Richard Biggs
Encyclopedia
Richard T. "Dick" Biggs (March 18, 1960 – May 22, 2004) was an American
television
and stage actor
, best known for his roles on the television series Days of our Lives
and Babylon 5
.
, Biggs attended the University of Southern California
on scholarship, studying theatre. He briefly taught at a Los Angeles
high school before landing his first major television role, that of Dr. Marcus Hunter on the soap opera
Days of our Lives
. Biggs played Hunter from 1987 to 1992.
Biggs then landed the role of Dr. Stephen Franklin
on the hit science fiction
series Babylon 5
(1994–1998), and appeared as the same character in an episode of the spin-off show, Crusade
("Each Night I Dream of Home"). After Babylon 5, he played roles on Any Day Now and Strong Medicine
, as well as the recurring role of Clayton Boudreaux on the soap opera Guiding Light
.
Biggs' stage credits include The Tempest, Cymbeline
and The Taming of the Shrew
.
He and Lori Gerber were married from August 1, 1998 until Biggs' death in 2004. They have two children, RJ and Hunter.
when he was 13, and was partially deaf in one ear, completely deaf in the other. He frequently used his celebrity status to raise money for the Aliso Academy, a private school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California
that serves deaf children.
Biggs died in his home in Los Angeles
of complications stemming from aortic dissection
on May 22, 2004. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
; following his death, his character was killed in an unseen traffic accident. Biggs' final film appearance was in We Interrupt This Program, a short film released as a companion piece to the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead
on DVD. (In that short film, Biggs' Babylon 5 costar, Bruce Boxleitner
, is heard as the voice of the President of the United States
.) He was also frequently guest starring on Tremors: The Series as a local scientist. An episode of the Nickelodeon
series Drake & Josh
, in which Biggs appeared as a guest star (with Gary Coleman), was dedicated in his memory on October 17, 2004. The episode was about stolen "Gary Coleman Grills/MP3 players. For more info on this episode, go to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0566044/
He had also made a guest appearance in the (as yet) unreleased Sci-Fi comedy "Starship 2: Rendezvous with Ramses" as Space Patrolman Sergeant Franklin. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494276/)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and stage actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known for his roles on the television series Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
and Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
.
Life
Born in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Biggs attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
on scholarship, studying theatre. He briefly taught at a Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
high school before landing his first major television role, that of Dr. Marcus Hunter on the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
. Biggs played Hunter from 1987 to 1992.
Biggs then landed the role of Dr. Stephen Franklin
Stephen Franklin
Stephen Franklin is a lead character in the fictional universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by the late Richard Biggs. He serves as the chief medical officer on the Babylon 5 space station.-Personality:...
on the hit science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
(1994–1998), and appeared as the same character in an episode of the spin-off show, Crusade
Crusade (TV series)
Crusade is a spin-off TV show from J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5. Its plot is set in AD 2267, five years after the events of Babylon 5, and just after the movie A Call to Arms. A race called the Drakh have released a nanovirus plague on Earth, which will destroy all life on Earth within five...
("Each Night I Dream of Home"). After Babylon 5, he played roles on Any Day Now and Strong Medicine
Strong Medicine
Strong Medicine is a medical drama with a focus on feminist politics, health issues and class conflict. The television series aired on the Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It is distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The series was created and produced in part by comedienne and...
, as well as the recurring role of Clayton Boudreaux on the soap opera Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
.
Biggs' stage credits include The Tempest, Cymbeline
Cymbeline
Cymbeline , also known as Cymbeline, King of Britain or The Tragedy of Cymbeline, is a play by William Shakespeare, based on legends concerning the early Celtic British King Cunobelinus. Although listed as a tragedy in the First Folio, modern critics often classify Cymbeline as a romance...
and The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
.
He and Lori Gerber were married from August 1, 1998 until Biggs' death in 2004. They have two children, RJ and Hunter.
Health and death
Biggs was diagnosed with hearing problemsHearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
when he was 13, and was partially deaf in one ear, completely deaf in the other. He frequently used his celebrity status to raise money for the Aliso Academy, a private school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master planned community set upon rolling hills. Most neighborhoods in Rancho Santa Margarita are within various homeowners associations...
that serves deaf children.
Biggs died in his home in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
of complications stemming from aortic dissection
Aortic dissection
Aortic dissection occurs when a tear in the inner wall of the aorta causes blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta and force the layers apart. The dissection typically extends anterograde, but can extend retrograde from the site of the intimal tear. Aortic dissection is a medical...
on May 22, 2004. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
Work
At the time of his death, he was a regular on the television series Strong MedicineStrong Medicine
Strong Medicine is a medical drama with a focus on feminist politics, health issues and class conflict. The television series aired on the Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It is distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The series was created and produced in part by comedienne and...
; following his death, his character was killed in an unseen traffic accident. Biggs' final film appearance was in We Interrupt This Program, a short film released as a companion piece to the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead (2004 film)
Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 horror film directed by Zack Snyder in his directorial debut. It is a remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name and stars Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Jake Weber. The film depict a handful of human survivors living in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin shopping mall...
on DVD. (In that short film, Biggs' Babylon 5 costar, Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce William Boxleitner is an American actor, and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King , and Babylon 5...
, is heard as the voice of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.) He was also frequently guest starring on Tremors: The Series as a local scientist. An episode of the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
series Drake & Josh
Drake & Josh
Drake & Josh is an American sitcom that premiered on the Nickelodeon television network on January 11, 2004, which follows the lives of two stepbrothers. It stars Drake Bell and Josh Peck as stepbrothers Drake Parker and Josh Nichols, respectively. Both actors had played roles in The Amanda Show,...
, in which Biggs appeared as a guest star (with Gary Coleman), was dedicated in his memory on October 17, 2004. The episode was about stolen "Gary Coleman Grills/MP3 players. For more info on this episode, go to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0566044/
He had also made a guest appearance in the (as yet) unreleased Sci-Fi comedy "Starship 2: Rendezvous with Ramses" as Space Patrolman Sergeant Franklin. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494276/)
External links
- Death Announcement by J. Michael Straczynski (Straczynski created Babylon 5)
- Richard Biggs Memorial Video by John E. Hudgens