Richard Biggs

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Biggs graduated from Minot High School (Minot, ND). He attended the University of Southern California on scholarship, studying theatre.^[1] He briefly taught at a Los Angeles high school before landing his first major television role, that of Dr. Marcus Hunter on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.^[1]

Biggs was diagnosed with hearing problems when he was 13, and was partially deaf in one ear, completely deaf in the other.^[1] He frequently used his celebrity status to raise money for the Aliso Academy,^[2] a private school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California that serves deaf children.^[3][4]

From 1987 until 1994, Biggs played the role of Dr. Marcus Hunter on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.^[5][6]

He appeared as Dr. Stephen Franklin on the well-regarded science fiction series Babylon 5 (1994–1998), reprising the role in the final aired episode of the spin-off show, Crusade ("Each Night I Dream of Home").^[6]

After Babylon 5, he played roles on Any Day Now^[5][6] and Strong Medicine,^[6][7] as well as the recurring role of Clayton Boudreaux on the soap opera Guiding Light.^[6][7]

Biggs' stage credits include The Tempest, Cymbeline and The Taming of the Shrew.^[8]

At the time of his death, he was a regular on the television series Strong Medicine; following his death, his character was killed in an off-screen traffic accident.^[7][9] He also guest starred as a visiting scientist on Tremors: The Series.^[3] Biggs' final film appearance was in Special Report: Zombie Invasion, a short film also featuring Biggs' Babylon 5 co-star, Bruce Boxleitner, released as a companion piece to the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead on DVD.^[3] His final television appearance was as a guest star on a 2004 episode of the Nickelodeon series Drake & Josh, entitled "The Gary Grill" portraying an FBI agent, which was dedicated to his memory. He won one award in his career, for the Soap Opera Digest Award for Supporting Actor.^{[3][5][6][10]}

He grew up on Air Force bases across the United States because his father Colonel Richard Biggs was in the Air Force.

He married Lori Kay Gebers Biggs^[11] on August 1, 1998. They have two sons Richard James III and Hunter Lee.^[1][12]

Biggs collapsed at his home in Los Angeles, and died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center of complications stemming from aortic dissection on May 22, 2004.^[1] He was 44 years old.