# Richard Libertini has died **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849 "2016-01-11T21:05:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/1 "2016-01-11T21:05:28Z")
Character actor Richard Libertini has passed away, according to [The Hollywood Reporter](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-libertini-dead-laws-actor-853847). You may not know the name, but if you watched TV or movies at all in the 1970s and 80s, you will surely recognize his face. He was one of those actors who seemed to show up everywhere, and almost always delivered a funny, engaging performance. I know it’s the age that I’m at now, but a lot of people I’ve known since childhood seem to be passing on recently. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/2 "2016-01-11T21:07:36Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > Character actor Richard Libertini has passed away, according to [The Hollywood Reporter](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-libertini-dead-laws-actor-853847). > > You may not know the name, but if you watched TV or movies at all in the 1970s and 80s, you will surely recognize his face. He was in THE IN-LAWS, which last I checked meant he could do no wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/3 "2016-01-11T21:16:52Z")
I remember him as Fletch’s boss and also as the goofy mystic in All Of Me. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/4 "2016-01-11T21:21:57Z")
I was a big fan. He was absolutely perfect as George W. Geezil in Altman’s _[Popeye](http://media.baselineresearch.com/images/89429/89429_full.jpg)_. [Geezil](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/popeye/images/d/db/George_Dubya_Geezil.gif/revision/latest?cb=20150722025440) was a major character in the comic strip (as Wimpy’s foil), but never made it to the cartoon version. But Libertini was perfect visually. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/5 "2016-01-11T21:34:13Z")
I didn’t recognize his name but I recognized his face instantly, and it brought a smile to mine. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/6 "2016-01-11T21:35:33Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I remember him as Fletch’s boss and also as the goofy mystic in All Of Me. Feex bowl, backy bowl! ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/7 "2016-01-11T21:56:49Z")
I’m going to have to garnish your wages! ETA: We still say “backy bowl? Backy bowl?” around the house at least once a month. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/8 "2016-01-11T22:07:05Z")
Definitely a well known face. He was in everything on TV and in the movies. He was a special kind of guy, you knew when you saw him he wasn’t playing an ordinary person. There’s gonna be a great concert in Heaven tonight Richard, you picked a good day to go. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/9 "2016-01-11T23:47:00Z")
Remember him in “Going Berzerk” with John Candy. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/10 "2016-01-12T02:43:57Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I didn’t recognize his name but I recognized his face instantly, and it brought a smile to mine. Ditto on the first part, but instead of a smile I went, “Oohhh, HIM!” in a sad tone. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/11 "2016-01-12T07:01:19Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I remember him as Fletch’s boss and also as the goofy mystic in All Of Me. I remember him from so many things, but he will always be Prakah Lahka from Steve Martin’s _All of Me_. [_“Back in bowl! Back in bowl!”_](https://youtu.be/eI8o5C5l9J8?t=41) That and him confusing the phone and the toilet and constantly flushing it while going _“Brrrringggg! Brrrringggg!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/richard-libertini-has-died/742849/12 "2016-01-13T02:34:03Z")
Awwwwww man. :mad: He was one of my favorite character actors, right up there with Harry Dean Stanton and Keith David.