Quantcast

Actor Richard Gilliland dies at 71

Colts Fan

Team Owner
OLDHEAD
Joined
Feb 14, 2005
Messages
40,966
Reaction score
Reactions
172,148 14,029 2,545
175,248
Alleybux
617,226
1616716489909.png


Richard Gilliland Dies: Veteran Actor In ‘Designing Women’, ‘Thirtysomething’ & Dozens Of Other Shows Was 71


Richard Gilliland, a prolific actor who nearly 50-year career included Designing Women, Thirtysomething and series-regular roles on Just Our Luck, Operation Petticoat and Heartland, has died. He was 71. His family said he died March 18 in Los Angeles after an unspecified brief illness.

Born on January 23, 1950, in Fort Worth, Texas, Gilliland appeared in dozens of TV shows, ranging from The Streets of San Francisco, Medical Center, a recurring role on McMillan & Wife and Marcus Welby, M.D. in the 1970s through The Waltons, Fantasy Island and The Love Boat to St. Elsewhere, Night Court, Matlock, Judging Amy, Becker, Crossing Jordan, 24, CSI, Criminal Minds, Dexter and Murder, She Wrote. He also co-starred in the 1978 NBC miniseries Little Women.


He also was a series regular on three ABC comedies during the 1970s and ’80: playing a World War II Navy officer opposite John Astin in Operation Petticoat (1977-79), a TV reporter who finds a bottled genie (T.K. Carter) in 1983’s Just Our Luck and as the son-in-law of Brian Keith’s Archie Bunker-like character in the Heartland (1989).


It was during his five-season recurring stint on CBS’ Designing Women that Gilliland met his future wife, series star Jean Smart. He played a Major League Baseball talent scout who was the boyfriend of Mary Jo (Annie Potts) during its first five seasons from 1986-91. During that time he also recurred on ABC’s thirtysomething as Jeffrey Milgrom, who leaves his second wife for Ellyn (Polly Draper) only to leave her for his first wife.

On the film side, he appeared in Airplane II: The Sequel, Happy Hour, The White Buffalo and Arnold Schwarzenegger first major pic Stay Hungry.

Grant got his start playing Jesus in an early production of Godspell.
 

SeeMyselfOut

AGE 20: Last Year, This Year and Next Year
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
6,267
Reaction score
Reactions
29,140 3,496 319
33,650
Alleybux
15,030
RIP. I also remember Gilliland played Captain Stan Cotter on 24 with Keifer Sutherland.
 

LurkWurk

May your shed tears neva be in vain
Joined
Feb 2, 2018
Messages
1,066
Reaction score
Reactions
10,246 253 12
16,597
Alleybux
0
I see he passed away on the 18th. I can’t believe i just found this out smh
R.I.P to him and condolences to the family
 

Colts Fan

Team Owner
OLDHEAD
Joined
Feb 14, 2005
Messages
40,966
Reaction score
Reactions
172,148 14,029 2,545
175,248
Alleybux
617,226
I see he passed away on the 18th. I can’t believe i just found this out smh
R.I.P to him and condolences to the family

To be fair they announced this publically today so I just found out now.

I actually forgot Hal Holbrook died earlier this year...
 

EBatiste

Team Owner
Joined
Feb 2, 2020
Messages
9,312
Reaction score
Reactions
99,586 5,475 180
114,781
Alleybux
4,348
Oh no! We just lost Hal not too long ago. Praying for Jean, they were together for a long time. R.I.P. Richard.
 

neo2014

General Manager
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
4,662
Reaction score
Reactions
16,533 860 317
17,266
Alleybux
855,158
Great character actor i remember when i was a kid getting pissed that Just Our Luck got cancelled
 

gagirl01

Team Owner
Joined
Jan 18, 2015
Messages
13,083
Reaction score
Reactions
177,470 11,367 2,132
209,023
Alleybux
18,500
RIP. I also remember Gilliland played Captain Stan Cotter on 24 with Keifer Sutherland.
I’ll have to go back and watch. I remember Jean being in season 5 and just killing it.

He’s one of those faces that you instantly recognize even if you didn’t know his name. May he RIP and peace be with Jean and their family. They appeared to really love each other.
 

DanyGurl

༺Life never stops teaching ༻
Joined
Apr 2, 2020
Messages
420
Reaction score
Reactions
927 9
1,399
Alleybux
350
sad to read that.. may he rest in peace .. :cry:
 

athie930

Team Owner
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
7,322
Reaction score
Reactions
31,509 468 3
33,255
Alleybux
370,000
RIP Richard, prayers goes out to his family and friends.
 

Similar Threads

Celebrity News

Ask LSA

The Lounge

General Alley

Top Bottom