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Q: Whatever happened to Richard Dean Anderson after "MacGyver"? I have not seen or heard anything about him in years. How old is he now and did he ever get married and have children? Also, was the man who played his grandfather, Harry, his real grandfathe

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Author: 
Adam Thomlison / TV Media

It's actually hard to say exactly what's happened to him, because Richard Dean Anderson is an incredibly private guy.

Anderson, who just turned 66, had one more big role after "MacGyver" -- Jack O'Neill in the long-running sci-fi series "Stargate SG-1" (and, later, the less long-running "SGU Stargate Universe").

Beyond that, he hasn't been doing much acting. Having starred in a couple of cultishly beloved series, he is in great demand on the convention circuit, but he's been forced to even slow that down lately, as he deals with health issues related to his back.

That comes from the semi-official fan site rdanderson.com, which, though not operated by Anderson himself, nonetheless receives frequent updates from him. Through those updates, he stresses both his gratitude for having such devoted fans and his desire to keep his private life private (which is why he doesn't have an official site).

We do know that he has a daughter, Wylie, born from a long-term relationship with designer Apryl Prose -- the two never got married (unless he kept that a secret, too).

That means she never had the last name Anderson, unlike John Anderson, who played Richard's grandfather in "MacGyver." Despite this, though, the two actors are not actually related in real life.

Sadly, Richard's health problems, if nothing else, will likely prevent him from participating in the long-rumored "MacGyver" reboot that's finally being made. CBS recently announced that it was going ahead with a new TV series, featuring a younger version of the resourceful secret agent. This was only announced a few months ago, so there's no word yet on casting or a potential release date.

 

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