Actor Richard Dimitri Dies at 83

Richard Dimitri, the character actor known for his roles in the Mel Brooks sitcom When Things Were Rotten and films such as Johnny Dangerously and Let It Ride, died on December 18, 2025, in Los Angeles. He was 83.

Dimitri passed away with his wife of 26 years, Christianne Engs, by his side after a decades-long struggle with heart and lung illnesses, according to a family obituary. Born on June 27, 1942, in Yonkers, New York, to Assyrian immigrant parents, he was the youngest of two sons. His father, Jacob, left the family when Dimitri was a toddler, leaving him to be raised by his mother, Mary, and grandfather in a modest household.

Dimitri pursued acting from an early age, graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1962. His professional debut came the following year in an off-Broadway revival of The Immoralist, where he played Bashir. He soon advanced to Broadway, appearing in productions including Zorba and The Guide in 1968 and Lysistrata in 1972 opposite Melina Mercouri. In 1973, he began teaching acting at Queens College of the City University of New York, where he mentored students who remained in contact with him for years.