Richard Eastham, a talented character actor, was born Dickinson Swift Eastham on June 22, 1916, in Opelousas, Louisiana. Before pursuing a career in acting, he was a student at Washington University and had a strong musical background, performing with the St. Louis Grand Opera and studying at the American Theatre Wing.
Eastham's musical peak came when he understudied Ezio Pinza in the role of Emile DeBecque in the musical "South Pacific," sharing the stage with Mary Martin and Janet Blair. He also co-starred in an Ethel Merman production of "Call Me Madam" and made his film debut in the musical "There's No Business Like Show Business" (1954).
Eastham's transition to film and television acting in the late 1950s was marked by a strong, masculine presence, with slick blond hair and prominent cheekbones. He played both men of integrity and outright heavies in crime stories and westerns, appearing in films such as "Man on Fire" (1957),"Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus" (1960),"That Darn Cat!" (1965),"Not with My Wife, You Don't!" (1966),"Murderers' Row" (1966),"Tom Sawyer" (1973),and "McQ" (1974).
On television, Eastham was a frequent guest on shows such as "Perry Mason" (1957),"Bat Masterson" (1958),"Ripcord" (1961),"Bonanza" (1959),"The F.B.I." (1965),"Kojak" (1973),"Barnaby Jones" (1973),and "The Waltons" (1972). He also introduced and narrated the western series "Tombstone Territory" (1957),played "Red Wilson" in the daytime soap "Bright Promise" (1969),and appeared as "Gen. Phil Blankenship" on "Wonder Woman" (1975) starring Lynda Carter.
Eastham was married to his wife, Betty Jean, for 60 years until her death in 2002. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease in his final years and died from complications at the age of 89 on July 10, 2005.
