Rif Hutton | |
|---|---|
 Hutton at the Kirk Baily celebration of life in 2022 | |
| Born | (1952-11-28)November 28, 1952 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 18, 2026(2026-04-18) (aged 73) Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1983–2026 |
| Spouse | 1 |
Rif Hutton (November 28, 1952 – April 18, 2026) was an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Dr. Ron Welch in the comedy-drama series Doogie Howser, M.D., appearing in that series from 1990 up to its conclusion in 1993. From 1997 to 2001, he appeared in a recurring role as Lt. Cmdr. Alan Mattoni on the series JAG. Hutton is also notable for playing Russ Beeler, a fictional owner of a KFC establishment, appearing in a number of KFC commercials in the early to mid 1990s.2
Early life and career
Hutton was born in San Antonio, Texas, and was raised in East Orange, New Jersey. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s to pursue an acting career. He went to many auditions in his early years, but soon found himself broke and homeless, getting assistance from friends.3
He went on to guest star in a number of notable television series including The Jeffersons, Night Court, L.A. Law, Married... with Children, Hunter, Wings, Murphy Brown, The Larry Sanders Show, Getting By, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Family Matters, and Cold Case among others.1
Hutton also appeared in stage productions in the Los Angeles area as well as working as a voice actor.1
Personal life and death
Hutton was married twice. His first marriage was to a woman named Pat, an actress and stand-up comedian.3 His second was to actress Bridget Hoffman in 2001.1
It is also reported in 2000 that he was engaged to actress Telma Hopkins.45 In 1993–94, Hutton had played Hopkins' love interest in a few episodes of her sitcom Getting By.
Hutton died from brain cancer at his home in Pasadena, California, on April 18, 2026, at the age of 73.6
Filmography
Film
- Wavelength (1983) – Air Force officer
- Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987) – Agent
- You Talkin' to Me? (1987) – Black Man
- Moving (1988) – Reporter
- Stand and Deliver (1988) – Pearson
- L.A. Heat (1989) – Det. Royster
- The Borrower (1991) – Newscaster
- Going Under (1991) – Dr. Friendly
- Star Trek Generations (1994) – Klingon Guard
- Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter (1995) – Jess
- Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995) – Arnold
- Restraining Order (1999) – Sidney Evans
- The Thirteenth Floor (1999) – Joe
- Shrek (2001) – Lord Farquaad's Guards (voice)
- Osmosis Jones (2001) – Charlie (voice)
- Gas (2004) – Brad
- Shark Tale (2004) – Fish (voice)
- Tugger: The Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly (2005) – Crewman #1 (voice)
- Madagascar (2005) – Crowd Member (voice)
- Stick It (2006) – Drill Sergeant
- Curious George (2006) – Mailman (voice)
- The Tale of Despereaux (2008) – Man in crowd (voice)
- My Apocalypse (2008) – Housing Inspector
- Astro Boy (2009) – Metro City Sergeant (voice)
- The Princess and the Frog (2009) – DJ (voice)
- Rio (2011) – Additional Voices (voice)
- Hotel Transylvania (2012) – Additional Voices (voice)
- ParaNorman (2012) – Blithe Hollow Townperson (voice)
- Epic (2013) – Additional Voices (voice)
- Rio 2 (2014) – Additional Voices (voice)
- Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) – Additional Voices (voice)
- Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016) – High Official #2 (voice)
- The Star (2017) – Additional Voices (voice)
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – Additional Voices (voice)
- Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) – Additional Voices (voice)
- The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019) – Additional Voices (voice)
- Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) – Additional Voices (voice)
Television
- The Jeffersons (1985) – Roulette Spinner
- 227 (1987) – Man #1
- Webster (1989) – Bob
- A Different World (1989) – Security #2
- Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993) – Dr. Ron Welch
- Married, with Children (1990) – Bailiff
- Wings (1991) – T.V. Anchorman
- Sister, Sister (1994) – PTA President
- Fudge (1995) – Mr. Green
- General Hospital (1995) – David Ward
- Home Improvement (1995) – Man at Arena
- The Wayans Bros. (1995–1999) – Ted Winters / Agent Doug Steckler
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1996) – Agent Rawlings
- The Jamie Foxx Show (1996) – Vray Beaujay
- Family Matters (1997) – Reverend Fuller
- Seinfeld (1998) – Salesman
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2003) – Initiative General
- House (2005) – Morris
- Thats So Raven (2005) – Reverend Mattson
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2007) – Vernon Porter
- Ghost Whisperer (2008) – Bill Eritt
- The Mentalist (2008) – Doctor
- Criminal Minds (2016) – Warden Bryan Nabb
- General Hospital (2021) – Lenny
References
References
- Rif Hutton Biography, Film Reference
- Stuart Elliott (May 19, 1992). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; KFC's Very Real Problems May Be Solved in Lake Edna - New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
- LIBBY SLATE (January 23, 1993). "Actor Rif Hutton Has Fun Growing With 'Doogie Howser, M.D.' - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
- "Family Matters: 1989-1998 - Family Matters, Where Are They Now?, Darius McCrary, Jaleel White, Jomarie Payton, Reginald VelJohnson, Telma Hopkins". People. June 26, 2000. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
- "The Telma Hopkins Picture Pages". Superiorpics.com. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
- "'Doogie Howser, M.D.' Star Rif Hutton Dead at 70". TMZ. April 20, 2026. Retrieved April 20, 2026.