At the end of 2019, the actor David Rasche and his wife, Heather Rasche, a retired professor of acting at Rutgers University, moved from a two-bedroom co-op in Washington Heights to a six-bedroom Dutch Colonial Revival in Maplewood, N.J.
Nothing against Upper Manhattan — the couple just wanted to live closer to their daughter Amelia, a casting director, and her family. And they were beguiled by the old-fashioned small-town feel of Maplewood, if a bit puzzled by its limited architectural options.
“Some insane craze hit this area in around 1910, and 75 percent of the houses are Dutch Colonial Revival,” said Mr. Rasche (pronounced RAH-shee), 80, who’s best known for playing Waystar Royco’s C.F.O. Karl Muller on the hit HBO series “Succession.” “You drive down the street and it’s Dutch Colonial, Dutch Colonial, Dutch Colonial.”
But the Rasches were good with a gambrel roof. They are even more bullish about the front porch, a favorite perch in both nice and not-so-nice weather to watch the passing scene and schmooze with neighbors, who are accustomed to celebrity-spotting in this slice of New Jersey.
“We have a very affable block,” said the similarly affable Mr. Rasche, who is currently appearing on Broadway as the patriarch of a highly dysfunctional family in “Cult of Love” (through Feb. 2) and has a recurring role in the forthcoming FX mini-series “Dying for Sex.”
A portrait of David Rasche, wearing a zip-up sweater, jeans and black glasses and standing with his hand on a wooden dresser with a marble top. The kitchen is behind him, through a green door.
