Richard De Angelis, 73; Actor Best Known for HBO Series ‘The Wire’
Richard De Angelis, 73, an actor best known for his role as Baltimore Police Maj. Raymond Foerster in the HBO series “The Wire,” died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at his home in Silver Spring, Md.
De Angelis also appeared as a hot dog vendor in the 1989 motion picture “Chances Are,” as a witness in the 2000 film “Homicide: The Movie” and had larger roles in the John Waters films “Cecil B. Demented” in 2000 and “A Dirty Shame” in 2004. He did television and radio commercials and print advertisements, and, under the name Ricky Roach, performed stand-up comedy for several years.
A native of Boston, De Angelis served in the Navy during the Korean War and worked as an accountant for 14 years. At 38, he markedly changed his life -- giving up smoking, becoming a vegetarian and enrolling in acting school. In 1983, he earned a master’s degree in theater arts from the University of Maryland.
De Angelis taught communications at community colleges from 1981 to 2000 and later volunteered in a children’s literacy program. He participated in animal rights marches on Washington, D.C., in 1990 and 1996.
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