Richard Dreyfuss: Biography in Details
Who is Richard Dreyfuss?
Richard Dreyfuss is a famous American actor, who is known for playing a variety of roles in his five decades and ongoing career.
Also, he is known for starring in popular films between the 1970s and 1990s, including American Graffiti, Jaws, Stands by Me, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Down and as well as in Out in Beverly Hills, The Goodbye Girl, Stakeout, Always, What About Bob? and Mr. Holland’s Opus.
Who are the parents of Richard Dreyfuss?
Richard Dreyfuss was born in Brooklyn, New York City, United States on October 29, 1947.
His birth name is Richard Stephen Dreyfus and he is currently 75 years old.
His father’s name is Norman Dreyfuss (attorney and restaurateur) and his mother’s name is Geraldine Dreyfuss (peace activist).
Richard’s great-grandfathers were Austro-Hungarian Jewish immigrants whereas his mother’s family was Russian-Jewish.
He has a sibling namely, Lorin Dreyfuss. Richard holds American citizenship and Ashkenazi Jewish ethnicity. His birth sign is Scorpio.
Education, School/ College University
Talking about Richard’s educational history, he attended Beverly Hills High School. Then, he attended California State University, Northridge.
Richard Dreyfuss: Professional Life, Career
Talking about his profession, Richard Dreyfuss’s career as an actor began early.
At the age of 15, Dreyfus made his debut in the television production, ‘In Mama’s House. During the Vietnam War, Dreyfuss worked as a clerk in a Los Angeles hospital.
Richard Dreyfuss returned to acting, making a guest appearance in television shows such as ‘Peyton Place, ‘Gidget’, ‘That Girl’, ‘Bewitched’ and ‘The Big Valley’.
Additionally, Dreyfuss made his debut on the big screen with a small, uncredited role in the 1967 film ‘The Graduate.
Next, he was featured in ‘Valley of the Dolls (1967) wherein he had a small role yet again.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dreyfuss performed on stage on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in repertory, and in improvisational theatre.
He shared the stage with Henry Fonda, Gloria Grahame, Ron Thompson, Strother Martin, Jane Alexander, Lewis J. Stadlen, Richard X. Slattery, and Pepper Martin for the play ‘The Time of Your Life.
In the year 1973, Dreyfuss played a significant role in the flick, ‘American Graffiti. In 1974, Dreyfuss played the lead role in the Canadian film, ‘The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz’.
The year 1975 was a prosperous year for Dreyfus in terms of his career.
He starred in the box office blockbuster, ‘Jaws’, directed by Steven Spielberg.
The film was one of the top-grossing films of the decade and established Dreyfus’ reputation as a star actor.
Dreyfuss repeated his success story with Spielberg yet again in the 1977 flick, ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’. The film went on to become one of the biggest hits of the decade.
Following ‘The Goodbye Girl’s success story, Richard produced and starred in the movie ‘The Big Fix’ in 1978.
It was around this time that Dreyfuss’s addiction to cocaine began. For most of the early 1980s, he suffered from drug addiction.
In the year 1982, he was arrested for possession of drugs.
His films of this period were major duds at the box office.
Around the mid-1980s, Richard Dreyfuss entered rehabilitation.
He made his comeback with the 1986 Paul Mazursky film, ‘Down and Out in Beverly Hills, starring alongside Bette Midler and Nick Nolte.
In the same year, he capped the role of narrator Gordie LaChance in Rob Reiner’s ‘Stand By Me, a coming-of-age comedy-drama adapted from Stephen King’s novella ‘The Body.
In the year 1987, Dreyfuss starred in the films, ‘Stakeout’, ‘Nuts’, and ‘Tin Men’. The following year, he once again united with director Paul Mazursky for the romantic comedy ‘Moon Over Parador’.
In the second innings of his career, Richard established himself as an engaging lead actor.
Similarly, in 1989, he reunited with Steven Spielberg for the film, ‘Always’ co-starring Holly Hunter.
The film was a remake of ‘A Guy Named Joe.
Then, he started the decade of the 1990s with the films, ‘Postcards from the Edge and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
In the year 1991, he was a part of the ensemble cast in the rom-com, ‘Once Around’.
On the same year, he starred in Bill Murray’s popular comedy ‘What About Bob?’
In it, he played the role of a psychiatrist who goes crazy while treating his obsessive new patient.
He ended the year with the film, ‘Prisoner of Honor’ which he produced and starred in.
The year 1995 was a big year for Dreyfuss in terms of his career.
He started the year with a supporting role in ‘The American President’ but ended it on a handsome note as Glenn Holland in ‘Mr. Holland’s Opus’.
His role as a determined and inspiring music teacher to a deaf son.
Beginning in 2000, he appeared in several films, including ‘The Crew’, ‘The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, ‘Who Is Cletis Tout?’ and ‘Silver City.
Besides that, he was featured as one of the survivors in the 2006 film, ‘Poseidon’. In 2008, he played the character of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in Oliver Stone’s George W. Bush biopic ‘W’.
In 2010, he made a cameo appearance in ‘Piranha 3D as Matt Hooper. In the same year, he also starred in the film, ‘RED’.
In addition to films, theatre, and television, Dreyfus made his presence felt in the literary world too with his book, ‘The Two Georges’, which he co-authored with science-fiction writer Harry Turtledove.
Awards, Nomination
Richard Dreyfuss won Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Goodbye Girl (1977) at the Oscar, Golden Globe Awards, David di Donatello Awards, Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.
Then, he won Best Guest Performance in a Television Series for Weeds (2005) at Saturn Award, and he won Best Actor for Cas & Dylan (2013) at Best of the Fest: Feature Film.
Likewise, he won Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television for The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001) at Golden Satellite Award.
Richard Dreyfuss: Net Worth, Salary 2024
He has an estimated net worth of around $5 million (as per 2024 data) however, his salary is unknown.
Is Richard Dreyfuss involved in any rumors and controversies?
There was a rumor about Richard Dreyfuss in the mid-80s on an ABC comedy special, during which time he allegedly exposed himself to her and sexually harassed her over several months.
Body Measurements: Height, Weight, Body Size
Richard Dreyfuss has a height of 5 feet 5 inches.
Additionally, his weight is unknown. Richard’s hair color is grey and his eyes color is blue.
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Richard Dreyfuss is active on Twitter rather than on Facebook and Instagram, he has around 126K followers on Twitter.
But, he doesn’t have an official page on Facebook or Instagram.
Richard Dreyfuss’s Anniversary Dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | March | Saturday |
| 2025 | March | Sunday |
| 2026 | March | Monday |
| 2027 | March | Tuesday |
| 2028 | March | Thursday |
Richard Dreyfuss’s Birthday Dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | October | Tuesday |
| 2025 | October | Wednesday |
| 2026 | October | Thursday |
| 2027 | October | Friday |
| 2028 | October | Sunday |