William Richert

William Richert was an American writer and director.

He came to Hollywood in the early '60s and landed a job as a press agent for ABC's The New Steve Allen Show, then worked on documentaries about presidents' daughters (it was never released), roller derby (1970's Derby) and two young lovers studying at the American Ballet School (1972's First Position).

Richert's résumé also included co-writing The Happy Hooker (1975), starring Lynn Redgrave as celebrity madam Xaviera Hollander, and a pair of Ivan Passer-directed films: Law and Disorder (1974), starring Carroll O'Connor and Ernest Borgnine, and Crime and Passion (1976), starring Omar Sharif and Karen Black.

When he was 19, Richert wrote a novel, Aren't You Even Gonna Kiss Me Goodbye?, which was published in 1966. He adapted his book for the '60s coming-of-age drama A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988).

Richert then portrayed Bob Pigeon, who mentored a gang of street kids and hustlers who live in an abandoned apartment building, alongside River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves in Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho (1991).

Richert also served as a writer, director and actor for The Face of Alexandre Dumas: The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) and acted in and directed an episode of the 1995 ABC series The Marshal, starring Jeff Fahey.

Richert died July 19, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. He was 80.