Richard Masur Bio
Richard Masur (born November 20, 1948) is an American actor and veteran character performer whose work spans stage, film and television. He has appeared in more than 40 films and maintained a steady television career since the mid-1970s while serving two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1995 to 1999.
Early Life and Background
Richard Masur was born in New York City to Jewish parents, Claire Masur and Jesse Masur. His mother worked as a high school counselor and his father was a pharmacist; he has a sister, Judith Masur. Masur grew up in the New York area and attended public schools including P.S. 28, Walt Whitman Junior High School and Roosevelt High School in Yonkers, New York.
Masur pursued formal acting training at the Yale School of Drama toward an MFA in acting, where he prepared for a career on stage before transitioning into screen work. His theatrical background informed an early range of character roles that later became a through-line in his film and television appearances.
Path to Celebrity
Masur began working professionally in the mid-1970s, gaining television exposure through episodic appearances and recurring roles. Early credits include performances on series such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and All in the Family, establishing him as a reliable character actor on network television.
Through steady television work and stage experience, Masur moved into more visible film roles by the late 1970s and early 1980s. Training at the Yale School of Drama and early stage work gave him a foundation that translated into frequent guest and recurring parts across a wide range of television genres.
Richard Masur Career
Early Career (1974–1981)
Richard Masur’s professional screen career dates to 1974, with recurring television roles through the latter half of the 1970s. He had recurring parts on Rhoda from 1974 to 1977 and on One Day at a Time from 1975 to 1976, and he appeared in other series of the era, which provided steady visibility and a reputation for reliable character work.
During this period Masur also appeared in single-episode roles on shows that were staples of 1970s television, developing the versatility that allowed him to move between comedy and drama. By 1981 he took on challenging television film material, including the television film Fallen Angel, which pushed him into more dramatic territory on screen.
Breakthrough (1982–1990)
Masur’s role as Clark, the dog handler in John Carpenter’s horror film The Thing (1982), marked a notable film appearance that expanded his profile in genre cinema. The part placed him in a high-profile ensemble and remains one of his best-known film credits.
Throughout the 1980s Masur continued to play memorable supporting roles in both film and television. He portrayed the father to Corey Haim’s character in License to Drive (1988) and joined the ensemble cast of the television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It (1990), in which he played the adult Stanley Uris. Those projects reinforced his standing as a veteran character actor capable of anchoring varied supporting parts.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among Richard Masur’s signature screen credits are the television series Rhoda and One Day at a Time, the film The Thing, the miniseries It and the later television series Younger, where he appeared from 2016 to 2018 as Edward L. L. Moore. In 1995 Masur was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild and served two terms through 1999, a tenure that stands as a major professional milestone and reflects his industry leadership beyond performing.
Later Career (1991–present)
In the 1990s and 2000s Masur continued to work in film and international projects, including a role in the French film Les Patriotes (The Patriots) in 1994. He began recurring work on the soap opera All My Children in January 2006 and has appeared in numerous guest roles on series across decades, including Law & Order, Murphy Brown, Picket Fences and Transparent.
Masur has remained active into the 2010s and 2020s with television appearances on Younger from 2016 to 2018 and a range of guest spots on contemporary programs. He also returned to the stage periodically, with an off-Broadway appearance in the play Dust in December 2009, demonstrating an ongoing engagement with theatrical work.
Richard Masur Family
Richard Masur is married to Eileen Henry. He was born to Claire Masur and Jesse Masur; his mother worked as a high school counselor and his father was a pharmacist. He has a sister named Judith Masur, and family connections to the New York area informed his early life and education.
Personal Life
Masur’s public biography highlights a long career centered on character acting and union leadership rather than celebrity personal disclosures. He has kept his private life relatively private aside from his marriage to Eileen Henry and his civic role within the Screen Actors Guild, and his career record emphasizes professional continuity from the 1970s to the present.