Richard Backus

Richard Backus is an American actor and television writer born on March 28, 1945, in Goffstown, New Hampshire. He attended Harvard University and has been married to Sharon Romeyko since January 27, 1985.

Backus made his Broadway debut at the Booth Theatre in the original production of Butterflies Are Free, which began in October 1969. He initially joined the production as understudy to Keir Dullea in the role of Don Baker, first stepping into the part in 1971 before eventually taking it over. He went on to appear in several additional Broadway productions through 1986, including Ah, Wilderness!, Camelot, Promenade, All!, and You Never Can Tell. His stage work earned him a Theatre World Award in 1972. Beyond Broadway, Backus performed at the American Shakespeare Theatre, the Ensemble Studio Theatre, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

His screen acting career includes the 1974 film Deathdream, in which he played Andy Brooks, and a role in The First Deadly Sin (1980) as Walt Ashman. On television, he portrayed the scheming but well-meaning Jason Saxton on Lovers and Friends and later replaced Eric Roberts in the role of Ted Bancroft on Another World. From 1980 through 1981, he played Barry Ryan on Ryan's Hope, a performance that earned him a nomination for the 1981 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series.

Backus has also pursued a career as a television screenwriter since at least 1989, contributing to As the World Turns, One Life to Live, and Days of Our Lives. His writing work on As the World Turns and One Life to Live each generated nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team, bringing his total Daytime Emmy nominations to five across acting and writing. The writing team for One Life to Live also received a nomination for the 2004 Writers Guild of America Award for Daytime Serials.