Richard Speight, Jr.
| Richard Speight, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Speight at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International | |
| Born |
Richard Speight, Jr. September 4, 1970 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, Director |
| Spouse(s) | Jaci Kathryn Hays (2003-present) |
| Website | Richard Speight, Jr. on Facebook |
Richard Speight, Jr. (born September 4, 1970) is an American actor, director, screenwriter and producer who is known for his role as Deputy Bill Koehler on the CBS TV series Jericho. He starred in the CBS series, The Agency, and the HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers. Speight played a recurring role, that of the Archangel Gabriel, originally thought to be a "Trickster" or Loki, in the WB/CW series Supernatural.
Personal life
Born September 4, 1970, Speight was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, the son of Barbara and Richard Speight. He has two older sisters, Barby and Lindy. Speight attended Montgomery Bell Academy and the University of Southern California's School of Theater, graduating cum laude. While at USC, he met and befriended writer and director Stephen Chbosky. Speight appeared in Chbosky’s senior showcase piece.. Years later, the two teamed up on the CBS series Jericho which Chbosky co-created.
On June 28, 2003, Speight married Jaci Kathryn Hays, a dot-com executive in California.
Career
Speight plays the guitar and bass.
Speight is a close friend of actor Rob Benedict. The two of them often appear at conventions in tandem. Together, they created the comedy series Kings of Con based on their experiences at conventions for Supernatural, a TV show in which they both were featured actors and beloved characters.
TV
Speight has starred in commercials for such brands as Got Milk?; IBM; Pepsi; and Disney. He has also directed several commercials for Pepsi as well as for other major brands.
Speight played Sgt. Warren "Skip" Muck in the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning World War II miniseries Band of Brothers, produced for HBO by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Speight appeared in several television series, such as The Agency; ER; Jericho; Party of Five and JAG. He had a recurring role on the drama Supernatural from 2007 to 2014, where he played 'The Trickster'/Loki (later revealed to be the Archangel Gabriel).
Speight has signed on to participate in the TV-Miniseries "To Appomattox" which is scheduled for production in 2015.
Film
Speight's earlier work included a role in the film, Ernest Goes to Camp; and a regular role on the NBC Saturday morning sitcom, Running the Halls. He had a brief appearance in the film, Thank You for Smoking, directed and written by fellow USC alumnus Jason Reitman. Speight appeared in Speed 2: Cruise Control and The Last Big Attraction. He had a starring role in Jason Reitman's short film, In God We Trust. His newer productions include "La Musica Provata", "The Week", "Mucho Dinero", "Brick Madness", "The Evil Gene", and "Bad, Bad Men".
Directing and writing
Speight wrote and directed the satirical social comedy America 101. The festival darling and award winning 10-minute short stars Band of Brothers veteran, Rick Gomez; and co-stars Amy Gumenick (a veteran of "Supernatural") and North Beach alumns Jayden Lund and Jim Hanna. The short feature is described thusly: “One man’s life becomes as the lesson of the day as he takes a frenetic ride through his personal vision of the American experience.”[1] It is now available on iTunes.
The success of "America 101" launched Speight into the world of commercial directing. He has helmed several spots for Pepsi among other national brands.
Previously, Speight co-directed and co-starred in the independent feature, North Beach. Speight is credited for writing additional dialogue during the filming of Open Water 2: Adrift, in which he co-starred.
Conventions
While he only appeared in five episodes of Supernatural, Speight's character is still a fan favorite, enabling him to stay in close contact with the current cast and crew through his steady attendance at fan conventions (including San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic-Con and the "Salute To Supernatural" conventions which are held annually in many cities across North America.
In a 2012 interview for "The Examiner", he said that Gabriel has been his favorite role, “bar none;” due to the duality and depth that the character offered.
As of May 2014, Speight's character has returned to Supernatural for one episode.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Ernest Goes to Camp | Brooks | |
| 1996 | Independence Day | Ed | Minor Role |
| 1997 | Menno's Mind | Kal | |
| 1997 | Speed 2: Cruise Control | 'C' Deck Officer | |
| 1999 | The Last Big Attraction | Christopher Canby | Short Film |
| 2000 | In God We Trust | Robert | Short Film |
| 2000 | Big Monster on Campus | Comic Book Salesman | Short Film |
| 2000 | North Beach | Pete | Co-Director |
| 2000 | Dave's Blind Date | Dave | Short Film |
| 2002 | Mr. Lucke | DJ Tom Bush | Voice |
| 2005 | Love For Rent | George | |
| 2005 | Thank You for Smoking | Trainee | |
| 2006 | Open Water 2: Adrift | James | Co-writer |
| 2011 | 3 Blind Saints | Sam | |
| 2011 | AppleBox | Bryan Watercress | |
| 2012 | Noobz | Jeff | |
| 2012 | Crave | Master Rupert |
Direction
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | North Beach | Co-Director Actor |
| 2013 | America 101 | Director Writer Executive Producer |
| 2015 | Supernatural | Director |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Kenny | 1 Episode |
| 1989 | Freddy's Nightmares | Oliver Michaels | 2 Episodes |
| 1990 | Elvis | Leon | 1 Episode |
| 1990 | China Beach | Grunt #2 | 1 Episode |
| 1990 | By Dawn's Early Light | SAC Guard | TV Movie |
| 1990 | Matlock | Delivery Boy | 1 Episode |
| 1993 | Running the Halls | Mark G. "The Shark" Stark | 13 episodes |
| 1995 | Amanda and the Alien | JoJo, Cafe Manager | Television film |
| 1995 | ER | Barinski | 1 Episode |
| 1996 | Party of Five | Miller West | 1 Episode |
| 1996 | Hypernauts | Alien Vendor | 1 Episode |
| 1997 | Built to Last | Stanley | 1 Episode |
| 1999 | JAG | Lt. Michael Gerter | 1 Episode |
| 1997 | L.A. Doctors | Carl | 1 Episode |
| 1999 | JAG | Warren Toobin | 1 Episode |
| 2001 | Band of Brothers | Sgt. Warren "Skip" Muck | 7 Episodes |
| 2001 | The Agency | Lex | 35 Episodes |
| 2005 | Alias | Derek Modell | 1 Episode |
| 2005 | CSI: Miami | Kevin Banks | 1 Episode |
| 2005 | Yes, Dear | Frank | 2 Episodes |
| 2005 | Into the West | Rupert Lang | 1 Episode |
| 2006-2008 | Jericho | Bill Koehler | 21 Episodes |
| 2007-2014 | Supernatural | Gabriel Loki Trickster |
5 Episodes: Tall Tales, Mystery Spot, Changing Channels, Hammer of the Gods, Meta Fiction |
| 2009 | Life | Dean Ellis | 1 Episode |
| 2010 | Memphis Beat | Donald | 1 Episode |
| 2010 | Look: The Series | Rapist | 3 Episodes |
| 2011-2012 | Justified | Jed Berwind | 4 Episodes |
| 2012 | Longmire | Vacationing Biker | 1 Episode |
| 2014 | CSI | Store Owner | 1 Episode |
References
External links
|