Richard Anderson

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Richard Anderson, the tall, handsome actor best known for costarring simultaneously in the popular 1970s television shows “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman,” has died at age 91.

“The Six Million Dollar Man” brought a new wave of supernatural heroes to television. Based on the novel “Cyborg” by Martin Caidin, it starred Lee Majors as U.S. astronaut Steve Austin, who is severely injured in a crash. The government saves his life by rebuilding his body with atom-powered artificial limbs and other parts, giving him superhuman strength, speed and other powers.

Anderson played Oscar Goldman, Majors’ boss at the secret government spy agency the astronaut went to work for after becoming a cyborg.

“Richard became a dear and loyal friend, and I have never met a man like him,” Majors said in a statement Thursday, adding the two first met when they filmed several episodes of another hit television show, the 1960s western “The Big Valley.”

“I called him ‘Old Money.’ His always stylish attire, his class, calmness and knowledge never faltered in his 91 years,” Majors said, adding Anderson was “still the sweet charming man” when they spoke just a few weeks ago.

“The Six Million Dollar Man” began as a TV movie in 1973 and when it proved a hit it was turned into a weekly series the following year. Its popularity led to the 1976 spinoff show, “The Bionic Woman,” starring Lindsay Wagner.

Anderson took on the Oscar Goldman role in that show, too, sometimes appearing from week to week in both series.