Richard Schaal
Richard Schaal
Character actor Richard Schaal specialized in playing everymen with off-center, over-the-top or farcical personas. Born in 1925, Schaal first took his television bow in the early '60s, as a guest star on programs such as The Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl, and The Doris Day Show. He also landed small roles in features including Carl Reiner's Cold War farce The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) and George Roy Hill's nihilistic sci-fi saga Slaughterhouse-Five (1972). Fans of The Mary Tyler Moore Show may remember Schaal as Howard Arnell, the slightly goofy ex-boyfriend of Mary Richards (who irritates Mary from time to time by cropping up and engaging in eccentric behavior, such as proposing marriage to her over the loudspeakers at a gymnasium). Schaal also turned up on the two spin-offs of Mary Tyler Moore -- Rhoda and Phyllis; on the former, he played klutzy alcoholic Charlie Burke, while on the latter, he played the (comparatively more together) commercial photographer Leo Heatherton. Subsequent assignments for Schaal included small roles in the features Americathon (1979), The Hollywood Knights (1980), and Once Bitten (1985). He was married for a lengthy period to actress Valerie Harper (Rhoda) and is the father of actress Wendy Schaal. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Filmography of Richard Schaal:
- O'Hara's Wife with Ed Asner , Mariette Hartley , Jodie Foster , Perry Lang , Tom Bosley , Ray Walston , Allen Williams , Nelson Welch , Nehemiah Persoff , Kelly Bishop , Mary Jo Catlett , Larry Gelman , Howard Mann , Juanita Moore , Ruben Moreno , Barney Phillips , Frank Ronzio , Gerald York , Fred Scheiwiller , Erik Kilpatrick , Bebe Drake
- The Hollywood Knights with Fran Drescher , Leigh French , Randy Gornel , Gary Graham , Sandy Helberg , James Jeter , Stuart Pankin , P.R. Paul , Michelle Pfeiffer , Gailard Sartain , Robert Wuhl , Tony Danza , Carol Ann Beery , Jerry Brutsche , T.K. Carter , Al Chalk , Daniel Davies , Debra Feuer , Moosie Drier , Garry Goodrow , Doris Hargrave , Walter Janowitz , Art LaFleur , Arnold McCuller , Roberta Wallach , Glenn Withrow , Otis Young , Bob Drake , Ken Hixon , Norman Lee , Charles Stewart , Chuck Waters , Joey Camen , Mina Kolb , Demetre Phillips , Al White , Bill Lytle , Harvey Miller , Chuck Cooper
- Steelyard Blues with Jane Fonda , Donald Sutherland , Peter Boyle , Garry Goodrow , Howard Hesseman , John Savage , Dan Barrows , Roger Bowen , John Brent , Committee , Nancy Fish , Larry Hankin , Jessica Myerson , Mel Stewart , Morgan Upton , Lynn Bernay , Ed Greenberg , Alan Myerson , Howard Storm , James Cranna , Ruth Silveira , David Moody
- Slaughterhouse-Five with Michael Sacks , Ron Leibman , Eugene Roche , Sharon Gans , Valerie Perrine , Roberts Blossom , Lucille Benson , Sorrell Booke , John Dehner , Stanley Gottlieb , Perry King , Gilmer McCormick , Holly Near , Gary Waynesmith , Henry Bumstead , Kevin Conway , John Wood , Karl Otto Alberty , Frederick Ledebur
- The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming! with Carl Reiner , Eva Marie Saint , Alan Arkin , Brian Keith , Jonathan Winters , Theodore Bikel , Paul Ford , Tessie O'Shea , John Phillip Law , Andrea Dromm , Ben Blue , Sheldon Golomb , Cindy Putnam , Guy Raymond , Cliff Norton , Philip Coolidge , Don Keefer , Parker Fennelly , Doro Merande , Vaughn Taylor , Johnny Whitaker , Nikita Knatz , Milos Milos , Gino Gottarelli , Peter Brocco , Sheldon Collins , Michael J. Pollard
- Once Bitten with Lauren Hutton , Jim Carrey , Karen Kopins , Cleavon Little , Thomas Ballatore , Skip Lackey , Jeb Stuart Adams , Dan Barrows , Stuart Charno , Garry Goodrow , Alan McRae , Megan Mullally , Peggy Pope , Dee Dee Rescher , Ron Vernan , Terry Wills , Dominick Brascia , Anna Mathias , Philip Linton , Opelene Bartley , Joseph Brutsman , Peter Elbing , Kimberlye Gold , Nancy Hunter , Robin Klein , Glen Mauro , Carey More , Don Richey , Kelly Salloum , Nancy Scher , Rainbow Shalom , Ruth Silveira , Casey Storm , Laura Urstein , Maria Vidal , Kate Zentall
Richard Schaal Trivia
