilith Lilith (; ), also spelled Lilit, Lilitu, or Lilis, is a feminine figure in Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, theorized to be the first wife of Adam and a primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Eden ...

, The French Connection, Death Wish,

Two-Minute Warning The two-minute warning is a suspension of play in an American football game that occurs when two minutes remain on the game clock in each half of a game, i.e., near the end of the second and fourth quarters, and overtime. Its effect on play is s ...

Personal life

Branda was married to Eileen Friedman, whom he had three daughters, Jennifer, Leslie and Allison.

Death

Branda died of

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

on January 7, 1993. He was buried at Eden Memorial Park Cemetery.

Selected filmography

Film

* ''

'' (1964) * '' The French Connection'' (1971) * '' Death Wish'' (1974) * ''

'' (1976) * '' Student Bodies'' (1981)

Television

* '' You Are There'' (1954) * ''

'' (1975) * '' McMillan & Wife'' (1975) * ''

'' (1977) * '' Quincy, M.E.'' (1979)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Branda, Richard 1935 births 1993 deaths American male television actors People from Port Arthur, Texas Deaths from colorectal cancer in California 20th-century American male actors