Richard Dreyfuss Biography

Fast Facts

• Was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War; performed his alternative service at Los Angeles County General Hospital
• Began his acting career with appearances on 1960s sitcoms like Karen and Bewitched
• In 1978, the 30-year-old actor was the youngest person to win a Best Actor Oscar, for The Goodbye Girl
• That record held until 29-year-old Adrien Brody won for The Pianist in 2003
• Made his directorial debut with a 1994 production of Hamlet for England's Birmingham Theatre Company
• Has said he patterns his work after Spencer Tracy, Edward G
• Robinson and Paul Muni
• A political and social activist, he is active in the American Civil Liberties Union, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a board member of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia