| Birth Name: | Richard J. Zobel Jr. |
| Birth Date: | 18 June 1952 |
| Birth Place: | West Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
Richard J. Zobel Jr. (June 5, 1952 – October 4, 2005) was an American actor. He starred as the attorney Aaron Levinsky in the original Broadway run of Nuts in 1980. Over the course of his career, he was also a singer, instrumentalist, animator, writer, and producer.
Zobel was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and moved to New York City for his acting career.
Zobel's Off-Broadway credits included All's Well That Ends Well and The Taming of the Shrew in the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park in 1978, and The Country Girl in 1984.[1]
He starred as the attorney Aaron Levinsky in the original Broadway run of Nuts in 1980. He appeared in small and supporting film roles, and had guest appearances in over a dozen television series including The X-Files, ER, China Beach, Hill Street Blues, and , from 1984 through 1999. He was also a singer and a musician.[2] [3]
He acted and sang in, and was the vocal arranger for, the 1987 film Walker, and the 2008 making-of documentary about the film, Dispatches from Nicaragua, is dedicated to his memory.[4]
Zobel was a founding company member of Lexington Conservatory Theatre and friend and collaborator of co-founder Oakley Hall III. He performed with them in numerous roles and continued his association with the company when it moved to Albany, NY and became Capital Repertory Theatre. Zobel starred as the title role in Hall's first adaptations of Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi (called Ubu Rex) and its sequels, in New York City Off-Off-Broadway and at Lexington, co-producing as well as creating the masks for it. He also appeared in the world premiere of Hall's Grinder's Stand. Zobel's work with the two companies totaled more than 200 performances over the course of two decades.[5] [6] [7] [8]
In 2004, Zobel appeared in the documentary The Loss of Nameless Things, recalling his experience of working with Lexington Conservatory Theatre and Oakley Hall III.[9] It was his last appearance on film.
In 2000, Zobel co-founded Rubber Chicken Cards, which sells online greeting cards that combine voice-over acting with irreverent humor, with fellow actor and Lexington alumni Steven Rotblatt.[10] [11] For the cards Zobel sang, played several instruments, wrote scripts, did animation, and voiced numerous characters.
Zobel died of cancer in October 2005 in Hershey, Pennsylvania where he lived. He was survived by his wife and daughter.[12]
| 1984 | Once Upon a Time in America | Reporter 2 | ||
| 1984 | Teachers | Propes | ||
| 1985 | Turk 182 | TV Interviewer | ||
| 1987 | From the Hip | Matt Cowens | ||
| 1987 | Walker | Lemuel | ||
| 1992 | To Sleep with a Vampire | Cabby | ||
| 1993 | Barker | |||
| 1995 | Tall Tale | Barkeep | ||
| 1998 | Montana | Simms |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–1984 | The Edge of Night | Eric Blake | 15 episodes | |
| 1985 | Search for Tomorrow | Elmo | 2 episodes | |
| 1987 | Hill Street Blues | Scanlon | Episode: "Dogsbreath Afternoon" | |
| 1987–1988 | Crime Story | Lt. Col. Milton Dance | 4 episodes | |
| 1988 | Simon & Simon | Head of Security | Episode: "Simon & Simon and Associates" | |
| 1989 | Matlock | Val Delaney | 2 episodes | |
| 1990 | Mancuso, F.B.I. | FBI Counter Intelligence Agent | ||
| 1990 | Parker Kane | Jack Moody | Television film | |
| 1990 | Jake and the Fatman | Manny | Episode: "'Round Midnight" | |
| 1990 | The Young Riders | McPhalen | Episode: "Star Light, Star Bright" | |
| 1991 | Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love | Mitch | Television film | |
| 1991 | China Beach | Tony | Episode: "Through and Through" | |
| 1992 | Melrose Place | Employment Officer | Episode: "Friends & Lovers" | |
| 1993 | Knots Landing | Middle-Aged Hippie | Episode: "Some Like It Hot" | |
| 1993 | Bodies of Evidence | Bert | Episode: "Flesh and Blood" | |
| 1994 | M.A.N.T.I.S. | Homeless Man | Television film | |
| 1997 | ER | Mr. Bartok | Episode: "You Bet Your Life" | |
| 1997 | Gaumen | Episode: "The Raven" | ||
| 1997–1998 | Profiler | Ben Farrarini | 3 episodes | |
| 1999 | The X-Files | Al | Episode: "Three of a Kind" |