Richard Fancy

Richard Ronald Fancy, born August 2, 1943, in Evanston, Illinois, is an American actor and comedian. He is the son of Raymond Chester Fancy, a salesman, and a mother who worked as a radio performer. Fancy takes his first name from his paternal grandmother, Magdelene Richard. He is married to Joanna Fass, and the couple has two children.

Fancy's stage career brought him to Broadway between 1978 and 1985, where his credits included the musical Singin' in the Rain and the play The Crucifer of Blood. His work in theater preceded a lengthy career in film and television that would earn him recognition across a wide range of productions.

On television, Fancy became widely known for his recurring role as Mr. Lippman, the publishing employer of Elaine Benes, on Seinfeld. He appeared as network executive Mr. Stravely during the third and fourth seasons of It's Garry Shandling's Show, and portrayed Kevin Arnold's high school principal, Dr. Valenti, across the fourth and fifth seasons of The Wonder Years. He took on the role of mob financier Bernie Abrahms on General Hospital from 2006 to 2012, and also played the character's brother, Bennie, on the same series from 1997 to 2003. In late 2005, he made two appearances on Boston Legal as a crooked Catholic priest. He also appeared in the Sliders episode "Please Press One" as Sector Control.

Fancy's work extended into the Star Trek franchise, where he played Captain Satelk in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The First Duty" and portrayed an alien ancestor of Commander Chakotay in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Tattoo." Among his film credits are Oliver Stone's Nixon (1995), What About Bob? (1991), in which he plays a priest, and Primal Force (1999). He has also gained recognition for portraying High Priest Caiaphas in The Chosen.