Rick Lenz. Wikipedia
Rick Lenz was born in 1939, Springfield, Illinois) is an American actor, author and playwright.
Lenz directed the Jackson, Michigan Civic Theater for two years before relocating to New York to seek work as an actor. In 1965, made his Broadway debut in Mating Dance, starring Van Johnson. Though the show closed opening night, stage impresario David Merrick was in the audience, and soon afterward cast Lenz in the Broadway hit Cactus Flower as understudy for the juvenile lead role, Igor Sullivan. Lenz later took over the role and played it for a year. Film producer Mike Frankovich and Walter Matthau saw him in the part and cast him as Igor in the film version, with Goldie Hawn.
In the 1970s, Rick Lenz appeared in several Hollywood movies, including How Do I Love Thee? (1970), Scandalous John (1971), Where Does It Hurt? (1972), The Shootist (1976), The Little Dragons (1980) and Melvin and Howard (1980).
Lenz has appeared in such television shows as Green Acres, Hec Ramsey, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Murder, She Wrote, Simon & Simon, Falcon Crest, Silver Spoons, Airwolf, Elvis and the Beauty Queen, and Malice in Wonderland.
Lenz wrote The Epic of Buster Friend, which was produced off-Broadway in 1973 at the Theatre De Lys (now the Lucille Lortel Theatre) in New York City, and was later directed for PBS by Michael Kahn.
In 1981, he co-wrote the pilot of the ABC television series Aloha Paradise, as well writing several of the episodes. Lenz published his memoir North of Hollywood on February 15, 2012.
As of 2017, Lenz resides in Los Angeles with his spouse, Linda; the couple married in May 1982. He has three children; sons Scott and Charlie, and daughter, Abigail.
Rick Lenz, born November 21, 1939, in Springfield, Illinois, is an American actor, playwright, and author known for a steady but supporting-level career in 1960s-1980s film, TV, and theater, highlighted by his breakout from Broadway to Hollywood in Cactus Flower (1969).
Career Overview
Lenz directed Jackson, Michigan Civic Theater before moving to New York for his 1965 Broadway debut in the short-lived Mating Dance. He understudied then starred as Igor Sullivan in David Merrick’s hit Cactus Flower, reprising it on film with Goldie Hawn, Walter Matthau, and Ingrid Bergman. 1970s film roles followed in How Do I Love Thee? (1970), Scandalous John (1971), Where Does It Hurt? (1972), The Shootist (1976) with John Wayne, The Little Dragons (1979), and Melvin and Howard (1980). TV included Green Acres (1968-69), Hec Ramsey (1972), Ironside, and Marcus Welby, M.D.; later he wrote memoirs like North of Hollywood (2012).
Key Roles
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Igor Sullivan (Cactus Flower, stage/film): The earnest, lovesick dental assistant; his year-long Broadway run led to the film, showcasing boyish charm amid comedy stars.
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Dobkins (The Shootist, 1976): A sleazy bookie in John Wayne’s final Western, adding oily antagonism to the ensemble.
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Brian Williams (Green Acres): Recurring nice-guy suitor, fitting his light comedic niche.
Critical Analysis
Lenz embodied the “juvenile lead”—clean-cut, affable everyman ideal for 1960s-70s comedies and Westerns, with relaxed timing that complemented stars like Matthau or Wayne without overshadowing. Strengths: Natural rapport in ensembles (Cactus Flower‘s farce thrived on his reactive sincerity) and memoir-writing candor reveal industry grit, as in North of Hollywood‘s freefall account post-peak fame. Critics note his light-comedy aptitude over Shakespearean depth, suiting B-pictures like Scandalous John where affability grounded sentiment.
Weaknesses: Lacked leading-man breakout, typecast in supports amid Hollywood flux; post-1980s shift to writing reflects career “freefall,” though his Wayne-era reliability endures in cult rewatches. A journeyman whose warmth and resilience define modest, authentic contributions
Rick Lenz’s North of Hollywood: A Memoir (2012) candidly chronicles his post-Cactus Flower career freefall, blending Hollywood glamour with harsh industry realities.
Sudden Fame’s Downside
Lenz details skyrocketing from Broadway obscurity to film stardom in 1969 alongside Goldie Hawn and Ingrid Bergman, only to face a “freefall” as roles evaporated amid shifting tastes and agent mishandling—auditions dried up despite The Shootist acclaim.
Industry Survival Tactics
He reveals hustling through commercials, regional theater, and TV guest spots (Moonlighting, Moon Over Parador) while supporting a family, exposing casting biases favoring “known names” over talent and the emotional toll of rejection.
Personal Resilience
Key insight: Reinvention via writing—playwrighting sustained him, turning pain into art; Lenz reflects on mentorship from John Wayne and Walter Matthau, crediting humility and adaptability for longevity beyond acting peaks