Richard Allen Dysart (March 30, 1929 – April 5, 2015) was an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Leland McKenzie on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law.
Richard Dysart was born to Alice (née Hennigar) and Douglas Dysart, a podiatrist, near Boston, Massachusetts on March 30, 1929. Dysart was raised in Skowhegan, Maine and Augusta, Maine. He attended Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine. At the encouragement of his mother, Dysart performed in summer stock at the Lakewood Theater near Skowhegan. He also worked at a local radio station.