Richard Gilliland, an actor known for roles in “Designing Women” and “Airplane II: The Sequel”, died.
The 71-year-old man was married to Emmy-winning actress Jean Smart and suffered from a “brief illness” before he died in Los Angeles, California last week, according to a press release shared with Fox News.
Gilliland and Smart, 69, have been married for nearly 34 years.
Gilliland met his future wife when they worked together on “Designing Women”, in which he played JD Shackelford, a baseball talent scout and boyfriend of Mary Jo Shively by Annie Pott.
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He appeared in just 14 episodes of the show, according to IMDb, but his appearances spanned the first five seasons of the show.
Actor Richard Gilliland, husband of Jean Smart, died at the age of 71. (Photo by David Crotty / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Smart played Charlene Frazier Stillfield for six of the show’s seven seasons.
They worked together again and again, including in the hit drama “24” in 2006, when Gilliland appeared in a single episode. Smart appeared in two seasons.
The two also appeared together on stage and in two television films and were scheduled to work together again this summer on a film directed by filmmaker “The Girl on the Train” Tate Taylor.
Richard Gilliland photographed here in 1977 for the TV series ‘Operation Petticoat.’ (Photo: Walt Disney Television by Getty Images Photo Archives / Walt Disney Television by Getty Images)
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The pair shares two children: Connor, 31, and Bonnie, 11.
Gilliland has appeared on several high profile television shows, including “Criminal Minds”, “Desperate Housewives”, “Dexter”, “Party of Five”, “St. Elsewhere”, “Operation Petticoat” and “The Love Boat”.
His film credits include “Airplane II: The Sequel”, “Star Kid”, “Home Room” and more.
Richard Gilliland in ‘Desperate Housewives’. (Photo by Ron Tom / Walt Disney Television via Getty Images)
He also appeared in the Broadway touring production of “Godspell” as Jesus from 1972-1973.
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Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Gilliland studied at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago.
His most recent credits include “Case 347” from 2020 and four episodes of Bravo’s “Imposters” from 2017-2018, as well as his only appearance on “Criminal Minds”.
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In addition to Smart, Conner and Bonnie, Gilliland left his sisters Ann Norberg and Wendy Knaack and his brother John Wells.