Richard Beymer is one of the prominent actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. An elderly screen star, he began plying his trade in the larger-than-life entertainment hub in the year 1949 and still holds the record as one of those with a rich acting history in the industry. Modern audiences may remember the veteran actor for his roles for the following documentaries – The Passing of a Saint (2010), It’s a Beautiful World (2014), Richard Beymer’s Before the Big Bang (2016), I Had Bad Milk in Dehradun (2017), Behind the Red Curtain (2017) and television series Family Law (as Richard Collins, 2001) and Twin Peaks (as Benjamin Horne, 2017).
These are his latter-day roles as Richard already had numerous TV shows and movies under his belt. The experienced thespian is best known for playing the character of Benjamin Horne (a real-estate mogul) in David Lynch’s widely acclaimed television series, Twin Peaks.
Bio (Age)
The American novelist/painter/actor was born to a printer dad in a place called Avoca, Iowa, in the United States. His date of birth is 20th February 1938 while the names of his parents are George Richard Beymer and Eunice Beymer. In the late 1940s, the actor moved with his parents to Hollywood, California, where his love for show business waxed great. Richard received his high school education at North Hollywood High School. While he was there, he participated in various films. George Richard Beymer Jr. didn’t attend college since he was already a full-fledged actor by the time he graduated from high school.
The long-serving thespian bagged his first on-screen role in the 1949 TV series, Sandy Dreams. He went on to feature in other shows such as Cavalcade of America, Make Room for Daddy, The Gray Ghost, and 26 Men. Beymer’s career took a turn for the good in 1951 when he was cast in an uncredited role in the film, Fourteen Hours, which was his debut. Two years later, the seasoned actor made his first feature-film appearance in Terminal Station, directed by renowned Italian director/actor Vittorio De Sica and released in 1953. 1962 was another big year for the actor, as he was awarded a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor, alongside American filmmaker/actor Henry Warren Beatty and singer-songwriter/actor/multi-instrumentalist Bobby Darin. He was also featured in the film Wide Side Story along with three-time Academy Award nominee, Natalie Wood.
Sometime in 1964, Richard Beymer took summer away from Hollywood to participate in the Mississippi Summer Project, which was a volunteer campaign held in the U.S to register as many Mississippi-based African-Americans as possible. It was during this time that he filmed the documentary, A Regular Bouquet: Mississippi Summer, which would win an award for showcasing the efforts of volunteers registering eligible African-American voters in Mississippi.
As a film director, the seasoned Hollywood actor has also excelled. One of his notable projects is his avant-garde film titled: The Innerview. This film won the Josef von Sternberg Award in 1974 at the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival. His other popular works are The Passing of a Saint (2010), which narrates the funeral rites of Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and It’s a Beautiful World (2014), which tells the story of his trip to India with American filmmaker/photographer/painter/musician/actor David Lynch.
In addition to acting and filmmaking, Richard also banks as a visual artist, sculptor, writer, and painter. Beymer’s first book titled: Impostor: Or Whatever Happened to Richard Beymer? was completed in 2007. The self-published novel is a semi-autobiographical narrative that chronicles a young actor’s struggle to find himself.
Is Richard Beymer Gay Or Married To A Wife?
The actor has never been married in his entire life and there is no evidence that he is gay. Though Richard has been flying solo for many years, he has been in several failed relationships with women in the past. His first attempt at a relationship was with actress Tuesday Weld, whom he reportedly dated from 1960 to 1961. The following year, Beymer hooked up with Dolores Hart and they became friends. They dated and broke up in the same year. While filming a movie, the actor fell in love with Sharon Tate, who was cast as an extra on set. The two would move to California and later became engaged. Sadly, the lovebirds called off their engagement after a year. Since then, nothing has been heard or read about his love life.
Where Is He Now?
As of 2010, the Avoca, the Iowa-born Hollywood veteran resided in Fairfield, Iowa, from where he makes films, writes, sculpts, and paints. The 6 feet 2 inches star has amassed a fortune estimated at $18 million from his business channels.
