Matinee Classics - Richard Dreyfuss Biography & Filmography

Richard Dreyfuss ACTOR

PHOTOS

RICHARD DREYFUSS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Richard Dreyfuss was born on October 29th, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York City with the middle name Stephen, born to Norman and Geraldine. When he was young his family relocated for a short time to live in Europe but then later returned to the United States and settled in Los Angeles at the age of nine.

He first developed an interest in acting when he was still a young boy performing at the Beverly Hills Jewish Center. He later went on to debut on his first television show, "Mama's House" at the age of fifteen.

Dreyfuss graduated from Beverly Hills High School and then went on to study at San Fernando Valley State College, however he never earned a degree. He continued pursuing acting part time making small appearances on such series as, "Peyton Place", "Gidget", "Bewitched" and "The Big Valley".

In addition to working as a television actor he also began to gain some experience as a stage actor appearing in Off-Broadway as well as Broadway productions.

Now with stage and television experience on his resume he decided to audition for roles in the film industry. His first film role was a very minor part in, "The Graduate" (1967) starring Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman. Soon though he began to appear more frequently on the big screen in such films as, "Valley of the Dolls" (1967) starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate, Paul Burke, Martin Milner, Lee Grant, Charles Drake, George Jessel, Joey Bishop and Susan Hayward, "American Graffiti" (1973) starring with Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Kathleen Quinlan, Bo Hopkins, Suzanne Somers, Kay Lenz and Mackenzie Phillips and his first real lead role in the Canadian film, "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" (1974) with Jack Warden, Micheline Lanctot and Randy Quaid.

Finally he had begun to make a name for himself in the industry and his next film role really took his career to the next level. He starred in the successful, "Jaws" (1975) directed by Steven Spielberg and starring with Dreyfuss are Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton. Other film roles he soon added to his credits were, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) starring with François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban and Cary Guffey and "The Goodbye Girl" (1977) co-starring Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings and Paul Benedict, a role for which he won an Academy Award as Best Actor.

Other credits he added to his resume during this time in his career were roles in the films, "The Big Fix" (1978), "Whose Life Is It Anyway?" (1981) and "The Buddy System" (1984).

Although his professional life had finally taken off his personal life was in turmoil with the addiction of cocaine use and then in 1982 he was arrested for possession of the drug. Luckily, he was able to rehabilitate himself and was able to get back in to acting just two years later.

In 1986, he was cast in, "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" followed by more successful films such as, "Nuts" (1987), "Stakeout" (1987), "Moon Over Parador" (1988), "Always" (1989), "Postcards from the Edge" (1990), "What About Bob?" (1991), "Once Around" (1991), "Lost in Yonkers" (1993), "The American President" (1995) and "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995).

In 2004 he decided to take a brief break from working in the film industry and focus on theatrical work and he also chose to dedicate his time to lecture at Oxford University. He currently resides in San Diego area and has returned to acting most recently being seen on, the films, "Piranha" (2010), "Red" (2010) and the television series, "Parenthood" (2011), "The Big Valley" (2010), "Coma" (2012) and soon to release in 2013, "To Appomattox".

In addition to his television, stage and film acting he has also done a variety of voice over projects for such companies as, Apple, Inc, Apple Computer Inc and Think Different.

He has married three times throughout his lifetime, first to Jeramie Rain in 1983 and they had three children before this marriage came to an end in 1995. He then married Janelle Lacey in 1999 however by 2005 this marriage also came to an end. His third and present wife is Svetlana Erokhin and they wed in 2006.

Richard Dreyfuss has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the Motion Picture Industry. He dedicates his spare time involved in academic causes where he hopes to encourage American history being taught in American schools. He has also published a book titled, "The Two Georges". He suffers from bipolar disorder but has not let that take an affect on his work and he remains in he industry living in Encinitas, California with his wife.

Filmography

2013 To Appomattox

2012 Coma

2011 The Big Valley

2011 Parenthood

2011 Lone Star Trixie

2010 Weeds

2010 Red

2010 Piranha

2009 The Lightkeepers

2009 Leaves of Grass

2009 Family Guy