Richard Sanders (actor)
Richard Sanders | |
---|---|
Born | August 23, 1940 |
Occupation(s) | Actor, screenwriter |
Years active | 1971–2006 |
Known for | WKRP in Cincinnati |
Richard Sanders (born August 23, 1940)[1] 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.
Career
Sanders became known for his role as Les Nessman on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati from 1978 to 1982. He 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, Who's the Boss?, ALF, Growing Pains, 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.[2]
Personal life
Sanders resides in Woodinville, Washington.[3]
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 | The Law & Harry McGraw | Burton Rumley | Episode: "Beware the Ides of May" |
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
- ^ "August 23: On this day in history". Brooklyn Eagle. August 23, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "Bernard". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ^ Rahner, Mark (April 27, 2007). "Woodinville's Richard Sanders talks about "WKRP in Cincinnati"". Seattle Times. Retrieved February 5, 2022.