Career
Anderson's professional break came in 1949 when Cary Grant saw him performing in a television production and reached out to offer mentorship. Grant facilitated an MGM screen test that led to a six-year studio contract. During his MGM years Anderson appeared in approximately thirty films, including The Magnificent Yankee (1950), Scaramouche (1952), and the science-fiction classic Forbidden Planet (1956).1
His film profile rose considerably when director Stanley Kubrick cast him in Paths of Glory (1957), an anti-war drama he later cited as the most formative credit of his career. Anderson went on to appear in two further films directed by John Frankenheimer: Seven Days in May (1964), written by Rod Serling, and the psychological thriller Seconds (1966) alongside Rock Hudson.1
Television became the primary stage for the second half of Anderson's career. He appeared in installments of Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, The Fugitive, Hawaii Five-O, Dan August, Dynasty, and Murder, She Wrote, accumulating more than 180 film and television credits across six decades.2
His career-defining role arrived when he was cast as Oscar Goldman, chief of a secretive government agency, in the 1973 TV movies that preceded The Six Million Dollar Man. Anderson voiced the show's iconic opening narration: "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him, we have the technology." He went on to play Goldman across the full run of The Six Million Dollar Man and reprised the character on the concurrent spinoff series The Bionic Woman, making him the first actor in television history to portray the same character on two series airing simultaneously on two different networks. He also produced two subsequent TV movies in the Goldman character.12
Ghostbusters
Anderson guest-voiced a character in the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "Greased." His single appearance placed him among the roster of veteran Hollywood character actors who lent their voices to the 1997 continuation series.
Personal life
Anderson was married twice. His first marriage, to Carol Lee Ladd (stepdaughter of actor Alan Ladd), lasted from 1955 to 1956. His second marriage, to Katharine Thalberg (daughter of actress Norma Shearer and MGM production head Irving Thalberg), ran from 1961 to 1973. Both marriages ended in divorce. He was survived by three daughters: Ashley, Brooke, and Deva.12
Away from acting Anderson was an avid collector of vintage automobiles and was active in organizations supporting veterans and Native American communities.1
Death
Richard Anderson died on August 31, 2017, at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was 91 years old. Fellow Six Million Dollar Man cast member Lee Majors described him as "a dear and loyal friend," and co-star Lindsay Wagner praised his "elegance and loving friendship."2
References
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Hollywood Reporter, "Richard Anderson Dead: 'Six Million Dollar Man' Actor Was 91" (September 1, 2017), https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/richard-anderson-dead-six-million-855240/
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Deadline, "Richard Anderson Dies: Oscar Goldman From 'Six Million Dollar Man' Was 91" (August 31, 2017), https://deadline.com/2017/08/richard-anderson-dies-oscar-goldman-six-million-dollar-man-bionic-woman-actor-1202159362/
