Richard Beymer

Richard Beymer

George Richard Beymer Jr. was born on February 20, 1938 in Avoca, Iowa.

His Family moved to Los Angeles when he was 2 years old.

He started acting when he was 10 years old.

In 1957 he starred in Disney’s “Johnny Tremain.”

In 1959 he starred in George Stevens’ “The Diary of Anne Frank” as Peter Van Daan.

In 1961 he starred in “West Side Story” as Tony.

In 1962 he starred in “Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man.”

In 1962 he starred in “The Longest Day” as Pvt. Dutch Schultz.

In 1990-1991 and again in 2017 he starred in “Twin Peaks” as Ben Horne.

In 1964, he became involved in “The Freedom Summer” in Mississippi as a Volunteer building Freedom Schools, Freedom Houses, Libraries and Registering Blacks to Vote.

It was during the 10 week “Freedom Summer” that he witnessed:

1,062 People arrested (Out-of-State Volunteers and Locals)

80 Freedom Summer Workers beaten

37 Churches bombed or burned

30 Black Homes or Businesses bombed or burned

4 Civil Rights Workers killed

4 People critically wounded

3 Mississippi Blacks murdered

He later said of his experience in Mississippi: "You get tired of being a complainer, passive."

He filmed the Award-Winning Documentary “A Regular Bouquet: Mississippi Summer” in 1964, portraying the efforts of Volunteers registering Blacks to vote.

From 1973 to 1984 he was a Filmmaker.

In 2007 he wrote the book: “Impostor: Or Whatever Happened to Richard Beymer?”

At 86 years old he lives in Iowa (since 2010.)