| Andy Dick | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Andrew Thomlinson |
| Born: | December 21, 1965 |
| Birth Hometown: | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Occupation: | Comedian, actor, musician, and television and film producer |
| Years active: | 1986-present |
Andrew Roane Dick (born Andrew Thomlinson; December 21, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, musician, and television and film producer. Known professionally as a comic, his first regular television role was on the short-lived but influential Ben Stiller Show. In the mid-1990s, he had a long-running stint on NBC's NewsRadio and was a supporting character on Less than Perfect. He briefly had his own program, The Andy Dick Show, on MTV. He is noted for his outlandish behavior on a number of Comedy Central Roastsand other appearances. He is also known for his eccentric behavior, drug addiction, and numerous sexual misconduct allegations and arrests
Early life and education
Dick was born on December 21, 1965, in Charleston, South Carolina, as Andrew Thomlinson. He was adopted at birth by Allen and Sue Dick, and named Andrew Roane Dick. He was brought up Presbyterian. His father was in the Navy.
As a child, he spent time living with his family in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, and Yugoslavia before moving to Chicago in 1979. He attended Lassiter High School, which was being temporarily housed at George Walton Comprehensive High School in Cobb County, Georgia. Dick appeared in numerous theater productions during his high school year. He was elected homecoming king his senior year in 1983. He graduated from Joliet West High School in Joliet, Illinois in 1984.
While in high school, he tended to use his surname as a joke; and one day, he dressed in a homemade superhero costume and presented himself at school as "Super Dick". Dick has been a friend of actor Anthony Rapp since childhood.
After high school, Dick joined Chicago's Second City, attended Illinois Wesleyan University for a semester before attending Columbia College Chicago, where he performed most of his university studies, and took improv comedy classes at iO Theater.
Career
Dick started his TV comedy career as a cast member on the sketch comedy program The Ben Stiller Show, which aired on the Fox Network from September 1992 to January 1993.
In 1993, on the third night of David Letterman's new CBS show, Dick appeared as "Donnie the CBS Page Who Likes to Suck Up", during which he gave a watch to Letterman. The host then handed him a pencil, prompting Dick to cry and then walk backstage to much applause.
In 1994, Dick played the part of Pepé the stylist in the episode "Maggie the Model" on The Nanny. He also starred as Zachary Smart, the son of Maxwell Smart and Agent 99, in the Get Smart Fox television remake (a role he reportedly tried to escape in order to go into work with NewsRadio). In 2001, Dick starred along with Kieran Culkin on the short lived NBC summer television series Go Fish.
Dick has been a series regular on several sitcoms for their entire duration, including NewsRadio on NBC (1995–1999), portraying accident-prone reporter Matthew Brock, and on the ABC sitcom Less than Perfect as Owen Kronsky.
In 2001, he, along with colleagues and producers, developed a show on MTV called The Andy Dick Show. The series ended in 2003 after three seasons. In 2004, he starred in a satirical reality television show, also on MTV, called The Assistant. The show spoofed themes and scenes from The Apprentice, The Bachelor, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Survivor, among others.
Dick had also had a guest shot on Star Trek: Voyager as the Emergency Medical Hologram Mark II in "Message in a Bottle". He competed in the eighth season of Celebrity Poker Showdown. He finished in last place, behind Robin Tunney, Christopher Meloni, Macy Gray, and Joy Behar.
On May 16, 2007, Dick was roasted on The Howard Stern Show by Artie Lange, Lisa Lampanelli, Reverend Bob Levy, Sal Governale, Shuli, Colin Quinn, Benjy Bronk, Dave Attell, Greg Fitzsimmons, and Yucko the Clown.
In 2008, Dick appeared on episode No. 3 of The Real World: Hollywood to tell cast members that they would be taking improv classes.
Dick was a contestant on Season 16 of Dancing With the Stars in 2013. He was partnered with former troupe member, Sharna Burgess, and placed seventh in the competition. Dick was on ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap on July 14, 2013.
One of his earliest film roles was a fictional version of himself in the film adaptation of video game Double Dragon. In 1993, Dick played himself in the mockumentary The Making of... And God Spoke. He also starred alongside MTV comedian Pauly Shore in the 1994 war comedy film In the Army Now.
In 1997, Dick had a supporting role alongside Luke Wilson and Jack Black in Bongwater, as Luke Wilson's gay friend who gives him a place to stay after his house burns to the ground. In 1999, Dick played one of Dr. Claw's henchmen in the movie Inspector Gadget.
In 2000, he made a cameo role in the motion picture Dude, Where's My Car?. That same year, he also appeared in the teenage comedy film Road Trip, playing a motel clerk. In 2001, Dick made a cameo in Ben Stiller's comedy Zoolander as Olga the Masseuse (Dick also made a cameo in Stiller's directorial debut, Reality Bites, in 1994).
In 2002, he was featured in the band Ash's music video "Envy" as a taxi cab driver. In 2003, he appeared in Will Ferrell's Old School as a gay sex education teacher, and as a villainous Santa in the movie The Hebrew Hammer. In 2005, Dick was featured in the documentary The Aristocrats. In 2006, he appeared in the film Employee of the Month as Lon, a nearsighted optician. He also provided the voice of Mombo in 2007's Happily N'Ever After and the voice of Boingo in Hoodwinked!.
His feature film directing debut was the 2006 film Danny Roane: First Time Director. In late December 2008, Dick announced on his official website that he had finished writing a script for a film starring his alter-ego Daphne Aguilera titled, Daphne Aguilera: Get into It.
In 1998, he lent his voice to the villain Nuka in the Disney direct-to-video animated film The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and provided the voice of Boingo for the Hoodwinked! movies. In November 2016, Dick reprised his role as Nuka for The Lion Guard TV series.
In 1999, he featured as the voice of Dilbert's assistant in the Dilbert animated series. He also was the voice of recurring character "Monkey Man" on the Nickelodeon TV series Hey Arnold!.
In 2002, Dick provided the voice of Mr. Sheepman and various other characters in the short-lived animated series Clone High.
Dick provides the voice of Maurice from the radio station WCTR's segment "Gardening with Maurice" in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and he provided the voice of Aunt Beth in the 2006 video game Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. He also was the voice of Dylan in 'The Reef'.
As of October 2006, Dick has hosted his own radio program, The Shit Show, on Howard Stern's Sirius channel Howard 101 every Thursday night at midnight eastern.
On August 19, 2009, Dick became a downloadable character in the PlayStation Network's video game Pain. In 2010, Dick voiced Jesus Christ in an episode of Mary Shelley's Frankenhole on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.
While under house arrest in 2009, Dick created and starred in the five-episode web series House Arrest with Andy Dick. The series features Dick's interviews with celebrity guests including Greg Grunberg, Drew Pinsky, Mo Collins, Joey Greco, and Jennifer Coolidge.
In 2012, Dick hosted Andy Dick Live!. Dick and Pauly Shore discussed the possibility of a sequel to In the Army Now during his appearance on the show.
On September 19, 2013, Dick appeared in the first episode of the web series All Growz Up with Melinda Hill to talk about his early career and give advice to aspiring performers.
Personal life
Dick was married to Ivone Kowalczyk from 1986 to 1990, with whom he has a son, Lucas (b. 1988). He also has a son and a daughter with Lena Sved.
In a 2006 interview with The Washington Post, he said he is bisexual.
In March 2021, Page Six reported that Dick was engaged to Elisa Jordana.
Shows appeared
- Hollywood Squares
- Celebrity Blackjack
- Celebrity Poker Showdown
- Dancing with the Stars
- Riot
- Cupcake Wars
- Celebrity Food Fight