Gary Drier, known professionally as Moosie Drier (born August 6, 1964) is an American

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. He is best known for his roles as Adam Landers in '' Oh, God!'' and Riley on '' Kids Incorporated''. Drier had regular appearances on '' Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' and '' The Bob Newhart Show''. Moosie has also worked as a

voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

and as a director.

Life and career

Drier was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

but raised in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. He was named after former New York Yankee Bill "Moose" Skowron, who was a friend of Drier's father. He attended U.S. Grant High School, Van Nuys, California, from which he graduated in 1982. Drier began his television career as a recurring performer on '' Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' from the middle of season three to the final season in 1973, hosting a "Kid News for Kids" segment. His first dramatic role was as a deaf boy in two 1972 episodes of ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called ''Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another fic ...

''. During this period, Drier had movie roles in the 1972

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...

comedy, ''

The War Between Men and Women ''The War Between Men and Women'' is a 1972 American comedy-drama film directed by Melville Shavelson and starring Jack Lemmon, Barbara Harris, and Jason Robards. The film is based on the writings of humorist James Thurber, and was released by ...

'', the 1972

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

comedy '' Up the Sandbox'', and the made-for-TV comedies ''

Roll, Freddy, Roll! ''Roll, Freddy, Roll!'' is a 1974 American TV comedy film directed by Bill Persky. Synopsis Freddy is a computer engineer working at Menlo Computer Machine. His secretary notifies him that his ex-wife had a whirlwind romance with flamboyant, ...

'' (1974) and '' All Together Now'' (1975). In 1977 he was cast in '' Oh, God!'' starring

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...

as Jerry Landers and George Burns as God. He followed this with a prominent role in the Alan Freed screen biography ''

American Hot Wax ''American Hot Wax'' is a 1978 biographical film directed by Floyd Mutrux with a screenplay by John Kaye from a story by John Kaye and Art Linson. The film tells the story of pioneering disc jockey Alan Freed, who in the 1950s helped introduce ...

'' (1978), in which the adolescent Drier recounts his reaction to

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

's death in a broken voice. At the age of ten, Drier began voice acting as a regular character on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

’s 1974 '' These Are the Days''. Other recurring television roles included "Howie Borden" on '' The Bob Newhart Show'' and on CBS’s short-lived series ''

Executive Suite An executive suite in its most general definition is a collection of offices or rooms—or suite—used by top managers of a business—or executives. Over the years, this general term has taken on a variety of specific meanings. Corporate off ...

'' as B.J. Koslo. He made appearances on '' The Waltons'' (1973), ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...

'' (1973), '' Apple's Way'' (1974), '' Police Story'' (3 episodes, 1974-75), '' Emergency!'' (2 episodes; 1975), '' Doc'' (1975), and '' Little House on the Prairie'' (1976), '' CHiPs'' (1980), '' Family Ties'' (1983), '' Kids Incorporated'' (1984), '' Diff'rent Strokes'' (1986), '' The A-Team'' (1986), ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order t ...

'' (1986), '' Blacke's Magic'' (1986), '' Cagney & Lacey'' (1986), ''

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

'' (1986), '' Just the Ten of Us'' (1988), '' The Munsters Today'' (1990), and ''

Jack & Jill "Jack and Jill" (sometimes "Jack and Gill", particularly in earlier versions) is a traditional English nursery rhyme. The Roud Folk Song Index classifies the commonest tune and its variations as number 10266, although it has been set to severa ...

'' (2000). During his early acting career, Drier also appeared in three

ABC Afterschool Special ''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American television anthology series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presen ...

s, in one of which, ''Hewitt's Just Different'', Drier had a lead role as "Willie Arthur", the friend of the

developmentally disabled Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

title character. His late 1970s and early 1980s roles included ''

When Every Day Was the Fourth of July ''When Every Day Was the Fourth of July'' is a 1978 American television film, made-for-television drama (film and television), drama film about a Jewish-American family in 1937 Bridgeport, Connecticut. Narrated in first person flashback, the stor ...

'' (1978) and

Peter Benchley Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 11, 2006) was an American author, screenwriter, and ocean activist. He is known for his bestselling novel ''Jaws'' and co-wrote its film adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works w ...

's thriller ''Hunters of the Reef'' (1978). Other teen roles consist primarily of biographical dramas; most notably, Drier played a young

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

in the 1978

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

biography '' Rainbow''. The year 1978 also saw the filming of the made-for TV Jack Albertson vehicle ''Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase'', which was not released until three years later, in 1981. In the 1980s made-for-TV movie ''Homeward Bound'', he played a terminally ill young man, Bobby Seaton, who spends a last summer vacation repairing his relationship with his father, Jake, played by David Soul. During the late 1990s, Drier accepted minor roles in the sci-fi space-ship hijack thriller ''

Velocity Trap ''Velocity Trap'' is a 1999 television film directed by Phillip J. Roth and starring Olivier Gruner, Alicia Coppola, and Ken Olandt. Plot The main character, Ray Stokes (Olivier Gruner) is a down-on-his luck police officer on a distant, corrupt ...

'' (1997) and '' Storm Trackers'' (1999), a thriller about a secret military weather control machine gone awry. Since 2000, he has specialized in voice-over work in such films as ''

Teaching Mrs. Tingle ''Teaching Mrs. Tingle'' is a 1999 American teen black comedy thriller film written and directed by Kevin Williamson, in his directorial debut, and starring Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Marisa Coughlan, Barry Watson, and Jeffrey Tambor. It fol ...

'' (1999), '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''

What Lies Beneath ''What Lies Beneath'' is a 2000 American supernatural horror thriller film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as a couple who live in a haunted house. It was the first film by Zemeckis' production company ...

'' (2000) '' Shrek'' (2001), ''

40 Days and 40 Nights ''40 Days and 40 Nights'' is a 2002 satirical erotic romantic comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann, written by Rob Perez, and starring Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon and Paulo Costanzo. The film depicts Matt Sullivan, a San Francisco web d ...

'' (2002), '' The Shape of Things'' (2003), ''

Jungle Book 2 ''The Jungle Book 2'' is a 2003 animated adventure film produced by the Australian office at DisneyToon Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. The theatrical version of the film was released in France on Febr ...

'' (2003), ''

the Lion King 1½ ''The Lion King 1½'' (also known as ''The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata'', or ''The Lion King III: Hakuna Matata'') is a 2004 American animation, animated direct-to-video musical film, musical comedy film produced by the Australian branch of Disney ...

'' (2004), '' The Chronicles of Riddick'' (2004), '' Hauru no ugoku shiro'' (Eng: ''Howl's Moving Castle'') in 2004, and ''

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

'' (2005). Drier directed episodes of such series as '' Reba'' (2005) and ''

Too Late with Adam Carolla ''Too Late with Adam Carolla'' was a late night talk show hosted by Adam Carolla and produced by Jackhole Industries, a team made up of old collaborators: Carolla, Jimmy Kimmel, and Daniel Kellison. The show, which mixed celebrity interviews, cha ...

'' (2005). He directed a well-received children's musical, ''Precious Piglet and Her Pals'' at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks as well as the critically acclaimed ''Love Like Blue'' in 2007, also at the Whitefire Theatre.

Personal life

Selected filmography

Television

* 1968 : '' Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'': Regular Performer (1971–1973) * 1972 : ''

'': Tommy * 1972 : '' Here Comes the Judge'' (TV): First child * 1972 : '' The Bob Newhart Show'' (TV): recurring character: Howie Borden (1972–77) * 1973 : '' The Waltons'' (TV) Georgie * 1973 : ''

'' (TV): Dennis Wingard * 1974 : '' Apple's Way'' (TV): Craig Carlson * 1974 : ''Runaways'' (TV special): Freddie Britton * 1974 : '' These Are the Days'' (TV, voice) * 1974 : ''

'' (TV) : Tommy Danton * 1975 : '' Police Story'' (TV): Mike Brenner, Kevin Prescott * 1975 : '' All Together Now'' (TV): Rafe * 1975 : '' Doc'' (TV): Michael * 1975 : '' Emergency! (TV) S5Ep13 as Rick Jenkins'' * 1976 : '' Little House on the Prairie'' (TV): Junior Barrett * 1976 : ''

'' (TV): B.J. Koslo (a recurring character) * 1977 : ''Hewitt's Just Different'' (ABC TV Special): Willie Arthur * 1977 : ''

It Happened at Lakewood Manor ''It Happened at Lakewood Manor'' (also known by the titles ''Ants'' and ''Panic at Lakewood Manor'') is a 1977 American made-for-television horror film starring Lynda Day George, Suzanne Somers, Myrna Loy, Brian Dennehy and Bernie Casey. It wa ...

'' (TV): Tommy West * 1978 : ''

'' (ABC TV Special): Howie Martin * 1978 : '' Rainbow'' Mickey Rooney * 1980 : ''

Homeward Bound Homeward may refer to: * ''Homeward'' (film), a 2019 film * "Homeward" (song), a song by The Sundays from their 1997 album ''Static and Silence'' * "Homeward" (''TNG'' episode), a ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode from the seventh seaso ...

'' (TV): Bobby Seaton * 1980 : '' CHiPs'' (TV): Wayne * 1981 : ''Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase'' (TV movie): Morris O'Neill (produced 1978) * 1983 : ''Andrea's Story: A Hitchhiking Tragedy'' (ABC TV Special): David * 1983 : '' Family Ties'' (TV): Arnie * 1984 : '' Kids Incorporated'' (TV): Riley (1984–1988) * 1986 : '' Diff'rent Strokes'' (TV): John * 1986 : '' The A-Team'' (TV): Bobby Sherman * 1986 : ''

'' (TV): Tim Charles Jr * 1986 : '' Blacke's Magic'' (TV): Dale * 1986 : '' Cagney & Lacey'' (TV): Gorham * 1986 : ''

'' (TV): Phillip Epperson * 1988 : '' Just the Ten of Us'' (TV): Warren * 1990 : '' The Munsters Today'' (TV): The Gateman's Son * 2000 : ''

'' (TV)

Filmography (actor)

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

: ''

'': David Kozlenko *

: '' Up the Sandbox'': Billy *

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

: ''The Toy Game'': Matthew Norris *

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

: '' Oh, God!'': Adam Landers *

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

: ''

'': Artie Moress, Buddy Holly Fanclub President *

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

: '' The Hollywood Knights'': Moosie *

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

: ''

The 'burbs ''The 'Burbs'' is a 1989 American black comedy film directed by Joe Dante, and starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal, Henry Gibson, and Gale Gordon. The film was written by Dana Olsen, who ma ...

'': voice *

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

: ''

'': E.D. Officer *

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

: ''Storm Trackers'': Radar Tech

Filmography (director)

* 1988 : '' Kids Incorporated'' (TV): Kahuna Kids * 2005 : '' Reba'' (TV) * 2005 : ''

'' (TV) * 2009 : ''The Peacemaker'' (TV pilot)

Theater (director/producer)

* 2005: ''Precious Piglet and Her Pals'' * 2007: ''Love Like Blue'' * 2012: ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", the play was written by him between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his p ...

'' * 2013: ''

God of Carnage ''God of Carnage'' (originally in French ''Le Dieu du carnage'') is a play by Yasmina Reza that was first published in 2008. It is about two sets of parents; the son of one couple has hurt the son of the other couple at a public park. The paren ...

'' * 2014: ''Hollywood Shorts'', ''Lend Me a Tenor'', ''Littlest Angel'' * 2015: ''Hollywood Shorts'', ''Dead Pilots Society'', ''Hound of the Baskervilles''

Bibliography

* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995''. Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 349-350.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drier, Moosie 1964 births American male child actors American male television actors American male film actors American television directors American theatre directors Living people Male actors from Los Angeles Grant High School (Los Angeles) alumni