- Born
- Birth nameRichard John Chaves
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- Richard was born in Jacksonville, Florida. His father
born in New York City, a career Marine, his mother born in Roanoke, Va.
of Scottish and Cherokee Indian descent. He spent the first 18 years of
his life as a Marine Corps Dependent. He spent his days with the nuns
in parochial school and his nights and weekends with the Corps. He
graduated from Mission Viejo High School in 1969 and attended
Occidental College 1969-70. Richard joined the army in 1970. He served
3 years with a tour of duty in Vietnam.
After the Army he moved to Los Angeles to begin his acting career. He
studied at the Film Actors Workshop at the Warner Bros. Studios in
Burbank. His first appearance on TV was the "The Tonight Show" as a
Mighty Carson Art Player in 1979. Richard also studied at the Herbert
Berghof Studios, New York and the Actors Studio under Eli Wallach in
New York.
In 1980 he and 7 Vietnam veteran actors created the play "Tracers",
which was the catalysis of his career. Since "Tracers" he has been
blessed to work on some great projects, the "War of the Worlds"
television series and "Predator" being the most acclaimed. Film roles
include "Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam", "Cease Fire",
"Witness" and "Night Eyes II".
His television roles include guest starring in "Star Trek: Voyager",
"Walker, Texas Ranger", "F.B.I. The Untold Stories", "LA Law", "Babylon
5", "MacGyver", "Trials of Rosie O'Neill", "Miami Vice", "Hill St.
Blues", "St. Elsewhere", "Eight Is Enough". He was a series regular in
"War of the Worlds" and co-starred in "Dallas". He has appeared in the
TV movies, "Weapons of Mass Distraction", "LA Takedown", "To Heal a
Nation", "Penalty Phase", "Fire On the Mountain", the mini-series "Ari-
The Life of Aristotle Onassis" and "The Gambler III".
As well as film and television Richard has achieved accolades in live
theatre. In 1980 "Tracers" received the Los Angeles Drama Critics
Circle Award for Best Ensemble, 1983 Drama-Logue Award for Best
Performance in "Vietnam Trilogy" and in 1985 the New York Theatre World
Award for Outstanding New Talent in "Tracers". Other appearances
include the "Police Officers Wives", "Santos & Santos" and "Pendleton
Blanket".
Richard presently lives in the Los Angeles area and continues to write,
work and contribute to the creative world.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Richard Chaves
- Served in the Army and is a Vietnam veteran.
- Is one of the original authors of the highly acclaimed Vietnam War
stage drama, "Tracers". - Founded RJC Stonewood to create art consisting of wood, stone, color, fire, and water.
- Studied acting at both Occidental College in Eagle Rock, California and
the Film Actors' Workshop at Burbank Studios.
- I had a really low draft number," Chaves recalls, "so I knew I was going to be drafted. I had grown up in the Marine Corps with my dad being an officer, so I didn't have an aversion to the military. I knew what I was getting into and I joined in May 1970, serving in Vietnam with the 196th Infantry Brigade.
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