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last mo.

Richard Dimitri, Character Actor in 'When Things Were Rotten' and 'Johnny Dangerously,' Dies at 83

The family cites decades of heart and lung illness, with memorial gifts directed to a congenital heart disease foundation.

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(L-R) Dick Butkus, Maureen Stapleton, Richard Dimitri, Glynis O'Connor, and Griffin Dunne attend a party, celebrating production of "Johnny Dangerously," at the 20th Century-Fox lot on August 26, 1983. (Photo by Alexandra Milovanovich/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Dimitri died Dec. 18 in Los Angeles at 83, his family said, with his wife of 26 years, Christianne Engs, at his side.
  • He broke out as twin characters on Mel Brooks’ 1975 ABC satire When Things Were Rotten, which ran for 13 episodes.
  • His film work included Johnny Dangerously (1984) and Let It Ride (1989), alongside frequent TV guest roles such as Starsky & Hutch and Hawaii Five-O.
  • He co-created Fox’s Daddy Dearest and wrote for network comedies including House Calls and Going Bananas after an early career on Off-Broadway and Broadway.
  • Retiring from entertainment in 1998 due to chronic conditions, he later ran the Engs-Dimitri Works of Art gallery; a private interment is set for Jan. 15 with donations requested to The John Dimitri Research Foundation for Congenital Heart Disease.