Anderson, who rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver, was born on January 23, 1950 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Stuart Jay Anderson and Jocelyn Rhae Carter. He is of Scottish, Swedish and Norwegian descent.

He grew up in Roseville, Minnesota and attended Ramsey High School. As a child, Anderson's dream of becoming a professional hockey player ended when he broke both his arms.

Richard Dean Anderson's Family Tree