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Actor Richard De Angelis dead at 73

SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Actor Richard John De Angelis, best known as Col. Raymond Foerster in HBO's "The Wire," has died in Silver Spring, Md., at age 73.

De Angelis died at home Wednesday from congestive heart failure and complications from prostate cancer, the Baltimore Sun reported Monday.

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The Boston native worked as an accountant for 14 years and didn't start his acting career until he was 35, the newspaper said. He went on to become a stand-up comedian and appear in more than 55 plays, 200 broadcast ads and 19 TV programs and movies.

"One day he just realized, sitting at his desk, waiting for the day to end, that he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown," his son, Richard Michael De Angelis, told the Sun. "So he reinvented himself at 38."

De Angelis was a committed animal rights activist, adopting "rescue" pets of his own and supporting organizations dedicated to the humane treatment of animals.

He is survived by his son, two daughters, four sisters and a brother.

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