Richard Romanus

Richard Romanus (born Richard Joseph Romanos; February 28, 1943 – December 23, 2023) was an American actor. Among other roles, he appeared in Martin Scorsese's ''Mean Streets'' and provided voices for Ralph Bakshi's animated films '' Wizards'' and '' Hey Good Lookin'''. He played Richard La Penna, Jennifer Melfi's ex-husband, later husband again, in four episodes of ''The Sopranos'' from 1999 to 2002. In 1999, he co-wrote the Christmas film '' If You Believe'' along with his wife Anthea Sylbert, which was nominated by the Writers Guild of America TV Award for Original Long Form.

Personal life

Romanus was born in Barre, Vermont, the son of Eileen (née Maloof) and Dr. Raymond Romanos, a dentist. He was of Lebanese descent. Romanus grew up Catholic. He lived in West Hartford, Connecticut, and in 1964 graduated from Xavier University with a bachelor's in philosophy, before studying acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York. His younger brother Robert Romanus is also an actor. They both appeared in the ''MacGyver'' episode "The Prodigal" in 1985. On May 20, 1967, he married Tina Bohlmann; they had a son before divorcing in 1980.

Romanus was married to Oscar-nominated costume designer Anthea Sylbert from August 1985 until his death. In 2004, they moved to the Greek island of Skiathos, after which he focused on writing. In 2011, he published his memoirs, ''Act III'' (Aiora Press, Athens, and Armida Publications, Nicosia), and first novel, ''Chrysalis'' (Armida Publications). In 2012, ''Act III'' was short-listed for the International Rubery Book Award.

Romanus died in Volos, Greece, on December 23, 2023, at the age of 80.

Filmography

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

Films

* 1968 – '' The Ghastly Ones'' as Don
* 1973 – ''Mean Streets'' as Michael
* 1974 – ''The Gravy Train'' 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'' 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'' as The Emir
* 1986 – ''Murphy's Law'' as Frank Vincenzo
* 1987 – ''Ghost of a Chance'' (TV movie) as Julio Mendez
* 1988 – '' The Couch Trip'' 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'' as Vendetti
* 1991 – ''The Entertainers'' (TV movie) as 'Chick'
* 1992 – ''To Protect and Serve'' as Captain Malouf
* 1993 – ''Point of No Return'' as Fahd Bahktiar
* 1994 – '' Cops & Robbersons'' as Fred Lutz
* 1995 – ''The Rockford Files'': 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
* 1970–1971 – ''The Mod Squad'' (as Richard Romanos) – Appeared In Two Episodes
* 1974 – '' Rhoda'' – Episode: "9-E is Available" as Luis Alvarez
* 1974 – ''Kojak'' – Episode: "The Betrayal" as Detective Sam Calucci
* 1977 – ''Charlie's Angels'' – Episode: "The Big Tap-Out" as Roy David
* 1977 – ''Starsky & Hutch'' – Episode: "Huggy Bear and the Turkey" as 'Sonny' Watson
* 1978 – '' Rockford Files'' – Episode: "Three Day Affair with a Thirty Day Escrow" as Sean Innes
* 1978 – '' Hawaii Five-O'' - Episode: "Small Potatoes" as Johnny Noah
* 1981–1982 – '' Strike Force''
* 1983 – '' Cagney & Lacey'' – Episode: "Let Them Eat Pretzels"
* 1984 – ''Hunter'' – Episode: "High Bleacher Man"
* 1985 – '' Tales from the Darkside'' – Episode: "Bigalow's Last Smoke" as Frank Bigalow
* 1985 – ''MacGyver'' – Episode "The Prodigal" (as brother to his real-life brother Robert Romanus)
* 1986 – ''MacGyver'' – Episode "Twice Stung" as James Crowe
* 1989 – '' Midnight Caller'' – Episode "Trash Radio" as Maurice Maxwell
* 1989 – '' Mission Impossible'' – Episode "The Fixer" as Arthur Six
* 1996 – '' Diagnosis: Murder'' – Episode "Misdiagnosis Murder" as Dr. Ed Quiller
* 1999-2002 ''The Sopranos'' - Appeared In Four Episodes as Richard La Penna (Jennifer Melfi's ex-husband)

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 - Writers Guild of America (nominated)
* 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
1943 births
2023 deaths
American male film actors
American male voice actors
Male actors from Vermont
People from Barre, Vermont
American male writers
American people of Lebanese descent
Songwriters from Vermont
American emigrants to Greece