Edward Herrmann was an American actor of the stage and screen.
He was most known for his performances as Franklin D. Roosevelt in the limited series Eleanor and Franklin (1976), and Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years (1977) and as Richard Gilmore in Amy Sherman-Palladino's comedy-drama series Gilmore Girls (2000–2007).
Herrmann started his career working in theatre on Broadway in 1972 with his debut in Moonchildren alongside James Woods. He received two Tony Award nominations winning for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Mrs. Warren's Profession in 1976. For his work on television, Herrmann received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations winning for his performance in The Practice in 1999. He also received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination with the ensemble for Oliver Stone's Nixon (1995). Herrmann became known as a character actor having appeared in various films such as Warren Beatty's Reds (1981), Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Garry Marshall's Overboard (1987), Martin Scorsese's The Aviator (2004) and Chris Rock's I Think I Love My Wife (2007). He is also known for his guest performances in television M*A*S*H, Law & Order, and The Good Wife.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes1971Lady LibertyPolicemanUncredited1973The Paper ChaseThomas Craig AndersonThe Day of the DolphinMike1974The Great GatsbyKlipspringer1975The Great Waldo PepperEzra Stiles1978The BetsyDan WeymanBrass TargetColonel Walter Gilchrist1979Take DownEd BranishThe North Avenue IrregularsReverend Michael Hill1981Harry's WarHarry JohnsonRedsMax Eastman1982Death ValleyPaul StantonA Little SexTommy DonovanAnniePresident Franklin D. Roosevelt1984Mrs. SoffelWarden Peter Soffel1985The Purple Rose of CairoHenryThe Man with One Red ShoeBrownCompromising PositionsBob Singer1987The Lost BoysMaxOverboardGrant Stayton III1988Big BusinessGraham Sherbourne1992HeroMr. BroadmanUncredited1993Born YesterdayEd DeveryMy Boyfriend's BackMr. Dingle1994Foreign StudentZachary "Zach" GilmoreRichie RichRichard Rich Sr.1995NixonNelson Rockefeller1997Critical CareRobert Payne1998Better LivingJack1999Walking Across EgyptReverend Vernon2001Double TakeCharles AllsworthDownMatthew MilliganThe Cat's MeowWilliam Randolph Hearst2002The Emperor's ClubHeadmaster Woodbridge2003Intolerable CrueltyRex Rexroth2004Welcome to MooseportAvery HightowerUncreditedBereftLloydThe AviatorJoseph Breen2005Ape to ManThe NarratorDocumentary2006Relative StrangersDoug ClaytonWedding DazeLyleFactory GirlJames Townsend2007I Think I Love My WifeMr. Landis2009The SkepticDr. ShepardThe Six Wives of Henry LefayGoodenough2010The Surge: The Untold StoryThe NarratorDocumentary short2011Son of MorningThomasBucky Larson: Born to Be a StarJeremiah LarsonRedemption: For Robbing the DeadGovernor Dawson2012Price CheckJack BenningtonTreasure BuddiesPhilip WellingtonChristmas OrangesMr. CramptonHeaven's DoorNate ChristensenEnduring LegacyCharles Francis AdamsVoice, Short2013Are You HereDr. VincentThe Wolf of Wall StreetStratton Oakmont CommercialVoice2014The Town That Dreaded SundownReverend Joe Cartwright2015Coach of the YearBill FordReleased posthumously
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1975Beacon HillRichard Palmer11 episodesValley ForgeFolsomTelevision film1976Eleanor and FranklinFranklin D. Roosevelt (age 20–50)TV miniseries; 2 episodes1977Eleanor and Franklin: The White House YearsTelevision filmA Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig StoryLou Gehrig1979Portrait of a StripperFrank AndrewsFreedom RoadStephen Holms3 by CheeverKip LawtonTV miniseries 2 episodes1980M*A*S*HCaptain Steven J. NewsomeEpisode: "Heal Thyself"1981The Private History of a Campaign That FailedThe StrangerTelevision filmDear LiarGeorge Bernard Shaw1982The Electric GrandmotherFatherThe Gift of LifeDr. Quinn1983Freedom to SpeakReaderTV miniseries; 4 episodesMemorial DayNed LarwinTelevision film1984–1986St. ElsewhereFather Joseph McCabe4 episodes1984–1991American PlayhouseAlger Hiss English ProfessorEpisodes: "Concealed Enemies" (4) "The End of a Sentence"1986MurrowFred FriendlyTelevision film1987–1989The Lawrenceville StoriesThe HeadmasterTV miniseries; 3 episodes1987Alfred Hitchcock PresentsDr. Maxwell Stoddard / LittonEpisode: "The Mole"1988HothouseWoodsEpisode: "The Actress"1990So Proudly We HailJames WagnerTelevision film1991The General Motors Playwrights TheaterBen CunninghamEpisode: "The Last Act Is a Solo"Sweet PoisonHenryTelevision filmFire in the DarkRobert1993A Foreign FieldRalph1994Don't Drink the WaterMr. Kilroy1995The Face on the Milk CartonFrank JessmonHere Come the MunstersHerman MunsterWingsY.M. BurgEpisode: "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wrong"1995–2009Law & OrderDrew Seely Mr. Mosbeck Frederic Matson3 episodes1996Soul of the GameBranch RickeyTelevision filmA Season in PurgatoryDr. ShugrueTV miniseries; 2 episodesWhat Love SeesMorton TreadwayTelevision filmHomicide: Life on the StreetThomas PandolfiEpisode: "M.E., Myself and I"Doomsday VirusPresidentTV miniseries; 2 episodes1997–2001The PracticeAnderson Pearson10 episodes1997BiographyThe NarratorEpisode: "F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great American Dreamer"Liberty! The American RevolutionTV miniseries; 6 episodesThe FiftiesTV miniseries documentary; 7 episodes1998Frank Lloyd WrightDocumentary television filmSaint MaybeDoug BedloeTelevision film1998–2000NovaThe NarratorDocumentary series 7 episodes1999Atomic TrainPresident FellwickTV miniseries; 2 episodesVendettaDistrict Attorney LuzenbergTelevision filmThe Korean War: Fire and IceThe NarratorTV miniseries documentaryNiagara: A History of the FallsDocumentary television film1999–2002Save Our HistoryHost / The NarratorDocumentary series; 4 episodes1999–2005History's Lost & FoundThe NarratorDocumentary series; 65 episodes2000Horror in the EastDocumentary television filmBattle History of the U.S. Navy TV miniseries documentary; 4 episodesFounding Fathers2000–2003OzHarrison Beecher6 episodes2000–2007Gilmore GirlsRichard Gilmore86 episodes2001James DeanRaymond MasseyTelevision filmIn Search of ChristmasHost / The Narrator2002Antarctica: A Frozen HistoryThe NarratorDocumentary television filmFounding Brothers First MothersThe World Trade Center: Rise and Fall of an American IconRise and Fall of the Spartans TV miniseries; 4 episodes2003The Louisiana PurchaseDocumentary television filmCrossing JordanCaptain Thomas MaldenEpisode: "Pandora's Trunk: Part 2"Teddy Roosevelt: An American Lion The NarratorDocumentary television filmModern Marvels Documentary series Episode: "4x4"Mavericks, Miracles and MedicineTV miniseries documentary 4 episodesRussia, Land of the TsarsNostradamus: 500 Years LaterDocumentary television filmThe Day They DiedThe SamuraiStalin: Man of Steel2004Isaac's StormFirst Invasion: The War of 1812Countdown to Armageddon2005Beyond the Da Vinci CodeThe PresidentsDocumentary series 8 episodesThe French RevolutionDocumentary television filmFDR: A Presidency Revealed Giganto: The Real King KongDecoding the PastEpisode: "Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle"Tom Goes to the MayorBenjamin Kaplan (voice)Episode: "Porcelain Birds"The Templar Code: Crusade of SecrecyThe NarratorDocumentary television filmUFO FilesEpisode: "Beyond the War of the Worlds"Bible BattlesTelevision special documentary2006The Ten CommandmentsTV miniseries 2 episodesTitanic's Final Moments: Missing PiecesDocumentary television filmViolent Earth: New England's Killer HurricaneMayan Doomsday ProphecyDesperate Crossing: The True Story of the MayflowerEighty Acres of Hell2007Banned from the Bible IIThe States10 episodesTitanic's Achilles HeelDocumentary television filmThe RevolutionDocumentary series 4 episodesColumbus: The Lost VoyageDocumentary television filmGrey's AnatomyDr. Norman Shales3 episodesAndrew JacksonThe NarratorDocumentary television filmHow the Earth Was MadeDocumentary television special200830 RockWalterEpisode: "210"2009Hatching PetePrincipal Fred DalyTelevision film2010Hold at All Costs: The Story of the Battle of Outpost HarryThe NarratorDocumentary television film2010–2013The Good WifeLionel Deerfield6 episodes2011Better with YouJudgeEpisode: "Better with the Baby"A Christmas WishLes McCallumTelevision filmDrop Dead DivaReverend PhillipsEpisode: "Ah, Men"The Christmas PageantGarrett ClarkTelevision filmWonder WomanSenator WarrenUnaired television pilot2012Harry's LawJudge Lester Babcock3 episodes2012–2016American Dad!Old Man / Councilman Voice; 2 episodes2013CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationMr. VogelEpisode: "In Vino Veritas"How I Met Your MotherReverend LowellEpisode: "Knight Vision"2014Black BoxDr. Reynaud2 episodesThe Roosevelts: An Intimate HistoryFranklin D. Roosevelt (voice)7 episodes2015PerceptionJack PierceEpisode: "Brainstorm"Cancer: The Emperor of All MaladiesThe Narrator3 episodes
Theatre YearTitleRoleVenue Ref. 1972 Moonchildren Performer Royale Theatre, Broadway1976 Mrs. Warren's Profession Frank Gardner Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway1980 The Philadelphia Story Macaulay Connor1983 Plenty Raymond Brock Plymouth Theatre, Broadway1988A Walk in the WoodsJohn HoneymanComedy Theatre, West End1989 Love Letters Andrew Makepiece Ladd II Edison Theatre, Broadway1997Psychopathia SexualisDr. BlockManhattan Theatre Club, Off-Broadway1998 The Deep Blue Sea William Collyer Criterion Center Stage, Broadway
Video games YearTitleRoleNotes2004Men of ValorNarrator
References