(July 21, 1943 – December 31, 2014)
Edward Kirk Herrmann was an American actor, director, writer, and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayals of Franklin D. Roosevelt on television, Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, a ubiquitous narrator for historical programs on The History Channel and in such PBS productions as Nova, and as a spokesman for Dodge automobiles in the 1990s.
Herrmann was married twice and had two daughters, Ryan and Emma. In 1978, he married his longtime girlfriend, screenwriter Leigh Curran. The marriage lasted more than a decade, but ended in divorce. He was married to Star Hayner from 1992 until his death. He also had a stepson, Rory Herrmann, a noted chef in California, who is currently serving as director of culinary operations for Bill Chait’s Sprout Restaurant Group in Los Angeles.
Herrmann was a well-known automotive enthusiast and restored classic automobiles. Herrmann was a regular master of ceremonies for the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and hosted the television show Automobiles on The History Channel. He owned and restored several classics of his own, including a 1929 Auburn 8-90 Boattail Speedster and a 1934 Alvis Speed 20.
Herrmann died on December 31, 2014 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Hospital of brain cancer, at the age of 71.
