Richard Herd, a veteran character actor best known for his oddball turn as Seinfeld’s Mr. Wilhelm, has died. His wife, the actor Patricia Crowder Herd, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he died of cancer-related causes on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 87.
Born in Boston, Herd overcame a serious bone infection as a child and joined the U.S. Army before pursuing acting in New York City. After starring in several plays, Herd made his screen debut alongside a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1970's Hercules In New York. From there, he secured key roles in All the President’s Men and The China Syndrome, as well as recurring parts on series like Starsky And Hutch, Dallas, and T.J. Hooker. Sci-fi fans may also remember him as Supreme Commander John in NBC’s V and its sequel and as the Klingon L’Kor on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Though an accomplished dramatic actor, Herd was a comic highlight on Seinfeld, appearing in 11 episodes as George’s daffy boss, Mr. Wilhelm, a malleable, increasingly absurd character who was brainwashed by a carpet-cleaning cult before reappearing to steal George’s dream job scouting for the New York Mets.