Richard Dreyfuss
Highest Rated: 100% Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: 40th Anniversary Release (2017)
Lowest Rated: 7% Paranoia (2013)
Birthday: Oct 29, 1947
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Stocky, frequently bespectacled, eventually balding, and prematurely gray, Richard Dreyfuss is an unlikely candidate for a movie star. Even so, he has been one of Hollywood's most versatile, charismatic, and energetic leading men since the mid-'70s. Born in Brooklyn, NY, on October 29, 1947, Dreyfuss moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was nine. There he became friends with Rob Reiner and began acting in school productions and at the Beverly Hills Jewish Community Center. He attended San Fernando Valley State College, but was expelled after getting into a heated argument with a professor over Marlon Brando's performance in Julius Caesar (1953). Not wanting to be drafted for Vietnam, he registered as a conscientious objector and spent two years as a clerk at a Los Angeles hospital instead of enlisting. During this time, Dreyfuss started getting a few acting jobs on network television series such as Bewitched and Big Valley; he had his first film role in 1967's The Graduate, speaking the lines "Shall I call the cops? I'll call the cops" to Dustin Hoffman. He continued playing bit parts in a couple more films, but did not get his first big break until he played Baby Face Nelson in the bloody biopic Dillinger (1973). A memorable leading role as an intelligent, contemplative teen in George Lucas' American Graffiti (1973) earned Dreyfuss critical acclaim, as did his portrayal of an entrepreneurial Jewish youth in The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974). In 1975, the actor's career exploded when he starred as an arrogant shark expert in Steven Spielberg's Jaws. He worked for Spielberg again two years later, playing an average Midwestern working stiff who learns that we are not alone in the universe in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Further success followed that same year when Dreyfuss portrayed a failed actor in Neil Simon's romantic comedy The Goodbye Girl. His performance won him an Oscar, making him, at the age of 29, the youngest performer ever to receive the Best Actor honor. After that, Dreyfuss was in demand and, until 1981, he continued to find steady work in a number of films. However, none of these proved particularly popular, and the actor's career began to nosedive. Matters were worsened by his reported drug use and Hollywood party antics; in 1982, he was involved in a car accident and arrested for possession of cocaine. Fortunately, Dreyfuss managed to turn his life around, and after appearing in the rarely seen Buddy System (1984), made a big comeback in Paul Mazursky's hit comedy Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), starring opposite Bette Midler and Nick Nolte. With his reputation restored, Dreyfuss went on to appear in lead and supporting roles in numerous films of varying quality. Highlights included Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990), Postcards From the Edge (1990), What About Bob? (1991), and Quiz Show (1994). In 1996, Dreyfuss played one of his finest roles as a high school music teacher who sacrifices his dream of becoming a famous composer to help his students in Mr. Holland's Opus (1996). The role earned Dreyfuss an Oscar nomination. That same year, he won acclaim of a different sort, lending his voice to a sarcastic centipede in Tim Burton's animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach. He went on to appear in Sidney Lumet's Night Falls on Manhattan (1997) and to star in Krippendorf's Tribe in 1998. The following year, he could be seen as titular Jewish gangster Lansky, a made-for-TV biopic scripted by David Mamet.In 2001, with his film career struggling a bit, Dreyfuss took his first stab at series television since 1964's short-lived sitcom Karen. The hour-long CBS drama The Education of Max Bickford starred the actor as a college history professor opposite Marcia Gay Harden and received largely positive reviews from critics. However, despite the accolades, the show failed to garner a substantial audience and was cancelled after one season.The following years woul

Photos

View All Photos

Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

MOVIES

CREDIT
No Score Yet Astronaut Actor — 2019
No Score Yet Daughter of the Wolf Father — 2019
24% Polar Porter — 2019
53% The Last Laugh Buddy Green — 2019
46% Asher Avi — 2018
20% Bayou Caviar Yuri — 2018
54% Book Club George — 2018
100% Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: 40th Anniversary Release Roy Neary $3.1M 2017
20% Zipper George Hiller — 2015
31% Cas & Dylan Dr. Cas Pepper — 2015
20% Very Good Girls Danny Field — 2014
No Score Yet Squatters David Silverman — 2014
7% Paranoia Frank Cassidy $5.4M 2013
71% Red Alexander Dunning $89M 2010
74% Piranha 3-D Matt $25M 2010
61% Leaves of Grass Pug Rothbaum $68.5K 2010
20% The Lightkeepers Seth Atkins/Bascom Executive Producer — 2010
No Score Yet Jaws: The Inside Story Actor — 2010
9% My Life in Ruins Irv $8.5M 2009
No Score Yet America Betrayed Narrator — 2009
58% W. Dick Cheney $25.6M 2008
No Score Yet Shark Week - Ocean Of Fear Actor — 2008
No Score Yet Rona Barrett's Hollywood: Nothing but the Truth Actor — 2008
No Score Yet The Man Who Shot Chinatown: The Life and Work of John A. Alonzo Actor — 2007
No Score Yet A Wayfarer's Journey: Listening to Mahler Actor — 2007
No Score Yet Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive Actor — 2006
No Score Yet Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters Actor — 2006
33% Poseidon Richard Nelson $60.7M 2006
No Score Yet Audrey Hepburn: The Fairest Lady Actor — 2006
48% Silver City Chuck Raven $0.9M 2004
No Score Yet Citizen Stan Narrator — 2004
100% Easy Riders---Raging Bulls Actor — 2003
73% Johnstown Flood Narrator — 2003
No Score Yet Teddy Roosevelt Actor — 2003
No Score Yet Teddy Roosevelt - An American Lion Actor — 2003
23% Who Is Cletis Tout? Micah $65.4K 2002
60% The Day Reagan Was Shot Alexander Haig — 2001
No Score Yet Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys Scoop the Snowman — 2001
No Score Yet The Old Man Who Read Love Stories Antonio Bolivar — 2001
No Score Yet In Search of Peace Part One: 1948-1967 Yitzhak Rabin — 2001
20% The Crew Bobby Bartellemeo $12.5M 2000
100% Fail Safe The President — 2000
No Score Yet NOVA: Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude Narrator — 1998
40% Lansky Meyer Lansky (age 40-70) — 1998
16% Krippendorf's Tribe James Krippendorf — 1998
No Score Yet Oliver Twist Fagin Producer — 1997
No Score Yet Jack London's 'The Call of the Wild' Narrator — 1997
56% Addicted to Love astronomer — 1997
68% Night Falls on Manhattan Sam Vigoda — 1997
17% Mad Dog Time Vic — 1996
91% James and the Giant Peach Centipede — 1996
No Score Yet The Universal Story Narrator — 1996
75% Mr. Holland's Opus Glenn Holland — 1995
No Score Yet The Making of Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' Actor — 1995
91% The American President Sen. Robert Rumson — 1995
No Score Yet The Last Word Larry — 1995
22% Silent Fall Jake Rainer — 1994
96% Quiz Show Executive Producer — 1994
13% Another Stakeout Chris Lecce — 1993
71% Lost in Yonkers Uncle Louie — 1993
58% Indian Summer Actor — 1993
No Score Yet Lincoln: The Pivotal Year, 1863 William T. Sherman — 1992
No Score Yet Lincoln: The Making of a President, 1860-1862 William T. Sherman — 1992
No Score Yet Lincoln: Now He Belongs to the Ages, 1865 William T. Sherman — 1992
No Score Yet Smithsonian's Great Battles of the Civil War, Vol. 1 Actor — 1992
No Score Yet Lincoln: I Want to Finish This Job, 1864 William T. Sherman — 1992
No Score Yet Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories Actor — 1992
No Score Yet Prisoner of Honor Colonel Ploquart Producer — 1991
62% Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead The Player — 1991
83% What About Bob? Dr. Leo Marvin — 1991
No Score Yet Remember Pearl Harbor Actor — 1991
70% Once Around Sam Sharp — 1990
87% Postcards from the Edge Dr. Frankenthal — 1990
67% Always Pete Sandich — 1989
30% Let It Ride Jay Trotter — 1989
42% Moon over Parador Jack Noah — 1988
36% Nuts Aaron Levinsky — 1987
87% Stakeout Chris Lecce — 1987
81% Tin Men Actor — 1987
No Score Yet Legends - Live at Montreux 1997 Bill 'BB' Babowsky — 1987
91% Stand by Me The Writer — 1986
81% Down and Out in Beverly Hills Dave Whiteman — 1986
No Score Yet The Buddy System Joe — 1983
83% Whose Life Is It Anyway? Ken Harrison — 1981
100% The Competition Paul Dietrich — 1980
No Score Yet Coast to Coast Barnaby Pierce — 1980
No Score Yet Suzanne Actor — 1980
100% The Big Fix Moses Wine Producer — 1978
88% The Goodbye Girl Elliott Garfield — 1977
97% Close Encounters of the Third Kind Roy Neary — 1977
No Score Yet Victory at Entebbe Col. Netanyahu — 1976
97% Jaws Matt Hooper — 1975
86% Inserts Boy Wonder — 1975
100% The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz Duddy — 1974
No Score Yet The Second Coming of Suzanne Clavius — 1974
96% American Graffiti Curt — 1973
92% Dillinger Baby Face Nelson — 1973
No Score Yet The Shadow of a Gunman Tommy Owen — 1972
No Score Yet Call of the Wild Actor — 1972
No Score Yet Hello Down There Harold Webster — 1969
89% The Graduate Berkeley Student — 1967
33% Valley of the Dolls Actor — 1967
No Score Yet Signs of the Time Actor —

TV

CREDIT
0% Hit the Road
2017
James
  • 2017
84% Shots Fired
2017
Arlen Cox
  • 2017
No Score Yet The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
Guest
  • 2017
No Score Yet Today
2017
Guest
  • 2017
No Score Yet Rachael Ray
2015
Guest
  • 2017
  • 2016
No Score Yet Jimmy Kimmel Live
2003
Guest
  • 2016
68% Madoff
2016
Bernie Madoff
  • 2016
No Score Yet The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
2015
Guest
  • 2016
No Score Yet The View
1997
Guest
  • 2016
No Score Yet Your Family or Mine
2015
Ricky Louis
  • 2015
88% Parenthood
2010-2015
Gilliam T. Blount
  • 2014
  • 2011
48% Coma
2012
  • 2012
70% Weeds
2005-2012
Warren Mr. Schiff Warren Schiff
  • 2010
70% Family Guy
1999
Voice
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2000
No Score Yet Tin Man
2007
Mystic Man
  • 2007
No Score Yet Real Time With Bill Maher
2003
Panelist
  • 2006
No Score Yet NOVA
1974
Voice
  • 1998
No Score Yet Saturday Night Live
1975
Host Guest
  • 1978
No Score Yet Gunsmoke
1955-1975
Gershon
  • 1973
No Score Yet Bewitched
1964-1972
Rodney
  • 1966
No Score Yet American Chronicles
1990
Narrator

QUOTES FROM Richard Dreyfuss CHARACTERS