Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss | |
---|---|
Born | Richard Stephen Dreyfus October 29, 1947 |
Education | San Fernando Valley State College St Antony's College, Oxford |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1964–present |
Works | Full list |
Spouses | Janelle Lacey
(m. 1999; div. 2005)Svetlana Erokhin (m. 2006) |
Children | 3 |
Relatives |
|
Signature | |
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (/ˈdraɪfəs/ DRY-fəs; né Dreyfus;[1] born October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He emerged from the New Hollywood wave of American cinema, finding fame with a succession of leading man parts in the 1970s. He has received an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe Award.
Dreyfuss rose to promimence with starring roles in American Graffiti (1973), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), Jaws (1975), and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Elliot Garfield in the 1977 romantic comedy The Goodbye Girl, and was Oscar-nominated in the same category for his title role in the 1995 drama Mr. Holland's Opus. His other film credits include The Competition (1980), Stand by Me (1986), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Stakeout (1987), Nuts (1987), Always (1989), Postcards from the Edge (1990), What About Bob? (1991), The American President (1995), and W. (2008).
On television, Dreyfuss starred as the title character on the CBS drama series The Education of Max Bickford (2001–2002), for which he was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor. He also portrayed Fagin in the 1997 Disney adaptation of Oliver Twist, Meyer Lansky in HBO's Lansky (1999), Alexander Haig in Showtime's The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001), and Bernie Madoff in the ABC miniseries Madoff (2016).
Early life and education
[edit]Dreyfuss was born on October 29, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, the second and younger son of Norman Dreyfuss, an attorney, restaurateur and plastics company owner originally from a "violent gang culture in Brooklyn",[2] and Geraldine (nee Robbins),[3] a peace activist. He is the second child of three children. He had an older brother, Lorin, who was an actor, film producer and screenplay writer, and a younger sister, Cathy.[4] His father Norman suffered from the debilitating physical effects of a mortar explosion at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, requiring the use of crutches, canes, and special footwear provided by the Army for the rest of his life. He left the family when his son was 21 years old, and remarried more than once; he and his son were not on speaking terms at the time of his death.[2]
Dreyfuss was raised in the Bayside area of Queens.[5] His family is Jewish, descended from immigrants from Russia and Poland; the Dreyfuss family was from Rzeszow.[6][7] He has commented that he "grew up thinking that Alfred Dreyfus and [he] are from the same family" and that his great-grand aunt was Hesya Helfman, one of the assassins of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and the only one to escape execution for the deed.[8][9] His father disliked New York, and moved the family first to Europe,[clarification needed] and later to Los Angeles when Dreyfuss was nine.[10][11] Dreyfuss attended Beverly Hills High School.[11]
Career
[edit]1964–1974: Rise to prominence
[edit]Dreyfuss began acting in his youth, at Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills Arts Center and the Westside Jewish Community Center, under drama teacher Bill Miller.[11][12] He debuted in the TV production In Mama's House, when he was fifteen. He attended San Fernando Valley State College, now California State University, Northridge, for a year, and was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, working in alternate service for two years, as a clerk in a Los Angeles hospital. During this time, he acted in a few small TV roles on shows such as Peyton Place, Room 222 , Gidget, That Girl, Gunsmoke, Bewitched, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, and The Big Valley. He played a larger role in an episode in the second season of Judd, for the Defense. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he also performed on stage on Broadway, Off-Broadway, repertory, and improvisational theater. Dreyfuss appeared in the play The Time of Your Life, which was revived on March 17, 1972, at the Huntington Hartford Theater in Los Angeles, and directed by Edwin Sherin.[13][14]
Dreyfuss's first film role was a small, uncredited appearance in The Graduate. He had one line, "Shall I get the cops? I'll get the cops." He was also briefly seen as a stagehand in Valley of the Dolls (1967), in which he had a few lines. In mid-1972, Dreyfuss filmed a supporting role in The Second Coming of Suzanne, but the movie did not premiere for two years.[15] In 1973 he starred in the CBS pilot Catch-22. He subsequently appeared in Dillinger, and landed a key role in the 1973 George Lucas hit American Graffiti, acting with other future stars such as Harrison Ford.[11] Dreyfuss played his first lead role in the Canadian film The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974), receiving positive reviews, including praise from Pauline Kael.[11]
1975–1995: Career stardom and acclaim
[edit]Dreyfuss went on to star in box office blockbusters Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), both directed by Steven Spielberg. He won the 1978 Academy Award for Best Actor at the 50th Academy Awards ceremony for his portrayal of a struggling actor in The Goodbye Girl (1977), becoming the youngest actor to do so (at the age of 30 years, 125 days old), besting Marlon Brando, who had won his first Oscar in 1955 at the age of 30 years, 360 days old.[11] This record stood for 25 years until it was broken in 2003 by Adrien Brody, who was three weeks shy of age 30 at the time of the 75th Academy Awards ceremony. Dreyfuss is still, however, the shortest to have ever won Best Actor, standing at about 5 foot 4¼ inches tall.[16] In five years, between 1973 and 1978, the films that Dreyfuss appeared in grossed upwards of $900 million. He made his producing debut with The Big Fix (1978), in which he also starred.
Around 1978, Dreyfuss began using cocaine frequently; he claims to not remember anything from the production of the 1981 film Whose Life Is It Anyway?. His addiction came to a head in 1982, when he was arrested for possession of the drug after he blacked out while driving, and his Mercedes-Benz 450 SL struck a tree.[11][17][18] He entered rehabilitation and eventually made a Hollywood comeback with the films Down and Out in Beverly Hills in 1986 and Stakeout the following year.[11] Dreyfuss appeared as the elder Gordie Lachance (played by his Buddy System co-star Wil Wheaton) in Rob Reiner's Stand by Me, a coming-of-age drama/comedy adapted from Stephen King's novella The Body. He was nominated for a Golden Globe playing a defense lawyer in the courtroom thriller Nuts. In 1988, he reunited with director Paul Mazursky to star in the political farce Moon over Parador.
In 1989, Dreyfuss reunited with Spielberg on Always, a remake of A Guy Named Joe in which he co-starred with Holly Hunter, and reunited with his Close Encounters co-star Teri Garr for the comedy Let It Ride. He had a starring role opposite Bill Murray in the 1991 comedy What About Bob?, as a psychiatrist driven to insanity by a particularly obsessive new patient. That same year, Dreyfuss produced and starred as Georges Picquart in Prisoner of Honor, an HBO movie about the historical Dreyfus Affair. In 1994, he participated in the historic Papal Concert to Commemorate the Shoah at the Vatican in the presence of Pope John Paul II, Rav Elio Toaff, chief rabbi of Rome, and Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, President of the Italian Republic. He recited Kaddish as part of a performance of Leonard Bernstein's Third Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Gilbert Levine. The event was broadcast worldwide. Dreyfuss received his second Oscar nomination for his performance as Glenn Holland in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995).[11] Since then, he has continued working in movies, television and the stage. In 2001–2002, he played Max Bickford in the television drama The Education of Max Bickford. In 2004, he appeared in the revival of Sly Fox on Broadway (opposite Eric Stoltz, René Auberjonois, Bronson Pinchot and Elizabeth Berkley).
1996–present
[edit]In 1997, Dreyfuss recorded a voiceover for the Apple Computer "Think Different" ad campaign,[19] and also provided the voice of the narrator in The Call of the Wild: Dog of the Yukon. In 1999, Dreyfuss made his London West End debut starring alongside Marsha Mason in Neil Simon's The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.[20] Dreyfuss spent four years as a research adviser at St Antony's College, Oxford, from 2004 until 2008.[21] He was scheduled to appear in a 2004 production of The Producers in London, but withdrew from the production a week before opening night. The media noted that Dreyfuss was suffering from problems relating to an operation for a herniated disc, and that the part of Max Bialystock in the play was a physically demanding one. Both he and his assistant for the production stated that Dreyfuss was accumulating injuries that required him to wear physical therapy supports during rehearsals.[22] After Dreyfuss was officially let go from the production he was replaced by Nathan Lane. He ultimately made his West End return at The Old Vic in 2009.[23]
In 2006, he appeared as Richard Nelson, a gay architect and one of the survivors in the film Poseidon.[24] Dreyfuss portrayed U.S Vice President Dick Cheney in Oliver Stone's 2008 George W. Bush biopic W.[25]
In 2009, he appeared in the play Complicit by Joe Sutton at London's Old Vic theatre. The production was directed by the theatre's artistic director, Kevin Spacey. Dreyfuss's performance was subject to some controversy, owing to his use of an earpiece onstage, reportedly because of his inability to learn his lines in time.[26][27] According to an article published in 2017, Kevin Spacey groped one of Dreyfuss's sons while the three of them were alone in Spacey's apartment, an allegation that a lawyer representing Kevin Spacey denied. Richard Dreyfuss was focused on learning the lines of his script at the time and did not notice any harassment.[28] He guest-voiced as himself in the "Three Kings" episode of Family Guy in 2009, and later appeared again in the episode "Peter-assment". Dreyfuss guest starred in the sixth season of Weeds as Warren Schiff, Nancy's high school teacher to whom she had lost her virginity.[29]
In 2010, he played Matt Boyd in Piranha 3D.[30] Dreyfuss was inducted as a "star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 10, 1996. It is located at 7021 Hollywood Blvd.[31] Dreyfuss was among 99 other stars at the 2012 Academy Awards – Night of 100 Stars. He did an interview for the Bill Zucker Show with actor/singer Bill Zucker.[32]
In 2014, he appeared with best-selling Abraham Lincoln scholar Ronald C. White in a documentary entitled "Lincoln's Greatest Speech", highlighting Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, appearing as host of the program and reciting Lincoln's speech on camera. Dreyfuss portrayed Bernie Madoff in the miniseries Madoff (2016), co-starring Blythe Danner. He followed it up with roles in the hit comedy Book Club (2018) opposite Candice Bergen and the Netflix movie The Last Laugh (2019) with Chevy Chase and Andie MacDowell.
Personal life
[edit]Marriages and family
[edit]Dreyfuss married writer and producer Jeramie Rain in the early 1980s, and they had three children. After his 1995 divorce from Rain, Dreyfuss married Janelle Lacey in 1999. They divorced in 2005.[33]
In 2006, Dreyfuss discussed his diagnosis of bipolar disorder in the documentary Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, in which Fry (who also has the disorder) interviewed Dreyfuss about his experience being bipolar.[34]
Dreyfuss and Russian-born Svetlana Erokhin married in 2006 and as of February 2020 they reside in the San Diego area,[35][36] although they have frequently visited New York City, London, and Sun Valley, Idaho.[37]
During his acting career, Dreyfuss had public feuds with some of the people he worked alongside, notably actors Robert Shaw and Bill Murray, who costarred with him in Jaws and What About Bob? respectively, and filmmaker Oliver Stone, who directed him in W.[38]
In 2017, writer Jessica Teich accused Dreyfuss of sexual harassment during the filming of an ABC special.[39] Dreyfuss denied the allegations. He said he had been overly flirtatious in his past, and that he regretted that behavior, but he emphasized that he "value[s] and respect[s] women" and is "not an assaulter."[40] He thought they were involved in a "consensual seduction ritual."[41]
Interests
[edit]Dreyfuss seeks to revive civics education to teach future generations about the power of their citizenship and the principles that hold America together.[42] In 2006, he created The Dreyfuss Civics Initiative (TDCI).[43][44] TDCI is a 501(c)3 designated organization, recognized as of 2008.[45]
On February 16, 2006, he spoke at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in hopes of prompting a national discussion on impeachment charges against U.S. President George W. Bush.[46] On November 17, 2006, Dreyfuss appeared on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher as a panel member to discuss teaching Civics in schools.[47] In 2007, Dreyfuss appeared in the youth voting documentary film 18 in '08.[citation needed]
In 1995, Dreyfuss co-authored with science-fiction writer Harry Turtledove the book The Two Georges, a novel set in the year 1995 of a timeline in which the American Revolution was peacefully avoided.[48][49] In 2022, he authored One Thought Scares Me...: We Teach Our Children What We Wish Them to Know; We Don't Teach Our Children What We Don't Wish Them to Know about the teaching of civics in American schools.
Political views
[edit]In a 2016 interview with TheWrap, Dreyfuss reportedly said, “I haven’t been a Democrat since 2004.”[50]
Dreyfuss has been outspoken regarding the media's influence in shaping public opinion, policy, and legislation. In the 2000s, he expressed his sentiments in favor of right to privacy, freedom of speech, democracy, and individual accountability.[51] In 2011 and 2014, Dreyfuss was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board.
In May 2023, Dreyfuss spoke out against the Academy Awards' new diversity guidelines that require films to have met at least two of four benchmarks, including that the lead actors are from underrepresented groups or that at least 30% of the cast and crew come from these groups. During an interview with Margaret Hoover, host of the PBS show The Firing Line, Dreyfuss said that the new guidelines "make me vomit". He explained that he was opposed to the guidelines because movie-making is "an art form ... and no one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give into the latest, most current idea of what morality is."[52][53]
During a screening of Jaws at The Cabot theater in Beverly, Massachusetts, on May 27, 2024, Dreyfuss criticised "diversity initiatives", and launched into what was described as a transphobic, misogynistic, homophobic, and sexist rant, causing many attendees to shout at the actor, and many to leave the venue in dismay. According to eyewitnesses, Dreyfuss criticized the MeToo and LGBTQ movements and disparaged parents of transgender children, suggesting that supporting a child's transition was indicative of bad parenting.[54][55][56][57][58][59]
Acting credits and accolades
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Dreyfuss, Richard. (2022) One Thought Scares Me...: We Teach Our Children What We Wish Them to Know; We Don't Teach Our Children What We Don't Wish Them to Know. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5107-7612-8
- Dreyfuss, Richard (with Harry Turtledove). (1996) The Two Georges. New York: Tor Books. ISBN 978-0-3128-5969-5
References
[edit]- ^ Usborne, David (January 31, 2009). "Richard Dreyfuss: Out of the wreckage". The Independent. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
- ^ a b Barber, Richard (September 8, 2017). "Richard Dreyfuss: 'The one topic on which my dad would open up was sex'". The Guardian.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss Profile". E! Entertainment Television, Inc. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss: 'The one topic on which my dad would open up was sex'". The Guardian. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ "Overview for Richard Dreyfuss". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ Jacobs, Andrea (March 1995). "Richard Dreyfuss at middle age: A rebellious Jew finds his own wisdom". The Jewish Advocate. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2019 – via FindArticles.
- ^ "Academy Award Winning Actor Richard Dreyfuss Speaks at BHCC". Bunker Hill Community College. United Business Media. February 1, 2007. Archived from the original on May 23, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2019 – via PR Newswire.
- ^ Brozan, Nadine (November 20, 1991). "Chronicle". The New York Times. p. 9. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
- ^ "BEST STORY EVER: Richard Dreyfuss' Family Connection to Tsar Alexander II's Assassination". March 14, 2014 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss biography and filmography". Tribute. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 2000
- ^ Personal interview
- ^ WorldCat. Worldcat.org. OCLC 611053954.
- ^ "Hollywood Beat". The Afro American. April 8, 1972. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
- ^ Lomax, Michele (October 21, 1974). "'Suzanne' fails to speak out". San Francisco Examiner. p. 33.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss Biography Page". IMDb.
- ^ "Actor faces cocaine charge". Lewiston Morning Tribune. November 13, 1982. p. 2A.
- ^ "News - Entertainment, Music, Movies, Celebrity". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 9, 2005.
- ^ "Touching: Steve Jobs Voicing One Of Apple's Iconic 'Think Different' Campaign Commercials". Geekologie. October 7, 2011
- ^ Wolf, Matt (March 30, 1999). "The Prisoner of Second Avenue". Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Smith, David (June 24, 2020). "Richard Dreyfuss: 'I was a bad guy for a number of years'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Adam, Karla. "My musical hell". The Guardian. January 21, 2005
- ^ "Dreyfuss in London stage return", BBC News, November 3, 2008.
- ^ Malik, Tariq (May 12, 2006). "'Poseidon' Packs Punch of Real Science". Live Science. Purch. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss is Dick Cheney" Archived July 25, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, comingsoon.net, The Hollywood Reporter, May 22, 2008.
- ^ Thompson, Warwick. "Richard Dreyfuss, Sporting Earpiece, Triumphs in New Play", Bloomberg News. January 29, 2009.
- ^ Burgess, Kaya; Malvern, Jack (January 29, 2009). "Wired for sound how Richard Dreyfuss remembers his lines". The Times. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
- ^ "Actor Harry Dreyfuss: When I Was 18, Kevin Spacey Groped Me". Buzzfeed News. November 4, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ Joyce Eng. "Richard Dreyfuss to Appear on Weeds". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss reveals why he made 'Piranha 3-D:' "to get money"". Hollywood News. May 5, 2010. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss". Hollywood Walk of Fame. October 25, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ Zucker, Bill. "The 'BILL ZUCKER SHOW' takes to the Oscars Red Carpet!!" on YouTube. March 19, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
- ^ Schindehette, Susan. "Risen from the Ashes, Richard Dreyfuss Faces His Family's Pain with Strength, Not Self-Pity", People March 4, 1991
- ^ Owen, Jonathan (September 17, 2006). "Stephen Fry: My battle with mental illness". The Independent. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss on facing down sharks, aliens, and his own demons". CBS News. February 23, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ Mannes, Tanya. "Earth-friendly house in works" Archived March 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. The San Diego Union-Tribune. March 9, 2009
- ^ Friend, Tad. "The Gold Diggers". The New Yorker. May 23, 1999
- ^ Polowy, Kevin (June 26, 2019). "Role Recall: Richard Dreyfuss on doubting 'Jaws,' coping with an abusive Bill Murray on 'What About Bob?' and more". Yahoo!. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
- ^ Yuan, Jada (November 10, 2017). "L.A. Writer Says Richard Dreyfuss Harassed, Exposed Himself to Her in the 80s". Vulture. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Gibson, Earl (November 10, 2017). "Richard Dreyfuss responds to sexual harassment allegations: 'I am not an assaulter'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss accused of exposing himself, writer says". CBS News. November 11, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ http://www.thedreyfussinitiative.org/initiative/ Archived September 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine TDCI Website
- ^ "Special Report: Actor Richard Dreyfuss says America needs civics lesson". WorldNow and KUSI. KUSI News. August 27, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss: Politics Should Be Noble Calling". CBS News. Associated Press. August 21, 2014.
- ^ "HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News". HuffPost. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfus at the National Press Club". San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center.
- ^ Morris, Michele (Summer 2007). "Richard Dreyfuss's New 'Opus'". AARP. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007.
- ^ "Fiction Book Review: The Two Georges by Richard Dreyfuss, Author, Wallace, Author, Harry Turtledove, With Tor Books". Publishers Weekly. January 3, 1996. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
- ^ "Uchronia: The Two Georges". Uchronia.
- ^ Hod, Itay (February 16, 2016). "Richard Dreyfuss Explains Why He's No Longer a Democrat". TheWrap. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- ^ Zweyner, Astrid (April 27, 2006). "Oscar-winner Dreyfuss campaigns against .shaped news." Archived October 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Reuters.
- ^ France, Lisa Respers (May 8, 2023). "Richard Dreyfuss on new Oscars diversity rules: 'They make me vomit'". CNN. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Caplan, Anna Lazarus. "Richard Dreyfuss Criticizes New Diversity Requirements for Oscar Contention: 'They Make Me Vomit'". People. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Shankman, Sabrina (May 27, 2024). "Beverly theater apologizes after actor Richard Dreyfuss's offensive comments at "Jaws" event". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Chris (May 28, 2024). "Richard Dreyfuss Under Fire for Alleged Sexist Rant at 'Jaws' Screening". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "US theatre apologises for Jaws actor Richard Dreyfuss's 'offensive remarks' during event". ABC News. May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ Saperstein, Pat (May 27, 2024). "Richard Dreyfuss Sparks Outrage, Massachusetts Theater Apologizes for His 'Offensive and Distressing' Remarks at 'Jaws' Screening". Variety. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss' 'distressing and offensive' rant has prompted a Massachusetts theater to apologize". Los Angeles Times. May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Richard Dreyfuss' remarks about women and diversity prompt Massachusetts venue to apologize". CBS News. May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ Photo Flash: Ride of Fame Honors Richard Dreyfuss Broadway World. November 5, 2010.
External links
[edit]- Richard Dreyfuss at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Richard Dreyfuss at IMDb
- Richard Dreyfuss at the TCM Movie Database
- Richard Dreyfuss at the Internet Broadway Database
- Richard Dreyfuss at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- THR: Richard Dreyfuss finds 'Happiness' Archived April 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- The Dreyfuss Initiative
- Richard Dreyfuss interview on BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs, May 14, 1999
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- "Growing Up with Communists & America's Final Stage | Richard Dreyfuss | POLITICS | Rubin Report". YouTube. April 23, 2023.
- 1947 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Alumni of St Antony's College, Oxford
- American Ashkenazi Jews
- American conscientious objectors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American people of Polish-Jewish descent
- American people of Russian-Jewish descent
- Best Actor Academy Award winners
- Best Actor BAFTA Award winners
- Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
- Beverly Hills High School alumni
- California State University, Northridge alumni
- David di Donatello winners
- Jewish agnostics
- Jewish American male actors
- Jewish film people
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- Living people
- Male actors from Brooklyn
- Male actors from Los Angeles
- Male actors from Queens, New York
- People from Bayside, Queens
- People from Sun Valley, Idaho
- People with bipolar disorder