Bio[]
 I asked the director, “Who the hell is this guy?” He said he didn’t know. So I went and found the writer and asked him, and he said, “We’re going to find out in the eighth show.” I said, “How should I be playing it until then?” He said, “We haven’t decided yet.”
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| — Richard Erdman on dicussing his first time acting as Leonard |
Richard Erdman was an American film and television actor and director. He was born John Richard Erdmann in Enid, Oklahoma on the first of June in 1925. Erdman later grew up in Colorado Springs, CO. where his single mom was a cook. A drama teacher at school was so impressed with Erdman's ability he suggested to his mother that she take him to Hollywood. He enrolled in Hollywood High School while his mother got another job as a cook. Erdman was signed to a contract Warner Bros. by Michael Curtiz, the Oscar-winning director of "Casablanca". Not long afterwards, he made his screen debut playing an uncredited role in 1944's "Mr. Skeffington." In a career that eventually spanned eight decades, Erdman is best remembered for two films — Robert Parrish's 1951 film noir, "Cry Danger" and in Billy Wilder's 1953 World War II classic "Stalag 17". He was married to Leza Holland from 1948 to 1950. After the divorce he married Sharon Randall in 1953. They had one daughter named Erica, who was born a year later. She became a poet and illustrator and died in 2010 of an accidental overdose of prescription medication. Erdman portrayed the character of Leonard on "Community" for six seasons from 2009 to 2015. Erdman passed away on March 16, 2019 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 93.
Interview with The Film Noir Foundation's Alan K. Rode[]
Part One[]
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Part Two:[]
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Part Three[]
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External links[]
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