Alan Rachins, actor of “L.A. Law” and “Dharma & Greg”, dies at the age of 82

Emmy-nominated actor Alan Rachins died at the age of 82.

His wife, an actress Joanna Frankconfirmed this news Hollywood reportersaying that Rachins died in his sleep of heart failure in the early morning hours of Saturday, November 2, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Rachins was best known for playing the buttoned-up Douglas Brackman Los Angeles Lawwhich ran from 1986 to 1994 and earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. The NBC show was co-created by his late brother-in-law Steven Bochcoa well-known television writer and producer who reportedly had Rachins in mind for co-founders McKenzie, Brackman, Chaney & Kuzak.

Rachins’ wife and Bochco’s 83-year-old sister, Joanna, also played Brackman’s wife, Sheila, on the long-running series.

“There was always mutual respect and everyone wanted to do their best,” Rachins said in the blog Straight 2 DVDs in 2010 while on set Los Angeles Law. “It was being part of a championship team. …For us, it wasn’t just about being on a popular show, but also being on a show that was highly critically acclaimed, and the audience – people we met every day – was delighted and grateful. The quality of work on the series and the interest and recognition has been deeply gratifying.”

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Rachins also won the hearts of viewers with his role as Dharma Finkelstein’s hippie dad (Jenna Elfman), Larry, on the ABC series Dharma and Greg. He appeared in all 119 episodes of the series, which ran for five seasons, from 1997 to 2002.

“I like the idea of ​​playing different characters and I wouldn’t want to get stuck doing the same thing over and over again,” Rachins said The scene in New Jersey in 2003. “It’s one of the greatest things about Dharma and Gregit really allowed me to do something different.”

Rachins began voicing and portraying characters on shows such as Justice League without limits, Spectacular Spider-Man, Rizzoli and the Islands, Gray’s anatomy, Young Sheldon AND NCIS.

Rachins was born an only child in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 3, 1942. His father, Edward, ran a food manufacturing company that produced ice cream toppings, flavored syrups, and cake icings. His mother, Ida, died when he was only 11 years old. He graduated from Brookline High School and attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania before eventually dropping out and graduating from Empire State College in 1974.

He then moved to New York to study acting. He has appeared in numerous plays, including the original Broadway productions After the rain (1967) i Hadrian VII (1979), as well as the original off-Broadway production from 1969, the controversial Oh! Calcutta!in which he and other actors appeared nude.

In 1972, Rachins was accepted into the writing and directing programs at AFI in Los Angeles. He served as an AFI intern and director Arthur Penn ON Missouri is bursting (1976), wrote, among others: Hart to Hart AND Autumn guyand directed the episode James Earl Jones-starring Pariswhich was also created by Bochco – who died in 2018 at the age of 74.

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He also appeared as Tony Moss, the cruel director of the topless dance revue at the Stardust Casino Paul Verhoevenmovie Showgirls (1995) and as Fred Rutherford in Leave it to Beaver (1997).

“Our sweet Alan Rachins… we will miss you. ” – wrote his on-screen daughter Elfman (53). Instagram November 3. “Thank you for being the PERFECT “Larry Finkelstein” to my “Dharma” and “Abba” @mimikennedyla. Sending lots of love and condolences to Joanna and Robert.”

He left behind Joanna and his son Robert.