Richard Dreyfuss Bio, Son, Net Worth, Spouse or Wife, Children, Family

Quick Facts

Richard Dreyfuss might not have the most recognizable name or face in Hollywood even though his repertoire of work suggests he should, seeing that he was once the youngest person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. The New York-born actor, who further has a Golden Globe and BAFTA Award in his collection, is best recognized for appearing in movies like Jaws (1975) and Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995).

Biography

Richard Dreyfuss was born Richard Stephen Dreyfus to Jewish parents; Geraldine and Norman Dreyfus on the 29th of October, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. Dreyfuss spent his formative years in New York and then Europe, before returning to the United States at the age of nine to live in Los Angeles, California.

From a young age, while attending Beverly Hills High School, Dreyfuss began learning how to act at the Westside Jewish Community Center and at the Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills Arts Center. By the time he was 15, he was able to land his first acting job in the television production of In Mama’s House.

After graduating from high school, Dreyfuss enrolled at San Fernando Valley State College, what is today known as California State University, Northridge. After one year in college, Dreyfuss left school to pursue his acting career as he was also working in alternate service as a clerk in a hospital after having conscientiously objected to serving in the Vietnam War. He appeared in a number of small television roles before moving to New York to perform on and off Broadway, among other theatres.

In 1973, after having made a few minor and uncredited appearances in a number of movies, Richard Dreyfuss was able to land his first major movie roles, first in the gangster film Dillinger and then in the comedy American Graffiti, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor. His performances in these movies earned him the leading role in The Apprenticeship of DuddyKravitz (1974) which he gained more plaudits for his performance. In the following years, Dreyfuss starred in the directed films Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) as well as in The Goodbye Girl (1977) which he was awarded an Academy and Golden Globe Award for his performance.

In recent time, after having battled drug use in the late 70s and 80s and then taken some time off acting, Dreyfuss has appeared in movies like Nuts (1987), The Education of Max Bickford (2001-02) and The Old Man Who Read Love Stories (2001), among others television and theatre roles.

Richard Dreyfuss Net Worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Richard Dreyfuss has an estimated net worth of $5 million. The actor is said to have made most of his wealth from his career in front of the camera, however, he has been credited with co-authoring a novel with popular science-fiction writer Harry Turtledove, which is said to have given him a good payday.

Family – Spouse, Wife, Children

Richard Dreyfuss is currently in his third marriage. The 1979 Best Actor in a Leading Role BAFTA Award-winner was first married to Jeramie Rain, an actress turned screenwriter and producer who is best known for starring in The Last House on the Left (1972) and Preacherman Meets Widderwoman (1973). Dreyfuss and Rain exchanged vows in 1983 and were married for 12 years before calling it quits in 1995. Together, they had three children; Emily who was born in 1983, Benjamin who was born 1986, and Harry who was born in 1990.

Four years after his first marriage ended, Dreyfuss married Janelle Lacey on the 30th of May, 1999. The pair reportedly met each other a year before in 1998 before deciding to take the bold step of committing to themselves. Unfortunately for both parties, the marriage lasted for only six years before they divorced. Dreyfuss looked to have moved on quickly from his second wife as he got married for the third time just a year later in 2006 to Russian-born American, Svetlana Erokhin.

Son

Richard Dreyfuss’ eldest son, Benjamin Dreyfuss, is a journalist and actor. He is best known for playing the role of a young Bernie Madoff in the ABC miniseries Madoff (2016). On the journalistic side of his career, he has worked for investigative reporting magazine and website Mother Jones where he is credited for making it appealing to millennials.

Benjamin Dreyfuss is blind in his left eye. He was born with a rare genetic eye disorder known as Peters Anomaly which required him to get operated on as a child to correct. The less than one-year-old baby went through 23 eye operations which were unsuccessful and led to him losing his eyesight in that eye completely.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.