Richard Roat, 'Friends' and 'Seinfeld' Actor, Dead at 89
Richard Roat, the actor best known for his early work on the NBC soap The Doctors and roles on Seinfeld and Friends, has died. He was 89.
According to multiple reports, the beloved actor died on Aug. 5 in Orange County, California. The cause of death is not known, and the family did not provide any further details.
Roat landed his first big TV role when he was cast as Dr. Jerry Chandler in 1962 on The Doctors. The pilot would ultimately lead to Roat appearing in over 170 episodes during the first year it aired. The daytime drama would air more than 5,000 episodes over the span of nearly two decades.
He had more than 130 TV credits to his name, including The Fugitive, Hawaii Five-O, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Columbo, Kojak, The Bob Newhart Show, Happy Days and Charlie's Angels, among many others. Millennials perhaps recognize him from his appearances on Seinfeld and Friends.
On Seinfeld, Roat appeared in "The Package" episode during season 8. He played the doctor who dubbed Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character, Elaine Benes, as a "difficult patient." Elaine would go on to have a challenging time, to say the least, landing a doctor who would take her as a patient.
On Friends, Roat appeared in the episode "The One Where Ross Dates a Student" during season 6, where he busts David Schwimmer's character, Professor Ross Geller, for dating one of his students, Elizabeth. Roat played Burt, who walks into Central Perk with two other colleagues and informs Ross that dating a student isn't just frowned upon, it's actually a fireable offense.
He also appeared on Cheers, Murphy Brown, Dallas, 7th Heaven, Blossom and L.A. Law.
Roat was born in Connecticut in 1933. He was a theater actor for many years, including time on Broadway. According to Variety, he was a huge Los Angeles Lakers and Angels fan. And, when he wasn't acting, the outlet reported that he prepared taxes for many people in the entertainment industry while running Richard Roat Associates with his wife, Kathy.
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