Richard Herd death: Actor who played Mr Wilhelm on ‘Seinfeld’ dies aged 87

Herd portrayed George Costanza’s supervisor during his time as the assistant to the travelling secretary for the New York Yankees

(Sony Pictures Television)

Richard Herd, the actor who portrayed Mr Wilhelm on Seinfeld, has died aged 87.

Herd died on Tuesday of cancer-related causes at his home in Los Angeles, his wife Patricia Crowder Herd told The Hollywood Reporter.

In addition to Seinfeld, Herd appeared in well-known films such as All the President’s Men and The China Syndrome, and had credits in numerous TV shows.

Born in 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts, Herd began his career in the Seventies.

In the 1976 All the President’s Men, Alan J Pakula’s thriller based on the Watergate scandal (featuring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman), Herd portrayed one of the burglars at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

A few years later, Herd appeared as Evan McCormack in The China Syndrome (1979), also starring Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Douglas.

On Seinfeld, Herd played George Costanza’s (George Alexander) supervisor during Costanza’s time as assistant to the travelling secretary of the New York Yankees.

Herd was first featured in the sitcom in the 1995 episode “The Jimmy”.

He reprised the role a total of 11 times until the series finale in 1998.

Herd also appeared in three Star Trek programmes: The Next Generation (in which he portrayed L'Kor), Voyager, and Renegades (in which he played Admiral Owen Paris).

Throughout his career, Herd had many additional TV credits, on shows such as M*A*S*H, Dallas, ER, The OC, and Desperate Housewives.

In addition top his wife, Herd is survived by his daughter Erica, his son Rick, and his stepdaughter Alicia.