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Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is an American actor. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, and then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver (1985–1992). He later appeared in films such as Through the Eyes of a Killer (1992), Pandora's Clock (1996), and Firehouse (1997).
In 1997, Anderson returned to television as the lead actor of the series Stargate SG-1, a spin-off of the 1994 film Stargate, replacing actor Kurt Russell. He played the lead from 1997 to 2005 and had a recurring role from 2005 to 2007. Since 1997, he has starred in only one film: Stargate: Continuum, released in 2008 as a sequel film after the Stargate SG-1 film The Ark of Truth. He appeared in the follow-up Stargate spin-off series Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate: Universe (reprising his role from SG-1 as Major General and later Lieutenant General Jack O'Neill).
Early life
Anderson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the eldest of four sons born to Stuart Jay Anderson, a teacher, and Jocelyn Rhae Carter, an artist.<ref name="hollywood">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is of Norwegian, Scottish, Finnish-Swedish,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> English, German, Swedish<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and possibly Mohawk descent. His last name, Anderson, derives from his Finnish-Swedish paternal grandfather.<ref name=":0" />
He grew up in Roseville, Minnesota, where he attended Alexander Ramsey High School.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite news</ref> As a teenager, his dream of becoming a professional hockey player was ended when he broke both arms three weeks apart<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while playing hockey for the school team at the age of 18.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> According to Hockey Hall of Fame member Stan Mikita as of 2009, Anderson was "a hockey nut and pretty damn good hockey player."<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> He developed an early interest in music, art, and acting. For a short time, he tried to become a jazz musician.<ref name="hollywood" />
Anderson studied to become an actor at St. Cloud State University and then at Ohio University<ref name=":7">Template:Cite news</ref> but dropped out before he received his degree because he felt "listless". Right after his junior year in college, he participated with friends in a cross-country bicycle ride from Minnesota to Alaska.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> He then moved to North Hollywood along with his friend and girlfriend before moving to New York City, finally settling in Los Angeles. He worked as a whale handler in a marine mammal show,<ref name=":7" /> as entertainment director at Marineland, a musician in medieval dinner theater,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and as a street mime and juggler.<ref name="allmovie">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2" /> He has stated that this period was "the happiest of [his] life" and has expressed an interest in teaching juggling, clowning, and other circus arts to disadvantaged youths.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=rdainterview />
Career
Early career
Anderson's first screen role was The Birthday Party, a 1975 short film produced by the Marine Reserve Public Affairs Unit to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corps.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly afterwards, Anderson joined the American soap opera, General Hospital as Dr. Jeff Webber from 1976 to 1981. Afterwards, Anderson guest-starred as one half of an interracial couple in an episode of The Facts of Life that also served as a backdoor pilot. In 1982–1983 he starred as Adam in the CBS television series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (based very loosely on the movie of the same name). In the 1983–1984 season, he played Lieutenant Simon Adams on the 22-week Dennis Weaver series Emerald Point N.A.S. on CBS, paired onscreen with Celia Warren (Susan Dey), the wife of naval lawyer Jack Warren (Charles Frank).<ref name="allmovie"/> Anderson then played Tony Kaiser in the acclaimed TV movie Ordinary Heroes, which aired in 1986.<ref name=allmoviett>Template:Cite web</ref>
MacGyver
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Anderson came to fame in the lead role of Angus MacGyver in the hit television series MacGyver, which lasted from 1985 to 1992 and was highly successful throughout its seven-year run.<ref name="simpsons"/> The character Angus MacGyver, also known as just MacGyver or Mac, was an optimistic action hero who was notable for using a Swiss Army knife instead of a firearm as his tool of choice. Anderson stated that he was initially drawn to the role because he "was intrigued by the idea of a TV hero who had an aversion to guns", noting his own aversion to violence and how the MacGyver character differed from popular action heroes of that time.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Anderson would go on to produce two follow-up movies to MacGyver in 1994.<ref name="hollywood"/> After MacGyver ended, Anderson stated "MacGyver was seven years of being in virtually every frame that was shot and having absolutely no life at all."<ref name=entertainmentww>Template:Cite news</ref>