Richard Mulligan

Acting Appreciation

I remember Richard Mulligan best as Dr. Harry Weston in Empty Nest — the sitcom about a widowed pediatrician with older daughters (one played by the very pretty Kristy McNichol) and a dog named Dreyfuss. In Empty Nest, Mulligan’s character is coping with family, loss, and the day-to-day of raising grown kids, all with warmth and a bit of befuddlement. The show ran from 1988 to 1995, and it is the role many recall him by. 

Mulligan was born November 13, 1932, in The Bronx, New York City. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War era, then studied playwriting at Columbia University. After his university years, he worked in theatre; one of his early significant stage appearances was All the Way Home on Broadway in 1960, where he was both stage manager and performer. Over the 1960s, he steadily built up his career in television guest spots and supporting roles, gradually moving toward more central roles. 

In film, Mulligan is remembered for several notable roles. Perhaps most striking is his portrayal of General George Armstrong Custer in Little Big Man (1970), where he plays a more unhinged Custer than many typical portrayals. He also appeared in The Big Bus (1976), a comedic disaster-spoof, and had a leading part in S.O.B. (1981) in which he played a producer-director figure. He was often cast in supporting or character roles in films, bringing comedic timing and character depth even when his part was not the lead. 

On television, besides Empty Nest, Mulligan had several other major roles. He played Burt Campbell on Soap from 1977-1981, a role that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award in 1980 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Later, for Empty Nest, he won a second Emmy (1989) and also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical for his performance. 

Sources: 

Wikipedia

https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/richard-mulligan/bio/3000084794

https://kids.kiddle.co/Richard_Mulligan

https://www.cbsrmt.com/actor/48-mulligan-richard.html

https://goldenglobes.com/person/richard-mulligan/

https://goldengirls.fandom.com/wiki/Richard_Mulligan