Deadwood’s Ralph Richeson, who played antler-loving chef Richardson on the show, has died of heart failure, THR reports. He was 63. The HBO drama was Richeson’s first film role; he was working as an extra on the show when showrunner David Milch, apparently enjoying his unique look, developed a part for him. Over the show’s three seasons, his character emerged into a plain-spoken sidekick to the obsequious E.B. Farnum, and Richeson parlayed his Deadwood fame into parts in Parks and Recreation and Hancock. “I don’t think there was anyone remotely involved in [Deadwood] who didn’t love Ralph,” his former co-star Jim Beaver wrote on Facebook. “He was kind, infinitely sweet and far, far smarter than his character. I will miss you forever, my friend. I raise antlers in honor of your passage.”
