Quick Facts
Biography
Ritch Brinkley (March 18, 1944 – November 5, 2015) was an American character actor best known for playing William in Beauty and the Beast who appeared in over 50 films and television programs from 1972 to 2002 in a film and television career that spanned three decades. He is best known for roles in films such as Cabin Boy (1994) and Breakdown (1997) and television shows such as Dolly and Murphy Brown.
He had small roles in such films as Rhinestone (1984), starring Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton and The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), starring Tom Hanks and guest starring roles in The Dukes of Hazzard, Hill Street Blues, Falcon Crest, Night Court, The Twilight Zone, Amazing Stories, Newhart, Walker, Texas Ranger, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. He also appeared in Thunder Alley and in 2 episodes of Twin Peaks as D.A. Daryl Lodwick. His final role was in Children on Their Birthdays (2002).
Death
Brinkley died on November 5, 2015, at age 71.