- Born
- Died
- Birth nameLawrence Richard Drake
- Height6′ 2¾″ (1.90 m)
- Larry Drake was born on February 21, 1949 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Darkman (1990), The Karate Kid (1984) and L.A. Law (1986). He was married to Ruth de Sosa. He died on March 17, 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- SpouseRuth de Sosa(October 15, 1989 - 1991) (divorced)
- ChildrenNo Children
- ParentsLorraine RuthRaymond John Drake
- Often played mentally challenged or mentally disturbed characters
- Won two consecutive Emmy awards (1988, 1989) for his touching portrayal of Benny, the mentally-impaired office worker on L.A. Law (1986).
- Had originally studied to become a teacher.
- In addition to acting, Drake had a passion for classic cinema and also enjoyed big band music and reading.
- Graduate of the University of Oklahoma.
- Drake was proud of a career that spanned television, film and stage, including the 1990 feature film "Darkman," his manager Steven Siebert told the press. Drake earned EMMYs in 1988 and 1989 for playing office worker Benny on the "L.A. Law" dramatic television series. In a 1989 interview with The Associated Press, Drake said he portrayed Benny not as a stereotype but as a man with a full range of emotions. "And that seems to surprise people -- that (such) characters can feel as much as they feel, and note as much as they note," he said. His friend, Charles Edward Pogue, recalled, as "one of a kind" and far different from the roles in which he was often cast, including villains and, at least twice, characters named Bubba. "He was very learned, well-read and intellectual," Pogue said, and a great wit and storyteller who was often the last to leave a party. Although Drake sometimes chafed at being type-cast, Pogue said, Drake appreciated the opportunities he had. Their projects included writing a mystery-comedy play, "Whodunnit, Darling?" Drake's manager Steven Siebert said that Drake, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, recently had focused on teaching acting.
- People were always coming up to me and treating me like I was slow. I would have to tell them 'I'm not really retarded, the character I play on TV is retarded.' It was actually pretty flattering because it showed that these people thought my acting was really that convincing.
- Actors should be allowed to play anything any producer asks them to do.
- There will always be those people who want to put me in a nice, neat pigeonhole. I think people have to start realizing that what I do is act. What I don't do is create an image and live by its rules or expectations.
- Evil characters are usually more memorable to audiences because you don't see them every day. What you do see are people trying to get by and be socially acceptable and follow most rules. I mean, nobody slows down on the freeway when things are going well. They slow down when there's an accident, to see if they can see some blood. Nobody reports good stuff on the news, they report bad stuff. The bad news is more distinctive, it shocks us.
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