Career
Anderson studied to become an actor at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and then at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, but later dropped out before he received his degree because he felt "listless". Right after his junior year in college, Anderson participated with friends in a cross-country bike ride from Minnesota to Alaska. He then moved to North Hollywood along with his friend Ricky V. and girlfriend Dianne, then to New York, then moved permanently to Los Angeles. At the start he worked as a whale handler in a marine mammal show, a musician in medieval dinner theater, and as a street mime and juggler. Anderson has stated that this period was "the happiest of my life" and has expressed an interest in teaching juggling, clowning and other circus arts to disadvantaged youths.
Anderson's first role was in the American soap opera, General Hospital as Dr. Jeff Webber from 1976 to 1981. 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, stealing away Celia Warren (Susan Dey), the wife of naval lawyer Jack Warren (Charles Frank). Anderson then played Tony Kaiser in the acclaimed TV movie Ordinary Heroes, which aired in 1986.
Read more about this topic: Richard Dean Anderson
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