Richard Romanus, the actor best known for his roles inMean Streets, Heavy Metal, andThe Sopranos, has died. Romanus, who was 80, passed away at a private hospital in Volos, Greece, on December 23. News of his death was confirmed by his son, Robert Romanus, toThe Hollywood Reporter; the cause has not been revealed.
Romanus, of Lebanese descent, was born on July 16, 2025, in Barrem, Vermont. He received a bachelor’s in philosophy from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, before attending law school. Romanus only spent one year in law school, deciding to become an actor instead. He then relocated to New York City, where he took classes withthe revered Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.
Romanus, who became known for his on-screen portrayal of tough guys, made his on-screen acting debut with the 1968 horror filmThe Ghastly Ones. In 1973, he portrayed loan shark Martin Longo in Martin Scorsese’sMean Streets, which would become one of his most memorable roles.Mean Streets, starring Robert De Niroand Harvey Keitel, became Scorsese’s first commercial and critical success, and the crime drama was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1997. In 1981, Romanus appeared in Gerald Potterton’s cult classic filmHeavy Metal, voicing cab driver Harry Canyon.
The Sopranos
Romanus also had a presence on television, with guest roles in some of television’s most popular series. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he had appearances on numerous shows, includingMission: Impossible,Kojak,Charlie’s Angels,Starsky & Hutch,Rockford Files,Foul Play,Hawaii Five-O,Cagney & Lacey,Tales from the Darkside, andMacGyver.In 1981, Romanus starred in the Aaron Spelling police proceduralStrike Forceas Lieutenant Charlie Gunzer. The crime drama aired on ABC for just one season and was canceled after only 20 episodes in 1982. From 1999 to 2002, Romanus appeared in four episodes ofThe Sopranos, portraying Richard La Penna, Dr. Jennifer Melfi’s estranged husband.
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Richard Romanus: From Screen to Scribe
Romanus married his first wife, Tina Bohlmann, in 1967. The two had one son, Robert, before divorcing. In 2004, he married Anthea Sylbert, a film producer and Academy Award-nominated costume designer known for her work on films includingChinatown, Julia,andRosemary’s Baby.
Romanus and Sylbert moved to Skiathos, Greece, nearly two decades ago, where Romanus spent his time writing instead of acting. The two produced and co-wrote two Lifetime films,Giving Up the GhostandIf You Believe.For the latter, they earned a Writers Guild of America TV Award nomination for Original Long Form. In 2011, Romanus published his memoirAct III: A Small Island in the Aegeanand the novelChrysalis; three years later, he published his second novel,Matoula’s Echo.
Romanus last appeared on-screen in 2003’sThe Young Black Stallion.
Romanus is survived by his son, younger brother Robert Romanus (an actor who appeared inFast Times at Ridgemont High), and wife, Anthea.
