American actor Richard "Dick" Evans, best known for his appearance on the ABC primetime soap opera Peyton Place and in Dirty Little Billy, has passed away due to cancer on Whidbey Island in Washington state, a spokesperson from his family announced. Evans' acting career spanned over four decades and made appearances in the Robert Mulligan-directed neo-noir crime drama The Nickel Ride (1974), while also starring as George C. Scott's sidekick in Ernest Hemingway's Islands in the Stream (1977) under stage director Franklin J. Schaffner. 

Richard Evans also appeared on TV shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Bonanza, Death Valley Days, Cheyenne, Gunsmoke, Lotsa Luck!, Mannix, Mod Squad, Mr. Novak, Star Trek, The A-Team and The Fugitive. He played the role of Paul Hanley in the first season of Peyton Place (1965), who wrongly accuses O'Neal's Rodney Harrington for his sister's murder. In Dirty Little Billy (1972), which was producer Jack L. Warner's final film, saw Evans as Goldie, Michael J. Pollard‘s psychopathic mentor and saw the actor share screen space with Lee Purcell.  

Born on Jan. 23, 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri, Richard Evans also an artist ventured into writing, direction and production for films and theatre. He turned author as well and his final book, a collection of plays, which he completed a short time before his death, will be performed to raise funds for the homeless. He had been residing at Whidbey Island for 32 years with his family after leaving Los Angeles. Evans is survived by his wife of 68 years, Jo Evans, former casting director of Lien/Evans; son Paul; and granddaughters Sarah (and her husband, Aaron), Madalyn (Joey) and Rachel (Geoff).