# Richard Kelton

Richard Duane Kelton (April 29, 1943 – November 27, 1978) was an American actor.

## Life and career

Kelton was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. After briefly attending Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in 1963, he transferred to The University of Kansas, earning his bachelor's degree in drama 1966, and then his Masters' two years later, in 1968. He returned briefly in 1973 to appear in a campus production. He made his way to California where he made his debut playing "Bud" in an episode of Gunsmoke. In 1967, he made his film debut with a small part in the movie In Cold Blood (1967) as Nancy's boyfriend. Soon after arriving in California with his wife in 1970, he got guest-starring roles in The Young Rebels and The Waltons.
Soon afterwards, he made his TV movie debut as "Lieutenant Charring" in Wild Women (1970). He continued in numerous other guest starring roles and movie roles. He also played the role of "Nick" in the Broadway revival of Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? in 1976.
After returning to California in 1976, he had a guest-starring role on ABC-TV's Charlie's Angels. He played the role of alien science officer "Ficus Pandorata" on the short-lived NBC-TV science fiction series Quark (1978). Later that year he was invited back to The University of Kansas to give a short seminar on films.

## Death

Kelton died of accidental carbon monoxide asphyxiation due to a faulty heater in his trailer while filming the NBC-TV miniseries Centennial, in which he was to have co-starred. Universal Studios, which produced the TV miniseries, was fined $720 for the failure to provide a proper ventilation system for the trailer to which Kelton had retreated to rehearse his lines.

## Legacy

His alma mater, KU, established the Richard Kelton Memorial Fund in December 1978 to aid student actors in their professional acting aspirations. The fund still exists today in the form of the Richard Kelton Memorial Scholarship, that provides scholarships for undergraduate students majoring in theatre with an emphasis in acting.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Character | Notes |
| 1967 | In Cold Blood | Bobby Rupp | Uncredited, film role |
| 1970 | Wild Women | Lt. Charring | TV movie |
| 1970 | Heroic Mission | Nancy's Boyfriend | TV series, uncredited role |
| 1970 | The Young Rebels | Edward Brockton | TV series |
| 1970-1973 | Gunsmoke | Bud / Clayt Colter / Ab Craddock / Rick Wilson | 5 episodes |
| 1971 | Mission: Impossible | Billy Walsh | in episode "Takeover" |
| 1971 | The F.B.I. | Chuck Davis | in episode "The Hitchhiker" |
| 1971 | Cade's County | Paul Jeffries | TV series |
| 1972 | The Waltons | Anson Collier | in episode "The Foundling" |
| 1972 | Hawaii Five-O | Lt. Carter | in episode R & R & R |
| 1972 | Room 222 | Reverend Mike Holloway | in episode "Where Is It Written?" |
| 1973 | Hawkins | Don Morrison | Episode: "Blood Feud" |
| 1974 | McQ | Radicial | Film |
| 1974 | Harry O | Bill Dempsey | in episode "Guardian at the Gates" |
| 1974 | The Lives of Benjamin Franklin | | TV mini-series |
| 1974 | Kung Fu | Graham | in episode "My Brother, My Executioner"" |
| 1974 | Nakia | Uncredited role | 1 episode |
| 1974 | Silence | Al | Film |
| 1974 | The Cowboys | Carl Rivers | 1 episode |
| 1974 | The Streets of San Francisco | Stuttering Kidnapper | in episode "Chapel of the Damned" |
| 1975 | Joe Forrester | Uncredited role | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Medical Story | Uncredited role | in episode "Us Against the World" |
| 1975 | Matt Helm | Jed Larson | in episode "Murder on Ice" |
| 1975 | The Ultimate Warrior | Cal | Feature film |
| 1975 | Barbary Coast | Cad Shugrue | TV series; in episode "The Ballad of Redwing Jail" |
| 1975 | Archer | Ernest Richter | 1 episode |
| 1976 | Logan's Run | Sanctuary Man | Voice, Uncredited |
| 1977 | The Feather and Father Gang | Colby | TV series; in episode "The People's Choice" |
| 1977 | Charlie's Angels | Hubie | in episode "Pretty Angels All in a Row" |
| 1978 | Dallas | Taylor "Guzzler" Bennett | in episode "Fallen Idol" |
| 1978 | A Guide for the Married Woman | Everett Hemming-Fantasy Man | TV movie |
| 1978 | Go West, Young Girl | Griff | TV movie |
| 1978 | Quark | Ficus | 7 episodes |
| 1978 | The Incredible Hulk | Carl | in episode "The Beast Within" |
| 1978 | Police Woman | Ron Chamberlin | in episode "Sixth Sense" |
| 1979 | The Rockford Files | Norman Wheeler | in episode "The Deuce" |
| 1979 | How the West Was Won | Trey Hollingsworth | ABC-TV Miniseries, in episode "Hillary", (final appearance) |