The token Brit on Hogan's Heroes, Cpl. Peter Newkirk, Richard made his major film debut playing a small role in the World War II prison-camp drama King Rat (1965). But he is best known for kissing thousands of total strangers during his Emmy-winning stint as host of the TV game show Family Feud (1976-1985).

Born in Hampshire, England, in 1932, Richard spent much of his career on American game shows, sometimes as a regular panelist on shows like Match Game and I've Got a Secret, but usually as host. He emceed Lucky Pair (1969), Masquerade Party (1974-75) and, of course, Family Feud. The quintessential emcee, Dawson parodied himself as Damon Kilian, an oily game-show host, in the 1987 sci-fi Arnold Schwarzenegger feature, The Running Man. Outside of the game show genre, Dawson was seen on favorites like The Dick Vzan Dyke Show.

Richard's most recent film appearance was as a tour guide in the Chevy Chase flop, Fletch Lives (1989). He returned to his role as host of a syndicated version of Family Feud in 1994-95.

Upon his retirement, Dawson took up residence in Beverly Hills, California, with his wife Gretchen (Johnson) Dawson, whom he met when she was a member of one of the contestant families on Family Feud in 1981. They have a daughter, Shannon Nicole Dawson (born in 1990). Richard also has three grandchildren: Lindsay Dors Dawson, Tyler Emm Dawson, and Emma Rose Dawson.