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Alan Rachins

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Alan Rachins
Rachins at the 1988 Emmy Awards
Born(1942-10-03)October 3, 1942
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedNovember 2, 2024(2024-11-02) (aged 82)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • writer
  • director
Years active1967–2023
Spouse
​
(m. 1978)​
Children1
RelativesSteven Bochco (brother-in-law)
Jesse Bochco (nephew)

Alan L. Rachins[a] (/reɪtʃɪns/;[2] October 3, 1942 – November 2, 2024) was an American actor, known for his role as Douglas Brackman in L.A. Law which earned him both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, and his portrayal of Larry (Dharma's hippie father) on the television series Dharma & Greg.

Early life

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Rachins was born to a Jewish family in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 3, 1942, the only child of Edward and Ida Rachins of Brookline, Massachusetts.[1][4] His father was in a family food manufacturing business called Snow Crest.[2] When Rachins was eleven, his mother died, and because his father often lived away from home while working, he was often alone.[2] When he was a teenager, he saw the film Rebel Without a Cause, which motivated him to pursue acting as a way to channel the loneliness and grief he felt over his home life.[2]

After graduating from Brookline High School,[5] Rachins enrolled at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, planning to enter the family business, but he ultimately dropped out, and moved to New York to study acting.[2][3] He later graduated from Empire State College in 1974.[6][7]

Career

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Beginning in 1967, he performed in a succession of plays, including the original Broadway productions of After the Rain and Hadrian the Seventh, as well as the original off-Broadway productions of The Trojan Women and the controversial Oh! Calcutta![1] In 1972, Rachins put his acting career on hold when he was accepted as a fellow in the writing and directing programs at the American Film Institute.[1] He went on to sell scripts to a variety of shows, including The Fall Guy, Hill Street Blues, Knight Rider, Quincy, and Hart To Hart.[8]

Rachins in 2006

Despite these successes as a writer and director, Rachins returned to his acting career with a leading role in Henry Jaglom's independent film, Always.[1] This critically acclaimed film brought him widespread attention and ultimately led to his role on L.A. Law.[3] He continued working in feature films, and provided the voice for the Clock King in two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, and later in one episode of Justice League Unlimited.

His later theatre appearances included the world premiere of Arthur Laurents' Attacks of the Heart at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey. At the Cape Playhouse, he played the part of Matthew Harrison Brady in Inherit The Wind. He took the role of "Albin" in La Cage Aux Folles at the Jupiter Theater,[3] was seen in Love Letters with Swoosie Kurtz at Beverly Hills' Coronet Theatre, and starred in a revival of Promises, Promises with Jason Alexander, Jean Smart, and Alan Thicke at the Freud Theatre in Los Angeles.[9]

Rachins appeared on the ABC television series Eli Stone, playing an attorney in consultation with Stone. For two seasons, he provided the voice of Norman Osborn in the animated series The Spectacular Spider-Man. He also appeared on the TNT television series Rizzoli & Isles as a recurring guest star, and guest starred as Frank (Bob's father, and Gabe, PJ, and Teddy's granddad) in the Good Luck Charlie episode "It's a Charlie Duncan Thanksgiving".

Personal life and death

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Rachins and actress Joanna Frank married in 1978 and had a son. The couple formed the production company Allofit Productions which acquired books and original screenplays to develop for television and feature films. Rachins was a member of Mensa International.[10][11] He supported Jesse Jackson for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988.[12]

Rachins died from heart failure at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, on November 2, 2024, at the age of 82.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 Thunder Run Carlos [13]
1990 Heart Condition Dr. Posner [13]
1994 North Defense Attorney [3]
1995 Showgirls Tony Moss [3]
1997 Meet Wally Sparks Judge Randal Williams [13]
1997 Leave It to Beaver Fred Rutherford [13]
2011 Answers to Nothing Ryan's Dad Voice
2013 Scooby-Doo! Mecha Mutt Menace Dr. Ned Staples Voice; direct-to-video[14]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1986–1994 L.A. Law Douglas Brackman, Jr. 171 episodes
1987 J.J. Starbuck Pasban Bapu Episode: "The Circle Broken"
1990 Ferris Bueller Himself Episode: "Pilot"
1991 The Golden Girls Jason Stillman Episode: "Even Grandmas Get the Blues"
1992–1994 Batman: The Animated Series Temple Fugate / Clock King Voice, 2 episodes[14]
1996 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Professor Jefferson Cole 2 episodes
1996 Rugrats Lowell, Greek Bully, Donut Man Voice, episode: "Chanukah"[14]
1996 Diagnosis: Murder Dr. Frank Donati Episode: "Murder Can Be Murder"
1997 Stargate SG-1 Colonel Kennedy Episode: "The Enemy Within"
1997–2002 Dharma & Greg Myron Lawrence "Larry" Finkelstein 119 episodes
2005 Justice League Unlimited Temple Fugate / Clock King Voice, episode: "Task Force X"[14]
2008–2009 The Spectacular Spider-Man Norman Osborn Voice, 15 episodes[14]
2011 Good Luck Charlie Frank Duncan Episode: "It's a Charlie Duncan Thanksgiving"
2011–2013 Rizzoli & Isles Stanley 6 episodes
2012 American Dad! Various Voice, episode: "Ricky Spanish"
2018 Grey's Anatomy Patient Episode: "Blowin' In The Wind"
2021 Young Sheldon Vern Episode: "The Geezer Bus and a New Model for Education"
2023 NCIS Bud Episode: "Unusual Suspects"

Notes

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  1. ^ Sources differ on whether Rachins's middle name was Leonard[1] or Lewis.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Barnes, Mike (November 2, 2024). "Alan Rachins, Actor on 'L.A. Law' and 'Dharma & Greg,' Dies at 82". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Traub, Alex (November 3, 2024). "Alan Rachins, 'L.A. Law' and 'Dharma & Greg' Actor, Dies at 82". The New York Times. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Smith, Harrison (November 4, 2024). "Alan Rachins, versatile screen actor known for 'L.A. Law,' dies at 82". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  4. ^ "Today in History: Birthdays". Boston Globe. October 3, 2023. p. B2. ProQuest 2871526170. Composer Steve Reich is 87. Rock 'n' roll star Chubby Checker is 82. Actor Alan Rachins is 81. Singer Lindsey Buckingham is 74. Former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan is 72. Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield is 72. Baseball Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley is 69. See also:
    • "People etc...: Birthdays today". The Stuart News. October 3, 2003. p. A2. ProQuest 2607889329. Author Gore Vidal is 78. Actress Madlyn Rhue is 69. Singer Alan O'Day is 63. Rock and roll star Chubby Checker is 62. Actor Alan Rachins is 61. Singer Lindsey Buckingham is 54. Jazz musician Ronnie Laws is 53. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Dave Winfield is 52.
  5. ^ Brozan, Nadine. "Chronicle", The New York Times, March 16, 1993; accessed April 21, 2008. "The year is being bracketed by two celebratory weekends -- one last June, one this June -- that include class reunions. Last year's event brought more than 2,000 graduates back to the school, including Mr. Wallace, Alan Rachins, a star of "L.A. Law", and former Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts and his wife, Kitty."
  6. ^ Bonnabeau, Richard F. (1996). The Promise Continues: Empire State College: The First Twenty-five Years. Virginia Beach, Virginia: The Donning Company. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-89865-966-5. OCLC 34076720.
  7. ^ Rachins, Alan (December 15, 2006). "Resume". alanrachins.com. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
  8. ^ "Alan Rachins, 'L.A. Law' and 'Dharma & Greg' Actor, Dies at 82". Variety. November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  9. ^ "Promises, Promises". Variety. May 16, 1997. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  10. ^ "Prominent Mensans". Mensa International. Archived from the original on June 10, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
  11. ^ "They're Accomplished, They're Famous, and They're MENSANS". Mensa Bulletin (476). American Mensa: 23. July 2004. ISSN 0025-9543.
  12. ^ Easton, Ninja (June 7, 1988). "Campaign '88 Gets the Star Treatment". LA Times.
  13. ^ a b c d "Alan Rachins". TVGuide.com. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Alan Rachins (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 3, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
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