Richard A. Dysart (born March 30, 1929) is an American character actor, perhaps best known for his role as Leland McKenzie on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law.
Dysart served for four years in the Air Force during the Korean War. In 1979, he starred in the film Being There, portraying a good-hearted physician. In 1980, he portrayed Edwin Stanton in the TV movie The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd. He also lent his voice to the kindly miner Uncle Pom in the Disney English language version of Hayao Miyazaki's 1986 adventure classic, Castle in the Sky. He starred in movies such as The Day of the Locust, The Rumor Mill, Pale Rider, Prophecy, The Thing, Warning Sign, Hard Rain, Mask, An Enemy of the People, The Hospital, and The Hindenburg.
The scene where his L.A. Law character, Leland, the patriarchal and stiff founder of a successful law practice, was discovered in bed with competitor Rosalind Shays (Diana Muldaur), was ranked as the 38th greatest moment in television in an issue of EGG magazine. He earned one Emmy Award, and three more nominations, for his role as McKenzie on L.A. Law.
He was a founding member of the American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco. He received the Drama Desk Award in 1972 and an Emmy Award in 1992. He is a brother of the Phi Alpha Tau fraternity based out of Emerson College in Boston. In 1990, Dysart was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law. He is also a certified open water diver.
Dysart has been married to his third wife, artist Kathryn Jacobi, since 1987.
Richard Dysart served for four years in the Air Force during the Korean War. He's a founding member of the American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco. He received the Drama Desk Award in 1972 and a Emmy Award in 1992. He is good friends with Diana Muldaur, who played Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law.
