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Who is Richard Dreyfuss

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Richard Dreyfuss

Academy Award winning actor Richard Dreyfuss has played a wide array of characters over his career, and doubtlessly will continue to surprise us with his choices. This New York-born actor had his TV debut at just fifteen years old. He has been active in politics and literature, even co-authoring a book in the mid-90s.

Dreyfuss is best known for his roles in American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, The American President, Poseidon, and Mr. Holland's Opus. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1977 for his role in The Goodbye Girl and was nominated for the award again in 1995 for playing the title character in Mr. Holland's Opus.

Image courtesy of Nightscream via Wikimedia Commons, cropped by BlueObsidian

Richard Dreyfuss Articles

Are you looking to read more about the movies or personal life of Richard Dreyfuss? Keep an eye out here for the latest news articles about this talented actor.
Richard Dreyfuss joins cast of 'Squatters'
NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Richard Dreyfuss has joined the cast of "Squatters," the latest film from "The Hills Have Eyes 2" director Martin Weisz. From a script by Justin Shilton, "Squatters" tells the story of a young homeless couple who move into a ...
Richard Dreyfuss SQUATTERS Helena Bonham Carter and Kathy Bates THE YOUNG AND ...
by Dave Trumbore Posted:May 16th, 2012 at 8:35 pm Richard Dreyfuss has joined the indie pic, Squatters, along with Lolita Davidovich, Nancy Travis, Evan Ross, Luke Grimes and Andrew Howard. Helena Bonham Carter and Kathy Bates have joined Amelie ...
'Piranha' hopes to lure moviegoers
Combining a silly, self-aware sensibility with over-the-top gore, the original comedic horror film starring the likes of Richard Dreyfuss, Christopher Lloyd and Elizabeth Shue as townsfolk fighting off prehistoric flesh-eating fish became a ...
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Richard Dreyfuss Videos

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Jaws

Jaws was a summer blockbuster and a major feature in Richard Dreyfuss's career. Dreyfuss plays oceanographer Matt Hooper, who is helping local police and a shark hunter track down a great white shark who has been attacking swimmers at a summer resort town. Jaws set new records for box-office earnings.
Jaws [Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet] (Universal's 100th Anniversary)

Jaws [Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet] (Universal's 100th Anniversary)

Amazon Price: $19.96 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

Be honest, do you still have Jaws on VHS? Why not upgrade your copy with this combo pack that includes the Blu-Ray, DVD, and a digital copy of the film. Pre-order this package and you get the Amazon price guarantee - if the price decreases anytime between your order and the release date (August 14, 2012), you will pay the lowest offered price. It is fully remastered and restored.

Three Reasons to Love Richard Dreyfuss

From Jaws to Mr. Holland's Opus to American Graffiti, there are four decades worth of reasons to love Richard Dreyfuss! Here are a few of mine:

1) At age 30, he became the youngest person to win the Best Actor Academy Award (although the record has since been surpassed).

2) Dreyfuss is outspoken in the political realm, arguing passionately for privacy, freedom of speech, democracy, and individual accountability.

3) Dreyfuss is a Hollywood comeback story, overcoming a drug addiction to continue on with a wonderfully successfully career.

Mr. Holland's Opus

Richard Dreyfuss earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the title character in Mr. Holland's Opus. Mr. Holland was a music teacher who inspired his class of high school students in Portland, OR. He deals with many issues that still plague education, such as the hierarchy of programs which frequently leaves music and the arts at the bottom (or even defunded entirely).
Mr. Holland's Opus

Mr. Holland's Opus

Amazon Price: $3.88 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

Mr. Holland's Opus is one of those feel-good movies that leaves you overjoyed (or maybe a little teary-eyed) at the conclusion. Everyone should see it at least once!

Release Date: 08/24/1999

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The American President

The American President is my all-time favorite movie. Richard Dreyfuss plays Senator Bob Rumson, a presidential hopeful attempting to unseat Michael Douglas.
The American President

The American President

Amazon Price: $4.99 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

In a contrast to the character he plays in Mr. Holland's Opus, Bob Rumson is just a touch evil and looking to pounce on any perceived weakness the President might have. Even as time passes, the story still reveals a glimpse into political debate. The acting is brilliant. Dreyfuss plays an exceptional bad guy!

More Richard Dreyfuss Films

Are you missing something from your collection? Check out these great films!
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The Goodbye Girl

The Goodbye Girl

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Mr. Holland's Opus

Mr. Holland's Opus

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Jaws (Two-Disc 30th Anniversary Edition)

Jaws (Two-Disc 30th Anniversary Edition)

Steven Spielberg's terrifying blockbuster is one o more...0 points

American Graffiti

American Graffiti
11 in. x 17 in.
Buy This at Allposters.com

Looking for More Information?

Check out these pages to keep reading about Richard Dreyfuss's movies, politics, and passions!
Richard Dreyfuss - IMDb
Read Dreyfuss's complete profile at the Internet Movie Database. This is one of the most complete filmographies on the web and features details about all his roles.
The Dreyfuss Initiative
The Dreyfuss Initiative describes itself as "a nonprofit corporation formed to revive, elevate and enhance the teaching of civics in the United States of America." Dreyfuss is passionate about the political discourse and debate that are the basis of democracy.

Shout Out For Richard Dreyfuss!

Share your stories, sightings, thoughts, rants, raves...

  • MiddleSister May 26, 2012 @ 9:57 am | delete
    Mr. Holland's Opus was kind of sappy and predictable, but I really, really liked it anyway!
  • orange3 May 26, 2012 @ 12:16 am | delete
    My favorites is Mr. Holland's Opus. He was really great in that movie!
  • Big_Joe Apr 14, 2012 @ 11:28 pm | delete
    Richard is great in all of his movies, from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind to Down And Out In Beverley Hills, Richard always does a great job.
    And so did you,... on this lens... Nice work.
    Liked and Blessed
  • LiteraryMind Apr 6, 2012 @ 5:51 pm | delete
    He played a good Dick Cheney in "W" too. Nice lens.
  • JoshK47 Apr 6, 2012 @ 10:17 am | delete
    Definitely among my favorite actors - great in Close Encounters!
  • flycatcher Apr 5, 2012 @ 9:52 pm | delete
    I admit, I still get a bit teary-eyed over The Goodbye Girl.
  • The-Perfect-Present Mar 22, 2012 @ 12:05 am | delete
    He's been in some great movies!
  • veryirie Mar 5, 2012 @ 12:45 am | delete
    The Goodbye Girl was my first real introduction to him. Fantastic!
  • poddys Mar 4, 2012 @ 12:43 pm | delete
    Richard Dreyfuss has had some amazing roles. Mr Holland's Opus was a great movie.
  • Beautiful-Bridal Mar 4, 2012 @ 12:38 pm | delete
    Richard Dreyfuss is one of my favorite all time actors but he doesn't make enough movies!
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About the Author

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BlueObsidian

I'm a 20-something from the West Coast. After college, I attended culinary school, took a job as a pastry chef, and began to invest more time in freelance... more »

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