# Richard Herd
**Richard Herd** (Richard Thomas Herd; September 26, 1932 – May 26, 2020) was an American character actor of stage, film, and television, best known for his recurring role as Mr. Wilhelm, [George Costanza](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-costanza)'s boss at the [New York Yankees](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-yankees), on *Seinfeld*, and for his science-fiction roles as Supreme Commander John in the 1983 miniseries *V*, Admiral William Noyce on *SeaQuest 2032*, and Admiral Owen Paris on *Star Trek: Voyager*.[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-herd)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | September 26, 1932, Boston, Massachusetts; May 26, 2020, Los Angeles, of complications of colon cancer, at age 87[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/) |
| Screen debut | *Hercules in New York* (1970), which was also Arnold Schwarzenegger's film debut[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-herd) |
| Signature TV roles | Captain Dennis Sheridan on *T.J. Hooker* (ABC, 1982–85); Admiral William Noyce on *SeaQuest DSV* (NBC, 1993–94); Mr. Wilhelm on *Seinfeld* (NBC, 1995–98)[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd) |
| *Seinfeld* episodes | 11 episodes as Wilhelm, first in "The Jimmy" (1995), last in the 1998 series finale[4](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/richard-herd-death-seinfeld-mr-wilhelmage-cause-boss-george-costanza-new-york-yankees-a9533711.html) |
| Science-fiction roles | John in *V* (1983) and *V: The Final Battle* (1984); L'Kor on *Star Trek: The Next Generation*; Admiral Owen Paris on *Star Trek: Voyager* and *Star Trek: Renegades*[5](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/actor-richard-herd-star-trek-v-dies-87) |
| Awards | Screen Actors Guild Award with the *Seinfeld* cast; Obie Award and Vernon Rice Award for *The Couch with the Six Insides*[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd) |
| Guild service | Third National Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild[6](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/richard-herd/bio/3000581967/) |
## Early life and training
Herd was born in Boston to Richard Herd, a railroad worker, and Katherine Lydon; his father died while serving in the Army during World War II.[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/) As a child he suffered from osteomyelitis, a serious bone infection, and was hospitalized repeatedly at [Boston Children's Hospital](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-childrens-hospital); he later credited the long convalescence with developing his imagination and stoicism.[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/)
He was drawn to acting in his youth, acting in a sixth-grade production of *HMS Pinafore* and working at the Boston Catholic Theatre and the Peabody Playhouse.[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/) During a two-year apprenticeship at the Boston Summer Theater he met [Claude Rains](https://www.edgepedia.org/claude-rains), who offered to work with him and other apprentices on Shakespeare after hearing them rehearsing.[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/)
He served in the U.S. Army during the [Korean War](https://www.edgepedia.org/korean-war), where an osteomyelitis flare-up led to an honorable discharge.[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/) Afterward he moved to New York and built his career off-Broadway and in regional theater before making his screen debut with [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://www.edgepedia.org/arnold-schwarzenegger) in *Hercules in New York* (1970).[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-herd)
## Film career
Herd's breakthrough came in 1976 as Watergate burglar James W. McCord Jr. in *All the President's Men*.[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/) Notable supporting roles followed through the 1970s and 1980s: Evan McCormack in *The China Syndrome* (1979), General Foley in *Private Benjamin* (1980), and parts in *The Onion Field* (1979), *[Summer Rental](https://www.edgepedia.org/summer-rental)* (1985), and *Planes, Trains & Automobiles* (1987).[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-herd) His television-movie work of the period included portraying General Omar Bradley in the 1979 miniseries *Ike*.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd)
Later in life he remained active on screen, appearing in [Jordan Peele](https://www.edgepedia.org/jordan-peele)'s horror film *Get Out* (2017) and making his final film appearances in [Clint Eastwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/clint-eastwood)'s *[The Mule](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mule-2018-film)* (2018) and *The Silent Natural* (2019).[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0378800/) Peele described his direction to Herd for his *Get Out* scene as asking him to think of it as "a Viagra ad trying to hide deep rage"; Herd answered that it sounded like all Viagra ads to him.[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/)
## Television
On television, Herd became a familiar authority figure across crime dramas and other series, with guest appearances on programs including *Kojak*, *The Rockford Files*, *M\*A\*S\*H*, *Murder, She Wrote*, *ER*, *The O.C.*, and *Desperate Housewives*.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-herd) His first recurring series role was Captain Dennis Sheridan opposite [William Shatner](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-shatner) on *T.J. Hooker*, which he played from 1982 to 1985.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd) He then played Admiral William Noyce on *SeaQuest DSV* and, in 1994, the series *Winnetka Road*. His recurring credits also included *Simon & Simon*, *Dallas*, *Knots Landing*, *Quantum Leap*, and *NYPD Blue*.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-herd)
**Seinfeld.** From 1995 to 1998, Herd played Mr. Wilhelm, the New York Yankees executive who supervised George Costanza ([Jason Alexander](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-alexander)), across 11 episodes beginning with "The Jimmy" and ending with the series finale.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd) • [4](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/richard-herd-death-seinfeld-mr-wilhelmage-cause-boss-george-costanza-new-york-yankees-a9533711.html) In one of the character's prominent storylines, Wilhelm was briefly abducted by a carpet-cleaning cult.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_herd)
## Star Trek and science fiction
Herd made his first *Star Trek* appearance in 1993 as the Klingon L'Kor in the two-part *The Next Generation* episode "Birthright"; he said the hardest part of the role was learning to sing a warrior song in Klingon.[9](https://www.startrek.com/news/catching-up-with-tng-voy-guest-richard-herd-pt-1) In 1999 he joined the smaller group of actors who have played more than one *Trek* character when he was cast as Admiral Owen Paris, father of [Tom Paris](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-paris), on *Star Trek: Voyager*, a role he reprised in the fan film *[Star Trek: Renegades](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-trek-renegades)*.[5](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/actor-richard-herd-star-trek-v-dies-87) His other major genre credits included *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, *Ghost Whisperer*, and voicing Preacher Whitting in the video game *BioShock Infinite*.[5](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/actor-richard-herd-star-trek-v-dies-87)
## Awards
Herd received an Obie Award and the Vernon Rice Award (now the Drama Desk Award) for *The Couch with the Six Insides*, DramaLogue awards for *Death of a Salesman* and *My Last Confession*, and the Wilkins Award for poetry from the Santa Barbara Writer's Conference.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd) He shared a Screen Actors Guild Award with the *Seinfeld* cast for best comedy ensemble.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd)
## Beyond acting
Herd married his second wife, the actress Patricia Crowder Herd, on April 12, 1980; they remained married until his death.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0378800/) He was also a published poet and a painter and sculptor whose work was shown at galleries in [Southern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/southern-california).[1](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd) He was a founding member of the Enterprise Blues Band, a music group formed by *Star Trek* actors to perform at fan conventions.[5](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/actor-richard-herd-star-trek-v-dies-87)
## References
1. [Richard Herd, Boston-born character actor known for 'Seinfeld' role, dies at 87, The Boston Globe (2020)](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/01/metro/richard-herd-boston-born-character-actor-known-seinfeld-role-dies-87/)
2. [Richard Herd, Television Academy biography](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/richard-herd)
3. [Herd, Richard 1932- (Richard T. Herd), Encyclopedia.com / Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/herd-richard-1932-richard-t-herd)
4. [Richard Herd death: Actor who played Mr Wilhelm on 'Seinfeld' dies aged 87, The Independent (2020)](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/richard-herd-death-seinfeld-mr-wilhelmage-cause-boss-george-costanza-new-york-yankees-a9533711.html)
5. [Star Trek and V character actor Richard Herd dies at 87, SyFy Wire (2020)](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/actor-richard-herd-star-trek-v-dies-87)
6. [Richard Herd Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/richard-herd/bio/3000581967/)
7. [Richard Herd, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0378800/)
8. [Richard Herd Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/richard_herd)
9. [Catching Up With TNG & VOY Guest Richard Herd, Pt. 1, StarTrek.com (2013)](https://www.startrek.com/news/catching-up-with-tng-voy-guest-richard-herd-pt-1)
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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 He to H*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 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