Richard was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a Welsh immigrant mother. His adoptive father was a native of Pittsburgh. He moved to Los Angeles with his family in the 1960s and he graduated from Lennox High School and earned his BA in Theatre Arts from California State University, Dominguez Hills. He moved his family to Grass Valley, California in 1979 and was active with the Foothill Theatre Company, a regional theatre in Nevada City. He returned to Los Angeles in 1991 to resume his acting career. He did over 70 skits on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992). He still maintains his northern California residence with his wife, Judy and their daughter, Alexis. Richard and Judy also have two sons, Matthew and Justin.