Richard Lineback

A supporting player who has met a foul fate in more than one film, actor Richard Lineback has acted extensively in screen and stage productions. Born in Germany, he moved with his family to Austin as a teen. Moving to Los Angeles after college, he joined the Colony Theatre Company in Burbank, performing in numerous productions, including "The Grapes of Wrath," in which he played the lead. In the late '70s, he began making his way into TV series, and followed with a feature debut in 1980's "Joni," about a girl's spiritual struggle with paralysis. He made frequent guest appearances in a variety of popular shows including the quirky "Max Headroom" and the cop drama "Hunter." In the '90s, an increasing number of film parts came his way, some more memorable for the characters' causes of death than for the roles themselves: he was a victim of Woody Harrelson's murderous rampage in "Natural Born Killers" and was wiped out by a tornado in "Twister." Lineback found greater recognition for his stage work, including a critically praised turn in "Baby Dance," a play about infertility and adoption, for which he reprised his role in a TV movie adaptation.