Richard Simmons (August 19, 1913 – January 11, 2003) was an American actor.
Early life
Simmons was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and his family later moved across the Mississippi River to Minneapolis. There, he attended West Side High School and then the University of Minnesota, where he studied drama. Simmons was a professional pilot.
Career
While attending the university, Simmons competed in fencing and swimming, and also acted in a few theater productions. Simmons left the Twin Cities in the 1930s to launch his film acting career in 1937. He soon became an MGM contract player. Many of his minor movie roles went uncredited through the 1940s. One even included his portrayal of a Mountie in King of the Royal Mounted produced by Republic Pictures.
Starting in 1943, he began appearing in credited roles, beginning with his appearance in The Youngest Profession, starring Virginia Weidler. From 1943 through 1949, he appeared in 17 films, of which 10 listed him in the credits.
Simmons interrupted his film career to serve as a flight officer pilot with the Air Transport Command in World War II.