Richard Compton

Career overview

Richard Compton was an American director, writer, and actor who worked primarily in television. Born on March 2, 1938, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began his career in the early 1960s creating government propaganda movies for the United States Information Agency. Although some sources state he began acting in propaganda films in the 1950s, his debut feature film, titled The French Way, was never released in the United States. He directed movies during the 1960s with limited success before transitioning to directing for television during the 1970s and 1980s. His directing credits include work on Babylon 5.

In addition to his work behind the camera, Compton appeared in small roles across various film and television series. He is noted for portraying a Romulan in several episodes of Star Trek, though other records specify he had minor roles in two episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series. Later in his career, he directed an episode of a Star Trek series. Compton, who was also known as Ric or Dick, held a total of 65 known credits. He died on August 11, 2007, at the age of 69.