IN MEMORIAM..TRIBUTE TO RICHARD LYNCH (1940-2012) ONE OF THE BEST VILLAINS
Richard Hugh Lynch (
February 12,
1940 -- June 19,
2012) was an
American actor best known for portraying villains in films and television. He often appeared in science fiction productions, including
Battlestar Galactica (as
Wolfe) and its sequel series
Galactica 1980 (as
Commander Xaviar). He also appeared in such shows as
Starsky and Hutch,
T. J. Hooker,
The A-Team,
Charmed and
Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Lynch served in the
United States Marine Corps from 1956-1960.
Early life and career
Richard Lynch was born on February 12, 1936 in
Brooklyn, New York to
Irish Catholic parents. His brother is actor
Barry Lynch. Lynch was trained at
The Actors Studio and at the
HB Studios. Lynch's distinct scarred appearance has made him a popular nemesis, in over
100 film and TV performances. The scars came from a 1967 incident in
New York's Central Park in which he set himself on fire while on an
LSD trip.[1] He often played a heavy in features, including
Scarecrow, which marked his film debut,
The Seven-Ups,
Bad Dreams, and
Little Nikita. In
1982, Lynch won a
Saturn Award for
Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the evil
King Cromwell in
The Sword and the Sorcerer.[2] Although Richard Lynch is best known for playing villains, he was cast as the
President of the United States in the
2007 film Mil Mascaras vs. the
Aztec Mummy.[
3][4] Lynch starred along side
Judson Scott in the 1982 short-lived science fiction
TV series The Phoenix.
In addition to acting, Lynch was also a musician and played the saxophone, guitar, piano, and flute. He also enjoyed fishing, poetry, and architecture. He held
Irish citizenship through his
Irish born parents and was a frequent visitor to
Ireland. His brother Barry Lynch is also an actor; the two starred together in the films Nightforce and
Total Force. Lynch's wife
Lily starred with him in the
1998 film Breaking the Silence and son
Christopher Lynch starred with him in the science fiction film
Trancers II.
Through the years, Lynch worked with old friend and colleague
Don Calfa in the films
Necronomicon (
1993), Toughguy (
1995),
Corpses Are Forever (
2003), and
Lewisburg (2009).
Later life and death
Lynch had married twice — once to
Beatrix Lynch, with whom he had son
Christopher who died in
2005 from pneumonia, and later to Lily Lynch, with whom he remained until his death. His body was found in his home in
Yucca Valley, California on June 19, 2012.
Details of his death are currently unknown. [5] He was 76. At the time of his death, Lynch was survived by his brother
Barry and his wife Lily.Filmography
Scarecrow (
1973)
The Seven-Ups (1973)
The Happy Hooker (
1975)
God Told Me To (
1976)
Battlestar Galactica episode "
Gun on Ice Planet Zero" (1978)
Deathsport (1978)
Buck Rogers in the
25th Century (
1979)
Charlie's Angels, "
Angels on the
Street" (1979)
Vampire (1979)
Galactica 1980 (
1980)
The Formula (1980)
The Ninth Configuration (1980)
The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
Treasure:
In Search of the
Golden Horse (
1984)
Blue Thunder (TV series) (1984)
Airwolf (TV series)
Episode The
Horn of Plenty (
1985)
Savage Dawn (1985)
Invasion U.S.A. (1985)
Nightforce (
1987)
The Barbarians (1987)
Bad Dreams (
1988)
Little Nikita (1988)
Hunter (
U.S. TV series) Episode
The Legion (
1989)
The Forbidden Dance (
1990)
Super Force (
1991)
Alligator II:
The Mutation (1991)
Trancers II (1991)
Puppet Master III:
Toulon's
Revenge (1991)
Maximum Force (
1992)
Inside Edge (1992)
Merlin (1992)
Double Threat (1993)
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Gambit (1993)
Cyborg 3:
The Recycler (
1994)
Scanner Cop (1994)
Highlander: The
Series (1995)
Terminal Virus (1995)
Werewolf (
1996)
Vendetta (1996)
Total Force (
1997)
Ground Rules (1997)
Breaking the Silence (
1999)
Battlestar Galactica:
The Second Coming (1999)
Death Game (
2001)
Crime and Punishment (
2002)
Final Combat (2003)
Curse of the Forty-Niner (2003)
The Great Wall of Magellon (2005)
Wedding Slashers (
2006)
Halloween (2007)
Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy (
2007)
Gun of the
Black Sun (
2011)
The Lords of Salem (2012)