My Take
Richard Beymer is one of those actors who had the kind of early career that most people would kill for — playing Peter van Daan opposite Millie Perkins in The Diary of Anne Frank at just 21, then landing Tony in the 1961 West Side Story alongside Natalie Wood. That's two stone-cold classics before he turned 25. Critics were sometimes cool on him, preferring Warren Beatty energy, but honestly? His quieter, more earnest quality fit both roles perfectly. What I find genuinely interesting is how he stepped away from Hollywood's spotlight for decades to pursue filmmaking and visual art on his own terms, then came roaring back as the creepy, tragic Benjamin Horne in Twin Peaks. That second-act choice showed real taste. An underrated figure in American cinema who did far more with his moments than he ever gets credit for.
Overview
George Richard Beymer Jr. (born February 20, 1938) is an American actor, filmmaker and visual artist. After making his feature acting debut in Vittorio De Sica's Stazione Termini (1953), he rose to promience for playing the roles of Peter van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and Tony in the 1961 film adaptation of West Side Story.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Richard Beymer
- Name (Japanese)
- リチャード・ベイマー
- Reading
- りちゃーど・べいまー
- Born
- February 20, 1938 (age 88)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Tiger
- Origin
- Avoca, Iowa, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / television actor / film actor / screenwriter / writer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- North Hollywood High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.