Richard Sanders (actor)

Richard Kinard Sanders (born August 23, 1940) is a retired American actor and screenwriter. He played quirky news anchorman Les Nessman on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982). Most of his acting career has been on television.

Richard Sanders
Born
Richard Kinard Sanders

(1940-08-23) August 23, 1940
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, screenwriter
Years active1971–2006
SpouseMarilynn Marko-Sanders

Early life and education

Sanders was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the son of Thelma S. and Henry Irvine Sanders.[1] After graduating from Leavenworth High School in Leavenworth, Kansas, he was enrolled in the Fine Arts Department at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie Mellon University) as an acting major. There, he was a classmate of René Auberjonois and Aubrey Wilson, among others.

Career

After graduating from college, Sanders studied Shakespearean theatre in England on a Fulbright Scholarship, and served a stint with the Peace Corps in the states of Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Sanders joined Gordon Jump and Frank Bonner in reprising his original WKRP role on The New WKRP in Cincinnati in the early 1990s. He has guest-appeared on other television shows, including Lou Grant, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Alice, Newhart, Murder, She Wrote, Designing Women, and Married... with Children, and has also acted in the mini-series Roots: The Next Generations, the animated series Inhumanoids, the horror film Lovers Lane, and the Robert De Niro/Cuba Gooding Jr. film Men of Honor.

Besides being an actor, Sanders is a screenwriter, having written, among other works, several episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati. In 1993, he starred in the computer game Day of the Tentacle as the voice of Bernard Bernoulli.

Personal life

Sanders resides in Woodinville, Washington.[2] He is married to Marilynn Marko-Sanders.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Billy Jack Goes to Washington Jerry
1980 The Nude Bomb German Delegate
1983 Valley Girl Drivers' Ed Teacher
1991 Neon City Dickie Devine
1994 The Beans of Egypt, Maine Lee, Earlene's Father
1997 Black Circle Boys Mr. Dunkel
1999 Anoosh of the Airways Burton Lloydhammer
1999 Lovers Lane Dr. Jack Grefe
2000 Men of Honor Donny Moor, The Bartender
2000 Nowheresville Duane
2006 Expiration Date Municipal Cemetery Administrator

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1971 They've Killed President Lincoln! Dr. Leale Television film
1974 Lincoln: Trial by Fire Minister John Adams
1974 The Doctors The Bartender 4 episodes
1977 McCloud Matt Clayton Episode: "London Bridges"
1977 Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn Travis Television film
1977 Good Against Evil The Doctor
1977 Lou Grant Richard T. Harvey Episode: "Hostages"
1977 Barnaby Jones Joe Keller Episode: "The Wife Beater"
1977 Kojak Drunk Episode: "A Strange Kind of Love"
1977 Rafferty Reverend Campbell Episode: "The Wild Child"
1977 The Rockford Files Samuel Romney Episode: "The Mayor's Committee from Deer Lick Falls"
1978 Ruby and Oswald FBI Agent Kelley Television film
1978 Keefer Bemmel
1978 The Gypsy Warriors German Scientist
1978 Bud and Lou The Doctor
1978–1982 WKRP in Cincinnati Les Nessman 88 episodes
1979 Roots: The Next Generations Captain Episode: "Part III (1914–1918)"
1979 Ike Correspondant Episode: "Part II"
1979 Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker Mr. Fogarty Television film
1980 Trouble in High Timber Country Lester
1980 Fantasy Island The Race Track Announcer 2 episodes
1982 ABC Weekend Special Mr. Lester Little Episode: "The Joke's on Mr. Little"
1982 Gloria Barry Farnum Episode: "The Taxman Cometh"
1983 It Takes Two Arthur Frain Episode: "Anniversary"
1983 The Invisible Woman Orville Television film
1983 Alice Arnold Episode: "Alice's Blind Date"
1983 Goodnight, Beantown Chester Episode: "Peace on Earth"
1984 Simon & Simon Ed Laughlin Episode: "The Wrong Stuff"
1984 Newhart Cecil Breech Episode: "Leave It to the Beavers"
1984–1985 Spencer Benjamin Beanley 13 episodes
1984-1987 Murder, She Wrote Gerald Richards, Arnold Megrim 2 episodes
1985 Berrenger's Frank Chapman 8 episodes
1985 Who's the Boss? Bob Wormser 2 episodes
1986 Riptide Pierce Fenner Episode: "A Matter of Policy"
1986 Knots Landing Harry Nold Episode: "The Legacy"
1986 ALF Hogarth Episode: "Pennsylvania 6-5000"
1986 Inhumanoids Dr. Derek Bright Voice, 8 episodes
1986-1989 Growing Pains Dr. Rosenfeld, Luther 2 episodes
1987 Easy Street Ravenkeep Episode: "The Mad Gardener"
1987 Nothing in Common Dooley Episode: "Gone Fishing"
1987 Married... with Children Mr. Conner Episode: "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get"
1987–1988 You Can't Take It with You Paul Sycamore 4 episodes
1988 Duet Bob Episode: "Funny Valentine"
1988 Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace Chester Lackberry Television film
1989 Night Court City Auditor Clark Edwards 2 episodes
1989 The Magical World of Disney Dr. Dark Episode: "The Absent-Minded Professor: Trading Places"
1990 227 Dean Thurston Episode: "Nightmare on 227"
1990 Charles in Charge Professor Smalley Episode: "Let's Quake a Deal"
1990 Coach Warren Graustark Episode: "The Break-Up"
1990 Designing Women Dr. Elliot Newhouse, Elmer Peace 2 episodes
1990 Gravedale High Ben Franklin Episode: "Goodbye Gravedale"
1991–1993 The New WKRP in Cincinnati Les Nessman 46 episodes
1995 Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again Dr. Budwig Television film
1997 Unhappily Ever After Mr. Peabody Episode: "Teacher of the Year"
1999 Batman Beyond Mr. Deakins Voice, episode: "Spellbound"
2000 The John Report with Bob Bob's Dad Episode #1.2
2001 The Fugitive Judge Episode: "And in That Darkness"
2002 Rose Red Mr. Stanton 2 episodes

References
  1. "Richard Sanders Biography (1940-)". Filmreference.com. August 28, 1940. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  2. Rahner, Mark (April 27, 2007). "Woodinville's Richard Sanders talks about "WKRP in Cincinnati"". Seattle Times. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
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