With his memorably eccentric appearances on popular sitcoms like News Radio and Less than Perfect, wacky comedian Andy Dick made his name both on screen as a certifiable scene stealer, and off screen as being something close to certifiable. For a substantial portion of his career, there was reason to wonder whether Dicks instability was simply one more put-on from a dyed-in-the-wool prankster. Things became clearer in 1999, however, when Dick was charged with numerous crimes (among them several charges of drug possession), after he was caught fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run accident he had caused. Although Dick continued performing and underwent treatment for substance abuse in the years that followed, his fame as a comedic performer was eventually eclipsed by his outsized personality and growing penchant for self-destruction.
Born Andrew Thomlinson on Dec. 21, 1965 in Charleston, SC, he was adopted as a newborn by Allen and Sue Dick, a Navy couple who moved frequently. Dick graduated from Joliet High School in Joliet, IL, but spent parts of his youth in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and, for a time, Yugoslavia. Although he would later become known for his outsider personality, Dick was actually voted Homecoming King in high school perhaps thanks to his campaign slogan, "Don't vote for a jock, vote for A. Dick!" Dick dropped out of both Illinois Wesleyan University and Columbia College in Chicago and set his sights on a career in comedy, becoming a member of the famed Second City Chicago comedy troupe and beginning a low-paying career in stand-up comedy. Although the indignities were manifold he lived in his car for a time Dick also made important contacts, foremost among them was Ben Stiller, with whom he would work a number of times in the future.
In 1992, Dick was one of the four stars on Stillers short-lived, but highly influential MTV show The Ben Stiller Show. In addition to Dick and Stiller (who created the show with Judd Apatow), the program also starred Janeane Garofalo, and Bob Odenkirk. After that show was cancelled in 1993, Dick appeared in a few forgettable productions, most notably in small roles in Paulie Shores In the Army Now (1994) and the Ben Stiller-directed Reality Bites, before finding his way to NewsRadio in 1995 (NBC, 1995-99).
Alongside The Ben Stiller Show, NewsRadio was Dicks most important role to date. As the slow-witted but loveable Matthew, he caused constant chaos on the set of the fictional radio program and was the butt of many of the other characters jokes. Although NewsRadio was not a standout success during its run (it was nearly cancelled before being renewed for a fifth, final season), it provided Dick with his defining role. Tragically, just days after the show was renewed, its star and emotional center, former Saturday Night Live star Phil Hartman, was murdered by his wife, who then promptly killed herself. The final year of NewsRadio was understandably difficult for the entire cast, Dick among them. In fact, Dick was so close to Hartman, who had, in a way, taken the already troubled actor under his wing, that his death hit him harder than most, causing him to tailspin out of control.
A heavy drug user, Dick had already suffered enormous losses in the years preceding Hartmans death. His Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor Chris Farley had died of a drug overdose in 1997, and in early March of 1999, Second City founder Del Close died of complications due to emphysema. At the end of the same month, Suddenly Susan (NBC, 1996-2000) star, David Strickland, a close friend of Dicks', killed himself after the two went on a three-day drug-and-alcohol-fueled bender. After less than two months, the final episode of NewsRadio aired less than two weeks later, Dick slammed his car into a telephone pole. He was eventually charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession, felony possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and fleeing the scene of an accident. After pleading guilty, the spiraling star spent 18 months in rehab and the charges were dismissed.
In 2001, MTV created The Andy Dick Show, but cancelled it in 2003. Giving him another shot in 2004, MTV cast Dick on The Assistant, a brief Apprentice spoof. Although his already turbulent personal life was going from bad to worse, his career did not seem to suffer. Dick became a cast member of ABCs Less Than Perfect (200206). With its quirky ensemble cast, the show had eerie similarities to NewsRadio. Like its predecessor, it was nearly cancelled before being renewed for one more season and it also watched a pivotal character (Eric Roberts, who played vain TV anchorman Will Butler) leave the show in its pen-ultimate season albeit under less somber circumstances.
As he had before and during the run of NewsRadio, Dick also appeared memorably in small roles in films such as Road Trip (2000), Zoolander (2001) and Old School (2003). A prolific voice actor, he also voiced characters for films like Dr. Dolittle 2 (2004) and Shark Bait (2006), as well as numerous TV shows and video games. Most recently, Dick completed filming Danny Roane: First Time Director (2006), his directorial debut in which he also starred, and began to provide voice work for Happily NEver After, for release in 2007. He also co-starred in the less-than-stellar comedy, Employee of the Month (2006) alongside Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson.
Still, as a 2004 citation for possession of a small amount of marijuana indicated, Dick had not completely conquered his substance abuse problems. He increasingly veered towards self-parody, becoming a whipping boy for late night comics, much like his NewsRadio character had once been an object of derision. His erratic behavior, checkered past and perhaps even his bisexuality, also made him an easy target for other roasters during the Comedy Central Roasts he participated in. Perhaps as a defense mechanism, his actions became even more bizarre. In 2006, during a roast of William Shatner, he began licking the faces of several female participants, before allegedly ranting at, groping, and publicly urinating in front of a journalist backstage.
Copyright © Baseline 2009.