Lone Star roots bring Richard Robichaux to Texas State theatre faculty

FEATURED FACULTY

Jayme Blaschke | October 13, 2023

Acclaimed actor Richard Robichaux is the newest addition to Texas State University’s drama faculty in the Department of Theatre and Dance, and that suits him just fine.

Robichaux’s classes focus on acting for film and television, or as he describes it, a “grounded, realistic acting” that isn’t too precious and is equally suited for Shakespearean plays, television commercials or blockbuster Marvel movies. 

 A Texas native from Channelview, Robichaux earned his BFA in theatre from Stephen F. Austin State University before completing his MFA at Rutgers University. He has appeared in such films as “Ocean’s 8,” “Bernie,” “Boyhood” and “The Book of Love” and television series “Big Shot,” “Law & Order” and “Better Off Ted.” Upcoming movies include “The Long Game,” which was partially filmed at Texas State, and Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man.” 

Despite that professional success, Robichaux said an acting career was unlikely for him were it not for his high school teachers who recognized his potential and offered their guidance. Their early support has inspired Robichaux to help aspiring actors in turn.  

“I grew up a first-generation college student. My mom was 16 when she had me and my dad was a teenager. It’s not like we went to the theater. I found acting through my educators,” Robichaux said. “My educators really saved my life. They really gave me access to a world I didn’t know I could live in. I feel like I’m in repayment of that debt and I haven't finished paying it off yet.

“It’s been meaningful. I’ve always wanted a life that had meaning, not just fame. Those things are nice,” he said. “But I’ve noticed that the kind of work I’ve done in television, film and theater has actually afforded me the ability to be impactful in the classroom. I started teaching about 20 years ago, and I just never stopped. I don’t see myself ever stopping no matter what kind of work I have.”

Robichaux’s commitment to education isn’t mere lip service. He has been a guest artist and teacher at many of the top programs in the country including Yale, Juilliard, Penn State and the University of California San Diego, where he was the Arthur and Molli Wagner Endowed Chair in Acting. During his tenure at UCSD it was ranked the No. 3 program in the world by the Hollywood Reporter. 

Were it not for COVID, Robichaux may never have left California and found his way to Texas State. The pandemic shutdown forced him to reevaluate his priorities—was landing a role on broadcast television more important than his children seeing their grandparents? Robichaux and his wife decided it wasn’t, and they made the decision to relocate to Texas to be closer to family. 

“I’m a first-generation college student and there are many first-generation students here at Texas State. There’s a deeper meaning for me with these folks than at other places that I’ve taught, because there are lots of folks I recognize from the journey that I made,” Robichaux said. “Now that I’ve been in the industry the way I have been, and also been in academia, I have access that my teachers didn’t have. I have information that my teachers didn’t have. That didn’t make them bad teachers. They were great teachers. However, the combination of my experiences, I think, increases what I can do now for the students at Texas State.”

Ultimately, it works because Robichaux doesn’t view acting and teaching as an either-or choice. He much prefers the freedom both-and allows him to pursue his passions. For example: He is directing the supernatural thriller “The Thin Place” at Zach Theatre in Austin during its Oct. 25-Nov. 26 run.

“This will not be a great compliment to actors or acting, but acting didn't use enough of my intellect. I can do a TV show or a movie. I can have a very successful year and maybe work 30 days total. Well, I've got 335 other days that my brain wants to work,  and so that’s one of the things,” he said. “I tell actors that sometimes we feel like we have to say, ‘I am a jazz pianist but I work at this bank’ and ‘I’m an actor but I work at this restaurant.’

“I tell the students to include the word and instead, because you can be both of those things. I can be an actor and a teacher, just like George Clooney is an actor and sells tequila. I mean, even at the highest level these folks are doing other things,” Robichaux said. “It's not like the old adage of ‘Those who can’t, teach.’ There’s not a faculty member here that isn’t involved in the arts in Central Texas or nationally. That’s so incredible.”