# Richard Gilliland
**Richard Gilliland** (1950–2021) was an American character actor whose television career ran from the mid-1970s to 2020, best known for playing J.D. Shackelford on the CBS sitcom *Designing Women*, the show on which he met his wife, actress [Jean Smart](https://www.edgepedia.org/jean-smart).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | Born 1950 in Fort Worth, Texas; died March 18, 2021, in Los Angeles, California, at age 71[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-gilliland) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0319231/) |
| Signature role | J.D. Shackelford, boyfriend of Mary Jo Shively on *Designing Women* (1986–1991), 14 episodes[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0319231/) |
| Marriage | Married Jean Smart on June 7, 1987; they had two children[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0319231/) |
| Early series work | Sgt. Steve DiMaggio on *McMillan & Wife* (6 episodes); Lt. Nick Holden on *Operation Petticoat* (23 episodes); Keith Burrows on *Just Our Luck* (13 episodes)[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US) |
| Film debut | *Bug* (1975), the final film of producer-director William Castle[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_gilliland) |
| Final screen role | Gustaf Berchum in *Case 347* (2020)[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US) |
| Emmy record | The Television Academy database lists no Emmy nominations for him[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-gilliland) |
## Early career, 1974–1985
Gilliland's screen career began in television with the 1974 made-for-TV movie *Unwed Father*[5](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/richard-gilliland.html). His film debut came in *Bug* (1975), a low-budget horror film about mutant cockroaches that was the final film of [William Castle](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-castle)[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_gilliland). Small film parts in *Stay Hungry* (1976) and *The White Buffalo* (1977) followed[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_gilliland).
Television gave him his first steady work. On the NBC mystery series *McMillan & Wife* he played Sgt. Steve DiMaggio in six episodes in 1976[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US). In 1977 he took his first starring series role as Lt. Nick Holden on ABC's *Operation Petticoat*, a sitcom about a [United States Navy](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-navy) submarine crew, appearing in 23 episodes opposite [John Astin](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-astin)[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_gilliland). The same year he played Laurie, Theodore Laurence, in the 1978 miniseries *Little Women*[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US).
**The Waltons and series leads.** Gilliland joined *The Waltons* as Arlington Wescott "Jonesy" Jones, the husband of Mary Ellen, and reprised the role in three subsequent *Walton's Mountain* television specials in 1982[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_gilliland). In 1983 he led another sitcom, *Just Our Luck*, playing TV weatherman Keith Burrows in 13 episodes; the premise had his character find a wisecracking genie in a bottle[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_gilliland). Through this period he also guest-starred on *Marcus Welby, M.D.*, *Fantasy Island*, *The Love Boat*, *St. Elsewhere*, and *Night Court*[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-gilliland).
## Designing Women and Jean Smart
In 1986 Gilliland was hired on *Designing Women* to play J.D. Shackelford, the boyfriend of [Annie Potts](https://www.edgepedia.org/annie-potts)'s character Mary Jo Shively, and he appeared in 14 episodes through 1991[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0319231/). On the set he met Jean Smart, who played Charlene Frazier; by one account he ventured into her trailer to help with a crossword puzzle, and the two began a relationship[6](https://www.designingwomenonline.com/Archives/005.html). They married on June 7, 1987, and had two children[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0319231/). Smart later recalled that the connection was quick: "I knew right away. It took him a day or two to catch on"[7](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-12-ca-629-story.html).
Because J.D. was Mary Jo's boyfriend, Gilliland's romantic scenes on the show were with Potts rather than with his own wife[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_gilliland). He returned for the 2003 *Designing Women Reunion* special, which featured taped interviews with the real-life spouses of Burke, Carter, and Smart, all of whom had held recurring roles on the series[8](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jul-28-et-slate28-story.html).
## Later career
After *Designing Women*, Gilliland worked mainly in recurring and guest parts. He played Tom Stafford in 10 episodes of the 1989 series *Heartland*[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US), and had recurring roles on *Thirtysomething*, *Party of Five*, *Dark Skies*, and *[Imposters](https://www.edgepedia.org/imposters-tv-series)*, the last as Arlen Jonson in four episodes in 2017–2018[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-gilliland) • [3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US). His guest appearances stretched across four decades of prime-time drama and comedy, including *Murder, She Wrote*, *Matlock*, *The Practice*, *Judging Amy*, *Becker*, *Crossing Jordan*, *24* (as Stan Cotter, 2006), *Dexter* (as Eddie Noonan, 2009), *Desperate Housewives* (as Dr. Brent Avedon, 2010), *Scandal* (2012), *Torchwood* (2011), and *Criminal Minds* (2017)[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-gilliland) • [9](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/17104/richard-gilliland).
His film work included *Airplane II: The Sequel* (1982) as Pervis, *Star Kid* (1997), *Home Room* (2002), and *Case 347* (2020), his final screen appearance[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-gilliland) • [3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US). He also worked in theater: he studied at the Goodman School of Drama and the Playwright's Kitchen Ensemble, spent four seasons in summer stock, and appeared in *Balancing Act* with [Yeardley Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/yeardley-smith) and *I Remember You* with [Tony Danza](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-danza) at [Garry Marshall](https://www.edgepedia.org/garry-marshall)'s Falcon Theatre[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US).
## Death
Gilliland died on March 18, 2021, in Los Angeles at age 71[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-gilliland). HistoryLink, the Washington state history encyclopedia, records the cause as a heart condition[10](https://www.historylink.org/File/22906); IMDb lists the cause simply as illness[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0319231/). At the time of his death, Smart was filming the first season of *Hacks*, and the two had another project in development[10](https://www.historylink.org/File/22906).
## References
1. [Richard Gilliland, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-gilliland)
2. [Richard Gilliland, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0319231/)
3. [Richard Gilliland, The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42169-richard-gilliland?language=en-US)
4. [Richard Gilliland, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_gilliland)
5. [Richard Gilliland, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/richard-gilliland.html)
6. [Designing Women Online, classic article archive](https://www.designingwomenonline.com/Archives/005.html)
7. [Smart Accents, Los Angeles Times, November 12, 1988](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-12-ca-629-story.html)
8. [Designing Women relive sugar and spice, Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2003](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jul-28-et-slate28-story.html)
9. [Richard Gilliland, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/17104/richard-gilliland)
10. [Jean Smart, HistoryLink.org](https://www.historylink.org/File/22906)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames G to Go*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license