Richard Romanus obit

Actor Richard Romanus Has Died

 He was not on the list.

He was an American actor. Among other roles, he appeared in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and provided voices for Ralph Bakshi's animated films Wizards and Hey Good Lookin'. He played Richard La Penna, Jennifer Melfi's ex-husband, later husband again, in four episodes of The Sopranos from 1999 to 2002. In 1999, he co-wrote the Christmas film If You Believe along with his wife Anthea Sylbert, which was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay award by the Writers Guild of America.

Romanus was born in Barre, Vermont, the son of Eileen (née Maloof) and Dr. Raymond Romanus. He lived in West Hartford, Connecticut, and in 1964 graduated from Xavier University with a bachelor's in philosophy, before studying acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York. His younger brother Robert Romanus is also an actor. They both appeared in the MacGyver episode "The Prodigal" in 1985. He was of Lebanese descent. On May 20, 1967, he married Tina Bohlmann; they had a son before divorcing in 1980.

Romanus was married to Oscar-nominated costume designer Anthea Sylbert from August 11, 1985. In 2004, they moved to the Greek island of Skiathos, after which he focused on writing. In 2011, he published his memoirs, Act III (Aiora Press, Athens, and Armida Publications, Nicosia), and first novel, Chrysalis (Armida Publications). In 2012, Act III was short-listed for the International Rubery Book Award.

Romanus died on December 26, 2023, at the age of 80.

Actor

The Young Black Stallion (2003)

The Young Black Stallion

5.4

Ben Ishak

2003

 

Lorraine Bracco, James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Steven Van Zandt, Dominic Chianese, Robert Iler, Michael Imperioli, Nancy Marchand, Vincent Pastore, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Tony Sirico in The Sopranos (1999)

The Sopranos

9.2

TV Series

Richard La Penna

1999–2002

3 episodes

 

Nailed (2001)

Nailed

4.3

Uncle Robert

2001

 

Providence (1999)

Providence

6.7

TV Series

Dr. Paul Gavins

2001

1 episode

 

Carlo's Wake (1999)

Carlo's Wake

5.3

Carmine D'Angelo

1999

 

Ally Walker and Hayden Panettiere in If You Believe (1999)

If You Believe

6.4

TV Movie

Walter

1999

 

Marg Helgenberger and Alan Rosenberg in Giving Up the Ghost (1998)

Giving Up the Ghost

5.9

TV Movie

1998

 

Frank Sivero in Urban Relics (1998)

Urban Relics

6.5

Charlie Shivers

1998

 

NYPD Blue (1993)

NYPD Blue

7.7

TV Series

Carmine Del Marco

1996

1 episode

 

Dick Van Dyke and Barry Van Dyke in Diagnosis Murder (1993)

Diagnosis Murder

6.8

TV Series

Dr. Ed Quiller

1996

1 episode

 

Mark Harmon in Charlie Grace (1995)

Charlie Grace

7.8

TV Series

Rudy Novak

1995

1 episode

 

The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise (1995)

The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise

7.3

TV Movie

Vincent Penguinetti

1995

 

Northern Exposure (1990)

Northern Exposure

8.4

TV Series

Lowell Grippo

1995

1 episode

 

Hector Elizondo, Mandy Patinkin, Roma Maffia, Adam Arkin, Roxanne Hart, and E.G. Marshall in Chicago Hope (1994)

Chicago Hope

6.8

TV Series

Anthony Travelli

1994

1 episode

 

Chevy Chase and Jack Palance in Cops and Robbersons (1994)

Cops and Robbersons

5.2

Fred Lutz

1994

 

Johnny Bago (1993)

Johnny Bago

7.8

TV Series

Vinnie

Vincint

1993

4 episodes

 

Bridget Fonda in Point of No Return (1993)

Point of No Return

6.1

Fahd Bahktiar

1993

 

Mark Harmon and Marlee Matlin in Reasonable Doubts (1991)

Reasonable Doubts

7.5

TV Series

Donovan Black

1992

1 episode

 

To Protect and Serve (1992)

To Protect and Serve

4.7

Captain Malouf

1992

 

Bob Newhart in The Entertainers (1991)

The Entertainers

5.0

TV Movie

Chick

1991

 

William Conrad and Joe Penny in Jake and the Fatman (1987)

Jake and the Fatman

6.4

TV Series

Harry Rendel

1991

1 episode

 

Sylvester Stallone in Oscar (1991)

Oscar

6.5

Vendetti

1991

 

Final Stage

the Producer

1990

 

Hollywood Heartbreak (1990)

Hollywood Heartbreak

6.6

Niles Gregory

1990

 

Married to the Mob (1989)

Married to the Mob

5.2

TV Movie

Tony Russo

1989

 

Jane Badler, Peter Graves, Antony Hamilton, Terry Markwell, Phil Morris, and Thaao Penghlis in Mission: Impossible (1988)

Mission: Impossible

7.5

TV Series

Arthur Six

1989

1 episode

 

Gary Cole and Wendy Kilbourne in Midnight Caller (1988)

Midnight Caller

7.8

TV Series

Maurice Maxwell

1989

1 episode

 

Dan Aykroyd, Walter Matthau, and Donna Dixon in The Couch Trip (1988)

The Couch Trip

5.8

Harvey Michaels

1988

 

Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless in Cagney & Lacey (1981)

Cagney & Lacey

6.8

TV Series

Det. Sal Caprio

Hassan bin Moqtadi

1983–1987

2 episodes

 

Ghost of a Chance (1987)

Ghost of a Chance

6.2

TV Movie

Julio Mendez

1987

 

George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict, and Dwight Schultz in The A-Team (1983)

The A-Team

7.5

TV Series

Tommy Tedesco

Jackie Martell

1983–1986

2 episodes

 

Richard Dean Anderson in MacGyver (1985)

MacGyver

7.6

TV Series

James Crowe

Joey Bennett

1985–1986

2 episodes

 

Charles Bronson and Kathleen Wilhoite in Murphy's Law (1986)

Murphy's Law

5.9

Frank Vincenzo

1986

 

Robert Clohessy, Michael Warren, and Bruce Weitz in Hill Street Blues (1981)

Hill Street Blues

8.2

TV Series

Captain Bob Ajanian

1986

2 episodes

 

Shadow Chasers (1985)

Shadow Chasers

7.7

TV Series

Bailey

Eli Buck

1985

1 episode

 

Joe Guzaldo and Larry Riley in Stir Crazy (1985)

Stir Crazy

6.2

TV Series

Victor Anacard

1985

1 episode

 

Tales from the Darkside (1983)

Tales from the Darkside

7.4

TV Series

Frank Bigalow

1985

1 episode

 

Fame (1982)

Fame

7.0

TV Series

Joe Garver

1985

1 episode

 

Crackups

TV Movie

1984

 

Protocol (1984)

Protocol

5.4

Emir

1984

 

Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer in Hunter (1984)

Hunter

6.9

TV Series

Nathan 'Nate' Demarest

1984

1 episode

 

Second Sight: A Love Story (1984)

Second Sight: A Love Story

6.1

TV Movie

Dr. Ross Harkin

1984

 

More Than Murder (1984)

More Than Murder

6.7

TV Movie

Bedrick Bordante

1984

 

Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly in Hardcastle and McCormick (1983)

Hardcastle and McCormick

6.6

TV Series

Frankie Kane

1983

1 episode

 

Strangers Kiss (1983)

Strangers Kiss

5.2

Frank Silva

1983

 

Lee Horsley in Matt Houston (1982)

Matt Houston

6.5

TV Series

Prince Fahad Ibn Hasim

1982

1 episode

 

Hey Good Lookin' (1982)

Hey Good Lookin'

6.1

Vinnie (voice)

1982

 

Dorian Harewood, Michael Goodwin, Trisha Noble, Richard Romanus, and Robert Stack in Strike Force (1981)

Strike Force

6.8

TV Series

Lieutenant Charlie Gunzer

1981–1982

20 episodes

 

Pandemonium (1982)

Pandemonium

5.2

Jarrett

1982

 

Barry Bostwick and Deborah Raffin in Foul Play (1981)

Foul Play

6.1

TV Series

Captain Vito Lombardi

Captain Jakoby

1981

10 episodes

 

Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (1977)

Fantasy Island

6.6

TV Series

Robert Luria

1981

1 episode

 

Heavy Metal (1981)

Heavy Metal

6.6

Harry Canyon (segment "Harry Canyon") (voice)

1981

 

Hart to Hart (1979)

Hart to Hart

6.7

TV Series

Marty Benton

1980

1 episode

 

Sitting Ducks (1980)

Sitting Ducks

6.1

Moose Joe Mastaki

1980

 

Jeff Goldblum and Ben Vereen in Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980)

Tenspeed and Brown Shoe

7.5

TV Series

Crazy Tommy Tedesco

1980

3 episodes

 

Gold of the Amazon Women (1979)

Gold of the Amazon Women

4.0

TV Movie

Luis Escobar

1979

 

The Rockford Files (1974)

The Rockford Files

8.2

TV Series

Sean Innes

1978

1 episode

 

Kam Fong, Al Harrington, Jack Lord, and James MacArthur in Hawaii Five-O (1968)

Hawaii Five-O

7.4

TV Series

Johnny Noah

1978

1 episode

 

Outtakes

Short

1977

 

Starsky and Hutch (1975)

Starsky and Hutch

7.0

TV Series

Sonny Watson

1977

1 episode

 

Night Drive (1977)

Night Drive

6.0

TV Movie

The Killer

1977

 

Wizards (1977)

Wizards

6.3

Weehawk (voice)

1977

 

Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith in Charlie's Angels (1976)

Charlie's Angels

6.5

TV Series

Roy David

1977

1 episode

 

Russian Roulette (1975)

Russian Roulette

5.6

Ragulia

1975

 

Kojak (1973)

Kojak

7.1

TV Series

Det. Sam Calucci

1974

1 episode

 

Valerie Harper in Rhoda (1974)

Rhoda

6.8

TV Series

Luis Alvarez

1974

1 episode

 

The Dion Brothers (1974)

The Dion Brothers

6.7

Carlo

1974

 

Mean Streets (1973)

Mean Streets

7.2

Michael

1973

 

Peggy Lipton, Michael Cole, and Clarence Williams III in Mod Squad (1968)

Mod Squad

6.9

TV Series

Aurelio

Paco Montoya (as Richard Romanos)

1970–1971

2 episodes

 

Yaphet Kotto and David Janssen in Night Chase (1970)

Night Chase

6.8

TV Movie

Young Fisherman (as Richard Romanos)

1970

 

Bernie Hamilton and Honor Lawrence in Walk the Walk (1970)

Walk the Walk

4.3

Partygoer

Doctor (uncredited)

1970

 

Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Peter Graves, Peter Lupus, and Greg Morris in Mission: Impossible (1966)

Mission: Impossible

7.9

TV Series

Guard (as Richard Romanos)

1970

1 episode

 

The Ghastly Ones (1968)

The Ghastly Ones

3.8

Don (as Richard Romanos)

1968

 

Writer

Ally Walker and Hayden Panettiere in If You Believe (1999)

If You Believe

6.4

TV Movie

written by

1999

 

Marg Helgenberger and Alan Rosenberg in Giving Up the Ghost (1998)

Giving Up the Ghost

5.9

TV Movie

written by

1998