Andy Dick

Andrew Roane Dick (born Andrew Thomlinson, December 21, 1965) is an American actor and comedian. Dick was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and joined The Second City and studied improvisational theater. Dick has had a long career as a stand-up comedian; he has appeared throughout the United States, has released several comedy albums, and has acted in television and film. Dick's first regular television role was on The Ben Stiller Show on Fox. In the mid-1990s, he regularly appeared on NBC's NewsRadio and as a supporting character on Less than Perfect. He also had two short-lived television series on MTV; these were the sketch comedy series The Andy Dick Show (2001) and the reality series The Assistant (2004). He also is noted for his behavior on a number of Comedy Central Roasts, stand-up comedy performances, and late night talk show appearances.

Dick is also known for his eccentric behavior, problems with drug addiction, allegations of sexual misconduct, and arrests. Dick has said he has tried to deal with his drug and alcohol-use disorders for years and by 2016, he said he had undergone drug rehabilitation programs 20 times. In 2022, after a conviction for a 2018 offense, Dick was ordered to register as a sex offender.

Early life and education

Andy 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 was named Andrew Roane Dick. He was brought up as a Presbyterian. His father was in the Navy.

As a child, Dick lived with his family in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, and Yugoslavia before moving to Chicago in 1979. He attended George Walton Comprehensive High School in Cobb County, Georgia. Dick appeared in numerous theater productions during his high-school years, and was elected homecoming king of his senior year in 1983. He graduated from Joliet West High School in Joliet, Illinois, in 1984.

While in high school, Dick used his surname as a joke; 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-based theater group The Second City and attended Illinois Wesleyan University for a semester before attending Columbia College Chicago, where he spent most of his university career, and took improvisational theater (improv) comedy classes at iO Theater.

Career

Television

Andy Dick started his television 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 August 1995. 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 Letterman a watch. Letterman then handed Dick a pencil, prompting Dick to cry and walk backstage.

In 1994, Dick played a stylist named Pepé in The Nanny episode "Maggie the Model". He also starred as Zachary Smart, the son of Maxwell Smart and Agent 99, in Get Smart (1995), a role he tried to escape to work on NewsRadio. In 2001, Dick starred with Kieran Culkin on the short-lived NBC television series Go Fish.

Dick has regularly appeared on several sitcoms, including NewsRadio on NBC (1995–1999), portraying reporter Matthew Brock, and on the ABC sitcom Less than Perfect as Owen Kronsky.

In 2001, Dick, along with colleagues and producers, developed The Andy Dick Show for MTV that ended in 2003 after three seasons. In 2004, Dick starred in the MTV satirical reality television show The Assistant, which parodies themes and scenes from The Apprentice, The Bachelor, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Survivor.

Dick had also had a guest appearance 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, in which finished in last place behind Robin Tunney, Christopher Meloni, Macy Gray, and Joy Behar.

In 2008, Dick appeared on episode No. 3 of The Real World: Hollywood to tell cast members 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 was placed seventh in the competition. Dick appeared on ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap on July 14, 2013.

Films

One of Andy Dick's 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 comedian Pauly Shore in the 1994 war comedy film In the Army Now. Also in 1994, Dick made a cameo in Ben Stiller's directorial debut, Reality Bites.

In 1997, Dick had a supporting role alongside Luke Wilson and Jack Black in Bongwater as Wilson's gay friend who gives him a place to stay after his house is destroyed by fire. In 1999, Dick played one of Dr. Claw's henchmen in Inspector Gadget.

In 2000, Dick made a cameo appearance in Dude, Where's My Car?. The same year, he appeared as a motel clerk in the teenage comedy Road Trip. In 2001, Dick made a cameo as Olga the Masseuse in Ben Stiller's comedy Zoolander.

In 2002, Dick appeared as a taxi cab driver in the band Ash's music video "Envy". In 2003, he appeared in Will Ferrell's Old School as Barry the oral sex instructor and as a villainous Santa in The Hebrew Hammer. In 2005, Dick was featured in the documentary The Aristocrats. In 2006, he appeared in Employee of the Month as Lon, a nearsighted optician. He also provided the voice of Mambo in Happily N'Ever After (2007) and the voice of Boingo in Hoodwinked! (2005).

Dick's feature-film-directing debut was the 2006 film Danny Roane: First Time Director. In late December 2008, Dick announced on his official website he had finished writing a script for a film titled Daphne Aguilera: Get into It, starring his alter-ego Daphne Aguilera.

Voiceover work

In 1998, Andy Dick voiced 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 2005. In November 2016, Dick reprised his role as Nuka for the television series The Lion Guard.

In 2000, Dick voiced Dilbert's assistant in the animated television show Dilbert. He also voiced the recurring character "Monkey Man" on the Nickelodeon television series Hey Arnold!.

In 2002, Dick provided the voice of Mr Sheepman and other characters in the short-lived animated series Clone High.

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 segment Adult Swim.

Web series

While under house arrest in 2009, Dick created and starred in the five-episode web series House Arrest with Andy Dick, in whick Dick interviews 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 with Melinda Hill in the first episode of the web series All Growz Up to talk about his early career and give advice to aspiring performers.

Personal life

From 1986 to 1990, Andy Dick was married to Ivone Kowalczyk, with whom he has a son who was born in 1988. He also has a son and a daughter with Lena Sved. In a 2006 interview with The Washington Post, Dick said he is bisexual.

Dick has struggled with drug and alcohol dependence, and has undergone drug rehabilitation programs 20 times.

Legal issues and controversies

Arrests and legal actions

On May 15, 1999, Dick drove his car into a utility pole in Hollywood, California. He was charged with possession of cocaine, cannabis, and drug paraphernalia; driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs; and hit-and-run driving. He later pleaded guilty to felony cocaine possession, misdemeanor cannabis possession, and possession of a "smoking device". The charges were dismissed after Dick completed an 18-month drug diversion program.

On December 4, 2004, Dick was arrested for indecent exposure after he exposed his buttocks at a McDonald's outlet.

On July 16, 2008, Dick was arrested in Murrieta, California, on suspicion of drug possession and sexual battery. He exposed the breasts of a 17-year-old girl when he allegedly grabbed and pulled down her tank top and brassiere. During a search of his person, police reported finding a small quantity of cannabis and one alprazolam (Xanax) tablet, for which Dick did not have a prescription. Dick was released from jail after posting $5,000 bail and later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and marijuana possession. He was sentenced to three years probation and around $700 in fines, and was ordered to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet for one year.