Alan Rachins

Actor Alan Rachins found television success not once, but twice, playing two characters who could not be less alike on the series "L.A. Law" (NBC, 1986-1994) and "Dharma & Greg" (ABC, 1997-2002). After abandoning a planned career in the family food processing business, he gained early acting experience on the stages of New York in productions like the sexy musical romp "Oh! Calcutta!" in the late-1960s. Rachins soon moved to Hollywood where he studied screen craft at the American Film Institute and picked up minor parts in television projects such as the docudrama "Fear on Trial" (1975) and the hit melodrama "Dallas" (CBS, 1978-1991). He had minor success writing for several television series and lending acting support in a few small feature films before landing the career-defining role of acerbic attorney Douglas Brackman, Jr. on "L.A. Law." At the height of its popularity, the program was one of the most watched shows on television and set the ground rules for the many ensemble dramas that would follow. Although a substantial role in the critical and box office disaster "Showgirls" (1995) may not have provided Rachins with the preferred exposure, a supporting role as a member of the "Dharma & Greg" cast offered him the opportunity to play against type as the aging hippie Larry Finkelstein. Instantly familiar, yet surprisingly versatile, Rachins complemented any project he was involved in, whether it was comedy, drama, or - as in the case of "L.A. Law" - a brilliant merging of the two.