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Edward Herrmann
ACTOR

Edward Herrmann

Known for Grey's Anatomy · How I Met Your Mother · American Dad!

Edward Kirk Herrmann (July 21, 1943 – December 31, 2014) in Washington, D.C., was an American television and film actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayals of Franklin D. Roosevelt on television, to younger generations for his role as Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, as a ubiquitous narrator for historical programs on the History Channel, and as the spokesperson for Dodge automobiles in the 1990s.

Snapshot 2026-10-15

Born
Jul 21, 1943
Died
Dec 31, 2014
Birthplace
Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Known For
Acting

Biography

Edward Kirk Herrmann (July 21, 1943 – December 31, 2014) in Washington, D.C., was an American television and film actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayals of Franklin D. Roosevelt on television, to younger generations for his role as Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, as a ubiquitous narrator for historical programs on the History Channel, and as the spokesperson for Dodge automobiles in the 1990s.

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Known For

TVGrey's Anatomy
Grey's AnatomyNorman Shales · 2005
★ 8.2
TVHow I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your MotherReverend Lowell · 2005
★ 8.1
TVAmerican Dad!
American Dad!Councilman (voice) · 2005
★ 7.0
TVCSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationMr. Vogel · 2000
★ 7.6
TVGilmore Girls
Gilmore GirlsRichard Gilmore · 2000
★ 7.9
TV30 Rock
30 RockWalter · 2006
★ 7.5
TVM*A*S*H
M*A*S*H1 eps · 1972
★ 7.9
TVLaw & Order
Law & OrderFrederic Matson · 1990
★ 7.3

Filmography

Movies

Lady LibertyPoliceman (uncredited)
1971
The Day of the DolphinMike
1973
The Paper ChaseThomas Craig Anderson
1973
The Great GatsbyKlipspringer
1974
The Great Waldo PepperEzra Stiles
1975
Valley ForgeFolsom
1975
EA
Eleanor and Franklin: The White House YearsFranklin D. Roosevelt
1977
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig StoryLou Gehrig
1978
Brass TargetCol. Walter Gilchrist
1978
The BetsyDan Weyman
1978
Freedom RoadStephen Holmes
1979
O Youth and Beauty!Kip Lawton
1979
Portrait of a StripperFrank Andrews
1979
Take DownEd Branish
1979
The North Avenue IrregularsMichael Hill
1979
The Sorrows of GinKip Lawton
1979
DL
Dear LiarGeorge Bernard Shaw
1981
Harry's WarHarry Johnson
1981
RedsMax Eastman
1981
The Private History of a Campaign That FailedThe Stranger
1981
A Little SexTommy
1982
AnnieFDR
1982
Death ValleyPaul Stanton
1982
The Electric GrandmotherFather
1982
The Gift of LifeDr. Quinn
1982
MD
Memorial DayNed Larwin
1983
Mrs. SoffelWarden Peter Soffel
1984
Compromising PositionsBob Singer
1985
The Man with One Red ShoeBrown
1985
The Purple Rose of CairoHenry
1985
MurrowFred Friendly
1986
OverboardGrant Stayton III
1987
The Lost BoysMax
1987
Big BusinessGraham Sherbourne
1988
Night of 100 Stars IIISelf
1990
So Proudly We HailJames Wagner
1990
Fire in the DarkRobert
1991
Sweet PoisonHenry
1991
HeroMr. Broadman - Man Committing Suicide
1992
A Foreign FieldRalph
1993
Born YesterdayEd Deverey
1993
My Boyfriend's BackMr. Dingle
1993
Don't Drink the WaterMr. Kilroy
1994
Foreign StudentZachary 'Zach' Gilmore
1994
Ri¢hie Ri¢hMr. Rich
1994
Here Come the MunstersHerman Munster
1995
NixonNelson Rockefeller
1995
The Face on the Milk CartonFrank Jessmon
1995
Soul of the GameBranch Rickey
1996
What Love SeesMorton Treadway
1996
Critical CareRobert Payne
1997
Better LivingJack
1998
Saint MaybeDoug Bedloe
1998
Niagara: A History of the FallsNarrator
1999
Niagara: A History of the FallsPresenter
1999
Norman Rockwell: Painting AmericaNarrator
1999
VendettaD.A. Luzenberg
1999
Walking Across EgyptReverend Vernon
1999
Double TakeCharles Allsworth
2001
DownMilligan
2001
In Search of ChristmasNarrator
2001
James DeanRaymond Massey
2001
TF
The Face: Jesus in ArtNarrator (voice)
2001
Antarctica: A Frozen HistoryNarrator
2002
Dinosaur Secrets RevealedNarrator (voice)
2002
It Ain't As Easy As It Looks... (...a.k.a. the Making of 'The Cat's Meow')Self
2002
The Cat's MeowW. R. Hearst
2002
The Emperor's ClubHeadmaster Woodbridge
2002
Intolerable CrueltyRex Rexroth
2003
Russia, Land of the TsarsNarrator
2003
Stalin: Man of SteelNarrator (voice)
2003
Teddy Roosevelt: An American LionNarrator
2003
The Louisiana PurchaseNarrator
2003
TS
The Samuraiself (voice)
2003
BereftLloyd
2004
First Invasion: The War of 1812Narrator
2004
Isaac's StormNarrator
2004
The AviatorJoseph Breen
2004
Welcome to MooseportAvery Hightower Debate Moderator (uncredited)
2004
Ape to ManNarrator
2005
Bible BattlesNarrator (voice)
2005
FA
FDR: A Presidency RevealedNarrator
2005
The French RevolutionNarrator
2005
The Templar Code: Crusade of SecrecyNarrator
2005
Decoding the Past: Secrets of the KoranNarrator
2006
Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the MayflowerSelf - Narrator (voice)
2006
Factory GirlJames Townsend
2006
Relative StrangersDoug Clayton
2006
Titanic's Final Moments: Missing PiecesNarrator (voice)
2006
Wedding DazeLyle
2006
Witness to 'Reds'Self
2006
Andrew JacksonNarrator
2007
Banned from the Bible IINarrator
2007
Columbus The Lost VoyageNarrator
2007
I Think I Love My WifeMr. Landis
2007
Sherman's MarchNarrator
2007
Titanic's Achilles HeelNarrator
2007
Hatching PeteThe Principal
2009
Morristown: Where America SurvivedNarrator
2009
Ring Christmas BellsSelf
2009
The Six Wives of Henry LefayJohn Goodenough
2009
The SkepticShepard
2009
A Christmas WishLes McCallum
2011
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a StarJeremiah Larson
2011
Redemption: For Robbing the DeadGovernor Dawson
2011
Son of MorningThomas
2011
The Christmas PageantGarrett Clark
2011
Christmas OrangesMr. Crampton
2012
Heaven's DoorNate Christensen
2012
Price CheckJack Bennington
2012
Treasure BuddiesPhilip Wellington
2012
Are You HereDr. Vincent
2013
The Wolf of Wall StreetStratton Oakmont Commercial (voice)
2013
The Town that Dreaded SundownReverend Cartwright
2014
Coach of the YearBill Ford
2016

Television

Hallmark Hall of FameFolsom · 1 eps
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame1 eps
1951
Hallmark Hall of FameDoug Bedloe · 1 eps
1951
Great PerformancesSelf · 1 eps
1971
M*A*S*H1 eps
1972
Beacon HillRichard Palmer · 11 eps
1975
Eleanor and FranklinFranklin Delano Roosevelt, Age 20-50 · 2 eps
1976
American PlayhouseAlger Hiss · 4 eps
1982
American PlayhouseThe Headmaster · 3 eps
1982
American PlayhouseProfessor · 1 eps
1982
NatureNarrator (voice) · 1 eps
1982
St. ElsewhereFather Joseph McCabe · 4 eps
1982
The New Alfred Hitchcock PresentsDr. Maxwell Stoddard / Litton · 1 eps
1985
The Lawrenceville StoriesHeadmaster · 3 eps
1987
HothouseWoods · 1 eps
1988
Screen OneRalph · 1 eps
1989
Law & OrderFrederic Matson · 1 eps
1990
Law & OrderDrew Seeley · 1 eps
1990
Law & OrderDefense Attorney Mosbeck · 1 eps
1990
WingsY.M. Burg · 1 eps
1990
TG
The General Motors Playwrights TheaterBen Cunningham · 1 eps
1991
Homicide: Life on the StreetThomas Pandolfi · 1 eps
1993
Thomas Jefferson: A View from the MountainThomas Jefferson (voice) · 2 eps
1995
A Season in PurgatoryDr. Shugrue · 2 eps
1996
Pandora's ClockPresident · 2 eps
1996
Liberty!Narrator · 6 eps
1997
The PracticeAnderson Pearson · 10 eps
1997
Frank Lloyd WrightSelf - Narrator (voice) · 2 eps
1998
Atomic TrainThe President · 2 eps
1999
The Korean War: Fire and IceNarrator · 4 eps
1999
UA
Ultimate autoshost · 6 eps
1999
CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationMr. Vogel · 1 eps
2000
Founding FathersNarrator · 4 eps
2000
Gilmore GirlsRichard Gilmore · 153 eps
2000
Crossing JordanThomas Malden · 1 eps
2001
The Impressionists: The Other French RevolutionNarrator · 2 eps
2001
Rise and Fall of the SpartansNarrator (voice) · 2 eps
2002
Russia, Land of the Tsars4 eps
2003
Teddy Roosevelt: An American LionNarrator · 2 eps
2003
Tom Goes to the MayorBenjamin Kaplan (voice) · 1 eps
2004
American Dad!Councilman (voice) · 1 eps
2005
American Dad!Old Man (voice) · 1 eps
2005
French RevolutionNarrator · 2 eps
2005
Grey's AnatomyNorman Shales · 3 eps
2005
How I Met Your MotherReverend Lowell · 1 eps
2005
The PresidentsNarrator · 9 eps
2005
30 RockWalter · 1 eps
2006
The Ten CommandmentsNarrator · 2 eps
2006
The Revolution13 eps
2007
The States10 eps
2007
Drop Dead DivaReverend Phillips · 1 eps
2009
The Good WifeLionel Deerfield · 6 eps
2009
Better With YouJudge · 1 eps
2010
Harry's LawLester Babcock · 3 eps
2011
PerceptionJack Pierce · 1 eps
2012
The Roosevelts: An Intimate HistoryFranklin Roosevelt (voice) · 7 eps
2014
Cancer: The Emperor of All MaladiesNarrator (voice) · 3 eps
2015
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the LifeRichard Gilmore (archive sound) (uncredited) · 1 eps
2016
HL
History's Lost & Found8 eps
Wonder WomanSenator Warren · 1 eps

Photos

Edward Herrmann photo
Edward Herrmann photo
Edward Herrmann photo
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