Quick Facts
Biography
Richard James "Rick" Biggs II (March 18, 1960 – May 22, 2004) was an American television and stage actor, best known for his roles on the television series Days of Our Lives and Babylon 5.
Early life
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Biggs attended the University of Southern California on scholarship, studying theatre. He briefly taught at a Los Angeles high school before landing his first major television role, that of Dr. Marcus Hunter on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.
Biggs was diagnosed with hearing problems when he was 13, and was partially deaf in one ear, completely deaf in the other. He frequently used his celebrity status to raise money for the Aliso Academy, a private school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California that serves deaf children.
Career
From 1987 until 1994, Biggs played the role of Dr. Marcus Hunter on the soap opera Days of Our Lives
He appeared as Dr. Stephen Franklin on the hit science fiction series Babylon 5 (1994–1998), reprising the role in the final aired episode of the spin-off show, Crusade ("Each Night I Dream of Home").
After Babylon 5, he played roles on Any Day Now and Strong Medicine, as well as the recurring role of Clayton Boudreaux on the soap opera Guiding Light.
Biggs' stage credits include The Tempest, Cymbeline and The Taming of the Shrew.
At the time of his death, he was a regular on the television series Strong Medicine; following his death, his character was killed in an unseen traffic accident. Biggs' final film appearance was in We Interrupt This Program, a short film released as a companion piece to the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead on DVD. (In that short film, Biggs' Babylon 5 costar, Bruce Boxleitner, is heard as the voice of the President of the United States.) He was also frequently guest starring on Tremors: The Series as a local scientist. An episode of the Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh, entitled "The Gary Grill", in which Biggs appeared as a guest star (with Gary Coleman), was dedicated in his memory on October 17, 2004 and was also his final television appearance.
Personal life
He married Lori Gebers on August 1, 1998. They had two children, Richard James III and Hunter Lee.
Death
Biggs collapsed at his home in Los Angeles, and died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center of complications stemming from aortic dissection on May 22, 2004.