Richard Hugh Lynch was born on February 12, 1940 (sometimes incorrectly cited as 1936) in
Brooklyn, New York City to Catholic parents of Irish descent. Richard Lynch served in the
United States Marine Corps for four years. He spent a year in recovery, gave up drug use and ultimately began training at
The Actors Studio and at the
HB Studio. In 1970, he co-starred with
Robert De Niro,
Sally Kirkland and
Diane Ladd in the short-lived off-Broadway play
One Night Stands of a Noisy Passenger, written by
Shelley Winters. He often played a villain in features, including
Scarecrow, which marked his film debut,
The Seven-Ups,
Bad Dreams,
The Sword and the Sorcerer, and
Little Nikita. In 1982, Lynch won a
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the evil King Cromwell in
The Sword and the Sorcerer. Although Richard Lynch is best known for playing villains, he was cast as the president of the United States in the 2007 film
Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy. Lynch starred alongside
Judson Scott in the 1982 short-lived science fiction TV series
The Phoenix. In addition to acting, Lynch was a musician, and he played the saxophone, guitar, piano, and flute. He held Irish citizenship through his Irish-born parents and was a frequent visitor to Ireland. He starred together with brother Barry in the films
Nightforce and
Total Force. Lynch's wife Lily starred with him in the film
Breaking the Silence (1998) and son Christopher Lynch appeared with him in the science fiction film
Trancers II. In 1977, Richard Lynch shared the stage with actor Al Pacino, a close friend, in the Broadway play
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. Lynch played a Vietnam veteran who used a wheelchair, and was nominated for a Tony in 1977. Through the years, Lynch worked with friend and colleague
Don Calfa in the films
Necronomicon (1993),
Toughguy (1995),
Corpses Are Forever (2003), and
Lewisburg (2009). ==Later life and death==