Anderson played a heartthrob, Dr. Jeff Webber (1976-1981) and had a daily following. Even with steady work he abandoned it for prime time TV as he ventured in guest appearances on such shows as Love Boat (1977) and The Facts of Life (1979).
Richard was born in the cold of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 23, 1950 and is the oldest of four brothers (Jeffrey Scott, Thomas John, and James Stuart). His father, Stuart, was a high school English teacher, while his mother, Jocelyn, is a painter and sculptress. He attended St. Cloud State University and at Ohio University studying drama. Though he never finished his destiny was set for popular TV series and movie making.
Anderson’s first movie appearance was in 1982, Young Doctors in Love (comedy), which his part, was so small his name never appeared in the credits. His first TV series recognition was on a short-lived series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982 – 1983), which he played the character Adam McFadden and co-stared with River Phoenix (the unknown star at that time) who played one of the young brothers.
A second short-lived TV series followed: Emerald Point N.A.S. (1983-1984) which Anderson played the character Lt. Simon Adams.
Anderson played a comedic lead as the character Spud in the comedy movie Odd Jobs (1984), where college students decide to form a moving company. The following year 1985 he landed the lead in a lasting TV action series MacGyver. The series began with a lead pilot movie in 1985 and then the weekly series appeared for seven years (ending in 1992). His MacGyver character was so loved that he made to TV movies long after the series ended: MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis (1994) and MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday (1994).
Anderson was truly busy with 138 episodes and three movies dealing just with the MacGyver character. He did manage to make some movies though. Ordinary Heroes (1986) stared Anderson and Valerie Bertinelli, a good movie about a Vietnam War Vet returning home to his love but he his blinded by an accident before he returns home. Another movie was In the Eyes of a Stranger (1992 -- drama), which stared Justine Bateman.
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