From Steve Cameron, posted May 26, 2022:
Richard Thomas Herd Jr. (September 26, 1932 – May 26, 2020)
"I first met Richard Herd and his lovely wife Patricia while dining at Izzy's Deli on Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, California.
The year was 2018. I was meeting my friend, actor Michael B. Silver to discuss a script about the John F. Kennedy assassination, that I had recently written with fellow screenwriter, Stephen Cyrus Sepher (best known for Heist, 2015, ). After my meeting ended with Michael, he left, and while I was still finishing my lunch I heard a man's voice to the left of me say: "I overheard some of what you were talking about, that you're making a movie about John Kennedy?" I turned to see who was talking to me, and it was the famous character actor, Richard Herd. And then he said: "You know, I've done a few movies myself. I just did one with Clint Eastwood, you might have heard of him. It's called The Mule (2018)." I was at a complete loss for words, because I recognized the man, but I could not recall his name. But then at that moment, I made the wrong connection that the man sitting next to me was another famous actor named Karl Malden. And I said to him: "Aren't you Karl Malden?" And Richard laughed and said: "No, I'm still alive, Karl Malden's been dead for ten years. My name is Richard Herd." Needless to say, I was quite embarrassed, and began to apologize. But Richard had a good sense of humor about it, and said I wasn't the first to confuse him with Malden.
At that point I introduced myself to Richard, and his beautiful wife Pat. They were having lunch together. We talked about some of the other things Richard worked on as an actor, such as one of his first big breaks in the film industry, All the President's Men (1976), as well as one of his more recent films Get Out (2017) from filmmaker Jordan Peele. Then we discussed Kennedy's presidency during the 1960s. Both Richard and Patricia were very fond of the former president, and were interested in what I was writing about. I told them about our script The Deputy (in development) and a new book I was writing that would later become The Deputy Interviews (both of which are centered around a tragic story about an unsung hero named Roger Dean Craig, who was a former Dallas deputy sheriff, and witness to the assassination of JFK in 1963, and exposed a vast conspiracy to kill the president).
The three of us sat eating and talking for about 20 minutes. We then exchanged phone numbers and emails. And then I asked them if it would be okay if I bought their lunch, because I still felt terrible for confusing Richard for Karl Malden. They didn't want me to, but I would not take no for answer, so they kindly acquiesced.
A few days later we began emailing each other, and talking on the phone. I sent Richard and Patricia The Deputy script to read since they were interested in the story, and at some point I asked Richard if I could interview him for my upcoming book The Deputy Interviews to discuss Hollywood, the script, and the Kennedy assassination.
What is heard in this three minute excerpt that I've uploaded to YouTube is some of what we talked about. This interview didn't make it in time for the 1st edition of The Deputy Interviews, but I plan to include it in the 2nd edition once it's ready for print, likely in the next couple of months.
Richard sadly passed away on May 26, 2020 from cancer. He was not only an incredible actor and artist, but he was also a very nice man, who went out of his way to help me, by sharing some of his experiences while working in the entertainment business, that spanned over a fifty year career.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have met Richard, as well as his wife Patricia, that day while dining at Izzy's Deli. May he rest in peace, and his memory live on for future generations through his work."
-Steve Cameron
