Vale: Alan Rachins

US actor Alan Rachins, best known for L.A. Law & Dharma & Greg has died, aged 82.

He died in his sleep of heart failure, his manager confirmed.

Rachins played lawyer Douglas Brackman Jr. on L.A. Law for its entire eight-season run from 1986 to 1984, as well as in the 2002 made-for-TV film, L.A. Law: The Movie. He received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his performance.

“In the pilot episode, there was nothing of the more flamboyant or bizarre side of Douglas; he was going to be the hard-line office manager, the penny pincher,” Rachins said in a 1990 interview. “It was kind of limited, and I didn’t know where it was going. But quickly it developed a lot more colour and flamboyance.”

On Dharma & Greg he played Dharma’s hippie father Larry, from 1997 – 2002.

There were recurring roles on Rizzoli & Isles and General Hospital, and he guest roles on Stargate SG-1, Dallas, Barnaby Jones, Brothers, D.C. Follies, The Golden Girls, The Outer Limits, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Good Luck Charlie, Young Sheldon, Grey’s Anatomy, The Middle and The Crazy Ones.

He wrote for such shows as Hill Street Blues, Hart to Hart and The Fall Guy.

Film credits inclided Showgirls, Time Walker, Always, Thunder Run, Heart Condition, Terminal Voyage, Meet Wally Sparks, Leave It to Beaver, Any Day Now and Commencement.

Source: Variety