Alan Rachins (October 3, 1942 - November 3, 2024) was an American television actor, best known for his role as Douglas Brackman in L.A. Law, which earned him both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, as well as for his portrayal of Dharma's hippie father, Larry, on the hit television series, Dharma & Greg.
Biography[]
Career[]
Rachins graduated from Brookline High School.[1] He enrolled the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, ultimately dropping out, but managed to graduate from Empire State College in 1974.[2][3] A passion for acting compelled him to move to New York to study with teachers William Ball, Warren Robertson, Kim Stanley and Harvey Lembeck, among others. Over the next decade, he performed in a succession of plays, including the original Broadway productions of After the Rain and H'adrian the Seventh, as well as the original off-Broadway productions of The Trojan Women and the controversial Oh! Calcutta.
In 1972, Rachins put his acting career on hold when he was accepted as a fellow in the writing and directing programs at the American Film Institute. He went on to sell scripts to a variety of shows, including Hill Street Blues, Fall Guy, Hart to Hart and Knight Rider.
Despite these successes as a writer and director, Rachins returned to his acting career with a leading role in Henry Jaglom’s independent film, Always. This critically acclaimed film brought him widespread attention and ultimately led to his role on L.A. Law. Rachins continued to working in feature films such as Heart Condition co-starring with Denzel Washington and Bob Hoskins, Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls and Rob Reiner’s North. He also provided the voice for the Clock King in Batman: the Animated Series.
Recent theatre appearances include the world premiere of Arthur Laurents’ two-hander “Attacks Of The Heart” at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, N.J. directed by David Saint. At the Cape Playhouse, he played the part of Matthew Harrison Brady in Inherit The Wind. Additionally, he tackled the role of ‘Albin’, the flamboyant transvestite in the famed Jupiter Theater production of La Cage Aux Folles, was seen in Love Letters with Swoosie Kurtz at the Coronet Theatre in Beverly Hills and starred in the Reprise production of Promises, Promises with Jason Alexander, Jean Smart and Alan Thicke at the Freud Theatre in Los Angeles.
Rachins appeared on the ABC-TV series Eli Stone, playing an attorney in consultation with Eli Stone. The name "Brackman" can be seen in inverted letters on a translucent wall behind Rachins. For two seasons, he provided the voice of Norman Osborn in the animated series The Spectacular Spider-Man. He also appeared on the TNT television series Rizzoli & Isles as a recurring guest star, and guest starred as Frank (Bob's father, and Gabe, PJ and Teddy's granddad) in the Good Luck Charlie episode "It's a Charlie Duncan Thanksgiving".
Personal life and death[]
Rachins was born in October 1942 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Edward and Ida Rachins. His father was in a family food manufacturing business called Snow Crest.[4] Rachins and actress Joanna Frank were married from 1978 and had a son, Robert. The couple formed a production company, Allofit Productions, which acquired books and original screenplays to develop for television and feature films. Alan was a member of Mensa.[5][6] He supported Jesse Jackson for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988.
Alan Rachins died from heart failure at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, on November 2, 2024, at the age of 82.
References[]
- ↑ Brozan, Nadine. "Chronicle", The New York Times, March 16, 1993. Accessed April 21, 2008. "The year is being bracketed by two celebratory weekends -- one last June, one this June -- that include class reunions. Last year's event brought more than 2,000 graduates back to the school, including Mr. Wallace, Alan Rachins, a star of "L.A. Law," and former Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts and his wife, Kitty."
- ↑ Bonnabeau, Richard F. (1996). The Promise Continues: Empire State College: The First Twenty-five Years. Virginia Beach, Virginia: The Donning Company. p. 148. ISBN 9780898659665. OCLC 34076720.
- ↑ Rachins, Alan (2006-12-15). "Resume". http://www.alanrachins.com. Retrieved 2008-09-15. External link in
|work=(help) - ↑ Alan Rachins Biography (1947?-)
- ↑ "Prominent Mensans". Mensa International. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
- ↑ "They're Accomplished, They're Famous, and They're MENSANS". Mensa Bulletin (American Mensa) (476): 23. 2004. ISSN 0025-9543. Unknown parameter
|month=ignored (help)
External links[]
- AlanRachins.com - Official website
- Alan Rachins at the Internet Movie Database
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