Alan Rachins
Alan Rachins
Dharma & Greg, L.A. Law
Second Chance! This doodle, originally auctioned in 2010, was generously re-donated by the winner.
Alan Rachins is probably best known for his role as Douglas Brackman in L.A. LAW which earned him both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, and his portrayal of Larry (Dharma's hippie father) on the television series DHARMA & GREG.
Born in Boston, Rachins pursued a rigorous academic schedule at the Wharton School of Finance. He always had a passion for acting and decided to move to New York to study with teachers William Ball, Warren Robertson, Kim Stanley and Harvey Lembeck, among others. Over the next decade, he performed in a succession of plays, including the original Broadway productions of AFTER THE RAIN and HADRIAN THE SEVENTH as well as the original off-Broadway productions of THE TROJAN WOMEN and the outrageous and controversial OH! CALCUTTA.
In 1972, Rachins put his acting career on hold when he was accepted as a fellow in the writing and directing programs at the American Film Institute. He went on to sell scripts to a variety of shows, including HILL STREET BLUES, FALL GUY, HART TO HART, and KNIGHT RIDER. He also directed an episode of PARIS with James Earl Jones, as well as an Equity waiver play. Alan’s HILL STREET BLUES episode won an Emmy that season for the talented actress Barbara Babcock.
Despite his burgeoning successes as a writer and director, Rachins returned to his acting career with a leading role in Henry Jaglom’s independent film, ALWAYS. This critically acclaimed film brought him wide-spread attention and ultimately led to his role on L.A.LAW.
Alan continued to work in feature films such as HEART CONDITION co-starring with Denzel Washington and Bob Hoskins, Paul Verhoven’s SHOWGIRLS, Rob Reiner’s NORTH, MEET WALLY SPARKS, STARQUEST, LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, and the independent feature, TAKEN.
His television credits also include: GREY'S ANATOMY, GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE MIDDLE, MOM, THE CRAZY ONES, RIZZOLI & ISLES, GOOD LUCK CHARLIE, HAPPY ENDINGS, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, and ELI STONE.
Rachins has participated in both DC and Marvel productions, having appeared on LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, been the voice of Temple Fugate/The Clock King in the DC animated universe, and the voice of Norman Osborne on THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN.
Rachins and actress Joanna Frank have been married since 1978 and have a son, Robert. The couple has formed the production company Allofit Productions which has acquired books and original screenplays to develop for television and feature films.
Alan Rachins at the Internet Movie Database