Edward Herrmann

Edward Herrmann
Herrmann in Richard Goodwin's play Two Men of Florence in 2009
Born	Edward Kirk Herrmann (1943-07-21)July 21, 1943 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	December 31, 2014(2014-12-31) (aged 71) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Brain cancer
Other names	Edward Kirk Herrmann Ed Kirk Herrmann Edward Herman Ed Kirk Herman Edward Kirk Herman Edward Hermann Ed Hermann Edward Herrmann
Occupation	Actor, director, writer, comedian
Years active	1971–2014
Spouse(s)	Leigh Curran (1978–1986) Star Hayner (1993–2014)
Children	3

Edward Kirk Herrmann (July 21, 1943 – December 31, 2014) was an American actor, director, writer, and comedian, best known for his portrayals of Franklin D. Roosevelt on television, Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, a ubiquitous narrator for historical programs on The History Channel and in such PBS productions as Nova, and as a spokesman for Dodge automobiles in the 1990s.

Edward Kirk Herrmann was born on July 21, 1943, in Washington, D.C., the son of Jean Eleanor (née O'Connor) and John Anthony Herrmann. Of German and Irish descent, Herrmann grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and graduated from Bucknell University in 1965, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. He studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art on a Fulbright Fellowship.

Herrmann began his career in theatre. One of the first professional productions he appeared in was the U.S. premiere of Michael Weller's Moonchildren at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., in November 1971. He moved with the show to New York City to make his Broadway debut the following year. Herrmann returned to Broadway in 1976 to portray Frank Gardner in the revival of Mrs. Warren's Profession. For his performance he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

In 1988-89, Herrmann starred with Alec Guinness in the London West End production of A Walk in the Woods. The play debuted at the Comedy Theater in November 1988, and was directed by Ronald Eyre. As the New York Times reported, "Mr. Guinness and Mr. Herrmann share the stage uninterrupted for some two hours. The fictional play is rooted in the real-life relationship between a Soviet diplomat and an American negotiator who broke protocol in 1982 and made a private limited arms control deal while taking a stroll in a forest outside Geneva."