Anderson was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, the son of Olga (née Lurie) and Harry Anderson.[1] He appeared in high school plays after moving to Los Angeles.[2]
In the 1960s, Anderson made appearances in 23 episodes of Perry Mason during the series' final season (1965–66) as Police Lieutenant Steve Drumm, replacing the character of Lt. Tragg, played by Ray Collins, who died in 1965. Before he became a Perry Mason regular, he made guest appearances in two episodes: as defendant Edward Lewis in "The Case of the Accosted Accountant", and Jason Foster in "The Case of the Paper Bullets" (both 1964).
In 1965, he played Judge Lander in the episode "Kate Melville and the Law" of the syndicated series Death Valley Days. He appeared in "The Wild Wild West" S3 E17 "The Night of the Headless Woman" as the corrupt San Francisco shipping inspector James Jeffers (1968). In 1970–71, Anderson starred as Chief George Untermeyer in the Burt Reynolds series Dan August.
Anderson first appeared as Oscar Goldman in the second episode of The Six Million Dollar Man ("Wine, Women, and War", 1973). He portrayed the character through the series' end in 1978, and on the spinoff series The Bionic Woman for its entire run from 1976 to 1978. Anderson was a guest-star on other TV series in the 1960s and 1970s, including Hawaii Five-O, Wanted Dead or Alive, Gunsmoke, Ironside, Columbo and The Love Boat (appearing in S2 E18 as Dr. Akers, Dr. Bricker's former mentor, a surgeon who had since lost an arm. The episode aired 2/9/1979).
In the 1990s, he served as narrator and a recurring guest star for Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. He served also as a commercial spokesperson for the Shell Oil Company in the United States, known as The Shell Answer Man.[4] "The Shell Answer Man" appeared in commercials from 1976 to 1982.
Personal life and deathedit
Anderson was married to Carol Lee Ladd and Katharine Thalberg (daughter of movie producer Irving Thalberg and actress Norma Shearer[5]), with both marriages ending in divorce. He had three daughters with Thalberg.[2] Anderson died on August 31, 2017, from natural causes in Beverly Hills, California.[6] He was 91.
“Perry Mason” (1964) as Lt. Drumm in The Case of the Twice-Told Twist. Season 9, episode 21 - the only episode of Perry Mason in color.
Referencesedit
^Krebs, Albin (September 5, 1976). "The Faces Are Familiar". The New York Times. "...boss of 'The $6-million Man', who hails from Long Branch..."
^ abcRogers, John (September 2, 2017). "Popular actor won fame on 'Six Million Dollar Man'". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Hawaii, Honolulu. Associated Press. p. B7. Retrieved March 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
^Hipes, Patrick (August 31, 2017). "Richard Anderson Dies: Oscar Goldman From 'Six Million Dollar Man' Was 91". Deadline. Retrieved May 10, 2021.