When Things Were Rotten Actor Dies at 83 Following ‘Decades-Long’ Health Battle

Actor Richard Dimitri has died. He was 83.

The When Things Were Rotten alum died with his wife Christianne by his side on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, “after a decades-long battle with heart and lung illnesses,” according to his obituary. It describes him as a “writer, actor, art and antiques dealer” who worked his way onto the big screen after growing up with a single mother in New York.

In 1962, Dimitri graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The following year, he made his off-Broadway debut playing Bashir in a revival of The Immoralist, before going on to land roles on Broadway in Zorba, The Guide and Lysistrata.

After teaching acting at Queen’s College, The City University of New York, for two years, Dimitri landed the role of twins Bertram and Renaldo in Mel Brooks’ When Things Were Rotten. He moved to L.A. for the job in 1975.

He went on to work on films Johnny Dangerously (1984) alongside Michael Keaton, Let It Ride (1989) with Richard Dreyfus and Gene Wilder’s The World’s Greatest Lover (1977), as well as television shows, including Hawaii Five-O, Seventh Avenue, The Tracey Ullman Show, Starsky & Hutch, Welcome Back, Brown Show and Hearts Afire. He also performed at L.A.’s famed The Comedy Store.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In the midst of his career, Dimitri, who had “an operatic tenor voice,” was offered a chance to audition for the Vienna State Opera, per his obituary. However, he chose to continue acting.

Dimitri also pursued his passion for television writing. In 1993, he co-created Daddy Dearest, a Fox sitcom that starred Richard Lewis and Don Rickles. His other credits include the CBS comedy House Calls, featuring Wayne Rogers and Lynn Redgrave, as well as NBC’s Going Bananas.

His obituary reveals that he retired from the entertainment industry in 1998 due to “serious chronic-health conditions.” He then became an art and antiques dealer, later opening a gallery in West Hollywood, Calif., with his wife.

“Throughout his life, Richard touched many people with his talent, brilliant sense of humor, unique perspective, honesty and intellect,” his obituary concludes. “But it was his role as a valued father and husband, who surrounded his family with warmth and security, that was the most important and rewarding of his life. It was that which brought him his greatest joy.”

Dimitri is survived by his wife of 26 years, Christianne. He is predeceased by his son, John W. Dimitri, who died at 19 years old in 2017 from a rare congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic-left-heart syndrome, according to The John Dimitri Research Foundation for Congenital Heart Disease, which was created in his honor.