Richard Lear was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas and got his first film job as a Union Soldier at the age of 17 in the Columbia Pictures Mini Series, The Blue and The Gray. His career has been spent primarily on the New York stage. He received the front page of the New York Time Arts Section for his portrayal of Bruce Niles in 'The Normal Heart'.He is the Founder and President of Little Ricky Productions, Inc., a feature film production company inspired by the deaths of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard.