Richard Kiley Actor Richard Paul Kiley was a prolific film and television actor hailing from Chicago , Illinois . He played Gideon Seyetik in the episode . Kiley co - starred in the television mini - series " The Thorn Birds " in 1983 , earning an for his performance on that show . Philip Anglim , Antoinette Bower , John de Lancie , Christopher Plummer , Jean Simmons , and Meg Wyllie also starred in the series , with Simmons playing his wife ( and also winning an Emmy ) . Kiley later won another Emmy for his starring role in the short - lived television series " A Year in the Life " , which co - starred Diana Muldaur . Additionally , Kiley received Emmy nominations for his two appearances on the television drama " Picket Fences " , one in 1993 and another in 1994 , winning the award for the latter year . Kiley ' s resume consists of countless television appearances . He was seen several times on " Studio One " during the 1950s ( including one episode with James Gregory and another with Frank Overton ) and " The United States Steel Hour " during the 50s and early 60s ( during which he worked alongside Brian Keith and " Trek " director Robert Scheerer ) . He has also appeared on " Alfred Hitchcock Presents " , " Dr . Kildare " , " Ben Casey " , " The Nurses " ( with Stephen Brooks and Theodore Bikel ) , " The Name of the Game " ( with Michael Ansara , Diana Muldaur , James B . Sikking , and Jason Wingreen ) , " Gunsmoke " , " Bonanza " , " Night Gallery " ( with Jill Ireland , directed by Ralph Senensky ) , " The Mod Squad " ( with Clarence Williams III , Tige Andrews , and Meg Foster ) , the 1980s version of , and " Ally McBeal " , among many others . He was also seen in the mini - series " How the West Was Won " ( 1977 , with Paul Fix , Roy Jenson , and Anthony Zerbe ) , " A . D . " ( 1985 , with Ben Vereen and Anthony Zerbe ) , and " If Tomorrow Comes " ( 1986 , with Barry Jenner ) . In 1977 , Kiley appeared in the film " Looking for Mr . Goodbar " , which also featured a young LeVar Burton ( TNG ' s Geordi La Forge ) , and in the 1996 film " Phenomenon " , featuring TNG ' s Brent Spiner ( Data ) . His other film credits include " Blackboard Jungle " ( 1955 , co - starring John Hoyt ) , " Endless Love " ( 1981 ) , and " Patch Adams " ( 1998 , also featuring Bob Gunton , Harve Presnell , Harry Groener , Ellen Albertini Dow , and Randy Oglesby ) . He also starred in a number of made - for - TV movies , including the 1969 pilot for " Night Gallery " ( co - starring Richard Hale , Byron Morrow and George Murdock ) , 1974 ' s " Columbo : A Friend in Deed " ( also with Byron Morrow as well as Paul Sorenson ) , and 1991 ' s " Separate But Equal " ( with Albert Hall ) . He was also a prolific actor of the stage , winning s for his roles as Tom Baxter in the 1959 Broadway musical " Redhead " and as Don Quixote / Miguel Cervantes in the original 1965 production of the Broadway musical " Man of La Mancha " . Among Broadway fans , Kiley would become particularly linked to this latter role , reprising it in 1972 and 1977 Broadway revivals . Kiley ' s rich , baritone voice has been used in several National Geographic and A & E Biography specials . He also played himself , the narrator of the Jurassic Park tour , in the 1993 film . Kiley died of a bone marrow disease in Warwick , New York on March 5 , . He was 76 years old .