Popular TV actor Richard Anderson dies at 91

Los Angeles — 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.

Anderson died of natural causes on Thursday, family spokesman Jonathan Taylor told The Associated Press.

“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, who stood 6-feet-4, began his career in 1949 with a small role as a wounded soldier in “12 O’Clock High.” Soon after, his comedy scenes in a TV series called “Lights, Camera, Action!” drew the attention of MGM, which offered him a screen test and a contract.

At MGM he played secondary roles in such movies as “The Magnificent Yankee,” “Across the Wide Missouri,” “Scaramouche,” “The Story of Three Loves,” “The Student Prince,” “Hit the Deck” and “Forbidden Planet.”

He went on to make movies for other studios, appearing in such films as Stanley Kubrick’s “Paths of Glory,” “The Long Hot Summer,” “Compulsion,’ “The Wackiest Ship in the Navy,” “The Gathering of Eagles,” “Johnny Cool,” “Seven Days in May” and “Kitten With a Whip.”

Anderson was also a frequent guest on TV series and had regular roles on “Bus Stop,” ‘’Perry Mason,” ‘’Dan August” and “The Fugitive.”

Richard Norman Anderson was born in Long Branch, N.J., on Aug. 8, 1928. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he began appearing in high school plays.

Anderson was married and divorced twice. His first wife, Carol Lee Ladd, was the daughter of actor Alan Ladd.

His second wife, Katharine Thalberg, was the daughter of actress Norma Shearer and movie mogul Irvin Thalberg. The couple had three daughters,

His daughters, Ashley Anderson, Brooke Anderson and Deva Anderson survive him.