Richard Edson (born January 1, 1954) is an American actor and musician.

Personal life

Edson was born in

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...

to a Jewish family. He has one brother, Steven, who resides in the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

area, and two sisters, Andrea, who resides in

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Ne ...

and Jennifer, who resides in New York City. His father, Arnold (1917-2012), was one of the first Marine officers to land at

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

in August 1942. After the war, his father became a toy manufacturer His mother, Marian, a retired school teacher resides in New Rochelle.

Music career

In 1979, Richard was a founding member of the San Francisco art rock band The Alterboys with Snuky Tate, Tono Rondone, Richard Kelly and JC Garrett, playing both drums and trumpet. From 1981 to 1982, he was

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

's original drummer and played drums for Konk at the same time. After the release of Sonic Youth's self-titled debut album, Edson left the band to play with Konk full-time. Edson also played trumpet with San Francisco band

The Offs Formed circa 1978, The Offs were a punk/ska band from San Francisco, started by guitarist Billy Hawk and singer Don Vinil, and later joined by former Hot Tuna drummer Bob Steeler and a rotation of horn players including Bob Roberts, Richard Edso ...

on the group's eponymous 1984 album.

Acting career

Following his music career, Edson has worked as an actor, appearing in over 35 movies. His more notable roles include a disreputable

parking garage A multistorey car park (British and Singapore English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistory, parking building, parking structure, parkade (mainly Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck or indoor parking, is a build ...

attendant in ''

Ferris Bueller's Day Off ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' is a 1986 American teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes and co-produced by Tom Jacobson. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck with supporting roles by Jennifer Grey ...

'' (1986), man at newspaper stand in ''

Desperately Seeking Susan ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn and Madonna. Set in New York City, the plot involves the interaction between two women – a bored housew ...

'' (1985), Richie in ''

Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck first appeared in ''Adventure into F ...

'' (1986), Eddie in

Jim Jarmusch James Robert Jarmusch (; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director and screenwriter. He has been a major proponent of independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films including '' Stranger Than Paradise'' (1984), '' Down by Law'' ( ...

cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...

Stranger Than Paradise ''Stranger Than Paradise'' is a 1984 American black-and-white absurdist deadpan comedy film, co-written, directed and co-edited by Jim Jarmusch, and starring jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor Richard Edson, and ...

'' (1984), real-life gambler Billy Maharg in ''

Eight Men Out ''Eight Men Out'' is a 1988 American sports drama film based on Eliot Asinof's 1963 book ''Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series''. It was written and directed by John Sayles. The film is a dramatization of Major League Baseball's ...

'', and the title character in ''

Joey Breaker ''Joey Breaker'' is a 1993 American romance film starring Richard Edson and Cedella Marley. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Erik King also appear in the film. The film contains some autobiographical elements of its writer and director, Steven Starr. Pl ...

'' (1993). He also appeared in ''

Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

'' (1986), ''

Good Morning, Vietnam ''Good Morning, Vietnam'' is a 1987 American war comedy film written by Mitch Markowitz and directed by Barry Levinson. Set in Saigon in 1965, during the Vietnam War, the film stars Robin Williams as a radio DJ on Armed Forces Radio Service, who ...

'' (1987), ''

Tougher Than Leather ''Tougher Than Leather'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C., released on May 17, 1988, by Profile Records. The album was produced by the group members themselves, Davy D. and Rick Rubin. While the new record did ...

'' (1988), '' Let It Ride'' (1989), and ''

Do the Right Thing ''Do the Right Thing'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson, a ...

'' (1989). He starred in the 1993 movie ''

Super Mario Bros is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for th ...

'' as Spike,

King Koopa , or King Koopa, is a fictional character, the primary antagonist in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise, and the arch-nemesis of Mario. In Japan, the character bears the title of . Bowser is the leader of the turtle-like Koopa ...

's cousin. In 1987, Edson performed live a main role in the

Scott B Scott B and Beth B (also known as Scott and Beth B, Beth and Scott B or The Bs after B Movies) were among the best-known New York No Wave underground film makers of the late 1970s and early 1980s. They went on to form an independent film ...

and

Joseph Nechvatal Joseph Nechvatal (born January 15, 1951) is an American post-conceptual digital artist and Aesthetics, art theoretician who creates computer-assisted paintings and computer animations, often using custom-created computer viruses. Life and work ...

collaboration called ''Not a Door: A Spectacle'' at

Hallwalls Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (aka Hallwalls) is a non-profit art organization located in Buffalo, New York. Since 1974, Hallwalls has shown and shows the work of contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds who work in film, video, literature ...

, based on the poetry of St. John of the Cross,

Flaubert Gustave Flaubert ( , , ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flauber ...

's ''Temptation of St. Anthony'' and works of

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...

and

Georges Bataille Georges Albert Maurice Victor Bataille (; ; 10 September 1897 – 9 July 1962) was a French philosopher and intellectual working in philosophy, literature, sociology, anthropology, and history of art. His writing, which included essays, novels, ...

. Edson played the lead role in three films directed by Raphael Nadjari: '' The Shade'' (1999), '' I Am Josh Polonski's Brother'' (2001) and ''Apartment #5c'' (2002). In 2003, he appeared in the music video for

Cave In Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of ''Until Your Heart Stops'' through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalcore ...

's single, "Anchor". Edson played the central character of the video, a depressed man walking down the street with his feet encased in cement blocks. His television appearances include ''

The Adventures of Pete & Pete ''The Adventures of Pete & Pete'' is an American comedy television series created by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi for Nickelodeon. It centers around two brothers, both named Pete Wrigley, and their humorous and surreal adventures in suburbia ...

''; the third-season finale of '' Homicide: Life on the Street''; and the 1990–91 series ''

Shannon's Deal ''Shannon's Deal'' is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from April 16, 1990, until May 21, 1991. The series was created by John Sayles and executive produced by Stan Rogow. The show centers on a successful Philadelphia corporate lawyer na ...

'', produced by

John Sayles John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for ''Passion Fish'' (1992) and ''L ...

. Edson appeared in a 2007 TV commercial for The Travelers Companies Inc., in which he plays the human personification of risk.

Selected filmography

* 1984 ''

'' as Eddie * 1985 ''

'' as Man With Newspapers * 1986 ''

'' as Garage Attendant * 1986 ''

'' as Ritchie * 1986 '' Crime Story'' (TV Series) as Jake Rennick * 1986 ''

'' as Sal * 1986 ''

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

'' as Turley * 1987 ''

'' as Private Abersold * 1988 ''

'' as Billy Maharg * 1988 ''

'' as Bernie Carteez * 1988 ''The Chair'' as Riot Leader * 1989 '' Bloodhounds of Broadway'' as Johnny Crackow * 1989 ''

'' as Vito * 1989 '' Let It Ride'' as Johnny Casino * 1989 ''

China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake is a United States military facility in California. China Lake may also refer to: Places in the United States *China Lake, Kern County, California, an unincorporated community named for a nearby dry lake * Ch ...

'' as Connie Veesk * 1989 ''

Monsters A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...

'' (TV Series) as Jack Bateman * 1990-1991 ''

'' (TV series) * 1991 ''

Eyes of an Angel ''Eyes of an Angel'' is a 1991 American drama film starring John Travolta and directed by Robert Harmon. It was released in France, Sweden, and on television in the United States as ''The Tender''. It was released straight-to-video in 1994 und ...

'' as Goon * 1992 ''Love Is Like That'' as Bubba-Lilly * 1992 ''

Crossing the Bridge ''Crossing the Bridge'' is a 1992 American drama film starring Josh Charles, Stephen Baldwin and Jason Gedrick. Characters Mort Golden (Josh Charles), Tim Reese (Jason Gedrick) and Danny Morgan (Stephen Baldwin) are friends who embark on a dang ...

'' as Mitchell * 1993 ''Split Ends'' (TV Series) as Eric * 1993 ''

'' as Joey Breaker * 1993 ''Posse'' as Deputy Tom * 1993 ''

Super Mario Bros. is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game '' Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for ...

'' as

Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...

* 1993 '' What About Me'' as Nick * 1993 '' Love, Cheat & Steal'' as Billy Quayle * 1995 ''

Jury Duty Jury duty or jury service is service as a juror in a legal proceeding. Juror selection process The prosecutor and defense can dismiss potential jurors for various reasons, which can vary from one state to another, and they can have a specific ...

'' as Skeets * 1995 ''

Destiny Turns on the Radio ''Destiny Turns on the Radio'' is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Jack Baran. The film starred Dylan McDermott, Nancy Travis, Quentin Tarantino, James LeGros and James Belushi. It marked the film debut role of David Cross, and was the ...

'' as Gage * 1995 '' Strange Days'' as 'Tick' * 1996 '' Scorpion Spring'' as Lem Wells * 1996 ''Marco Polo The Missing Chapter'' as Bergman * 1996 '' Cosas que nunca te dije'' as Steve * 1996 '' The Winner'' as Frankie * 1996 ''

Wedding Bell Blues "Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966. The best known version was a number one hit for the 5th Dimension in 1969. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a woman whose boyfriend has not yet proposed to ...

'' as Tom * 1996 ''An Occasional Hell'' as Rodney Gillen * 1997 '' This World, Then the Fireworks'' as Joe * 1997 ''

Snide and Prejudice ''Snide and Prejudice'' is a 1997 film directed by Philippe Mora. Synopsis At a mental institution, the resident physician, Dr Cohen, encourages his patients who believe that they are important Nazi figures to act out their fantasies. The therapy ...

'' as Rudolph Hess * 1997 ''Double Tap'' as Fischer * 1998 ''

Lulu on the Bridge ''Lulu on the Bridge'' is a 1998 American romantic- mystery drama film written and directed by author Paul Auster and starring Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, and Willem Dafoe. The film is about a jazz saxophone player whose life is transformed after ...

'' as Dave Reilly * 1998 '' Thick as Thieves'' as Danny * 1999 ''

Purgatory Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...

'' (TV Movie) as Euripides * 1999 '' The Shade'' as Simon * 1999 ''Jack of Hearts'' as Henry * 2000 ''

Cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mix ...

'' as Robbo * 2000 ''

The Million Dollar Hotel ''The Million Dollar Hotel'' is a 2000 drama film based on a concept story by Bono and Nicholas Klein, directed by Wim Wenders, and starring Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, and Mel Gibson. The film features music by U2 and various musicians that w ...

'' as Joe * 2000 ''

Timecode A timecode (alternatively, time code) is a sequence of numeric codes generated at regular intervals by a timing synchronization system. Timecode is used in video production, show control and other applications which require temporal coordination ...

'' as Lester Moore * 2000 '' Picking Up the Pieces'' as Edsel Farkus * 2000 '' A Man Is Mostly Water'' as Bud Guy * 2000 '' Desperate But Not Serious'' as Screenwriter * 2001 '' I Am Josh Polonski's Brother'' as Abe Polonski * 2001 ''Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician'' as Thomas * 2001 ''P.O.V. - Point of View'' as Fool On Hill * 2002 '' Sunshine State'' as Steve Tregaskis * 2002 ''Apartment #5C'' as Harold * 2003 ''Highway to Oblivion'' (TV Movie) as Leslie * 2004 ''

Starsky & Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...

'' as Monix * 2004 ''

Land of Plenty ''Land of Plenty'' is a 2004 American drama film directed by Wim Wenders starring Michelle Williams and John Diehl. The title of the film comes from the song "The Land of Plenty" from the album '' Ten New Songs'', written by Leonard Cohen and ...

'' as Jimmy * 2004 '' Frankenfish'' (TV Movie) as Roland * 2004 ''Goodnight, Joseph Parker'' as Frankie * 2005''Welcome to California'' as Husband / Sylvio * 2005 ''

The Kid & I ''The Kid & I'' is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Tom Arnold and Eric Gores. Plot Former actor Bill Williams ( Tom Arnold) is about to commit suicide over his ruined career. He throws out all his stuff ...

'' as Guy Prince * 2006 ''Hard Scrambled'' as Joe * 2006 ''

The Astronaut Farmer ''The Astronaut Farmer'' is a 2006 American drama film directed by Michael Polish, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Mark. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern and Max Thieriot. The plot is about a Texas rancher ...

'' as Chopper Miller * 2006 ''Cut Off'' as Mikey * 2007 ''Under There'' (Short) as Roman * 2008 ''

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

'' as Gus * 2008 ''Momma's Man'' as Tom * 2008 ''

Columbus Day Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. ...

'' as Manny * 2008 ''

Vicious Circle A vicious circle (or cycle) is a complex chain of events that reinforces itself through a feedback loop, with detrimental results. It is a system with no tendency toward equilibrium (social, economic, ecological, etc.), at least in the short r ...

'' as John * 2009 ''

Black Dynamite ''Black Dynamite'' is a 2009 American blaxploitation action comedy film starring Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson, and Salli Richardson. The film was directed by Scott Sanders and co-written by White, Sanders, and Byron Minns, who also co-star ...

'' as Dino * 2009 ''

The Smell of Success ''The Smell of Success'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Michael Polish and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Téa Leoni, Kyle MacLachlan, and Ed Helms. The film was produced by Initiate Productions, and premiered at the 2009 Sundance Fi ...

'' as Nelly 'The Nose ' * 2009 ''The Greims'' (Short) as Larry * 2010 ''

NUMB3RS ''Numbers'' (stylized as ''NUMB3RS'') is an American crime drama television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 23, 2005, to March 12, 2010, for six seasons and 118 episodes. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton ...

'' (TV Series) as Nick Rowland * 2010 '' Happiness Runs'' as Pete * 2010 ''Hands & Eyes'' (Short) as The Artist * 2012 ''

A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III ''A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III'' is a 2012 American comedy film written, directed, and produced by Roman Coppola. It stars Charlie Sheen, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Katheryn Winnick and Patricia Arquette. It premiered at th ...

'' as Sanchez * 2012 ''Averageman'' * 2014 ''Dark Hearts'' as Ravetti * 2015 ''3 Holes and a Smoking Gun'' as Sam Dunkim * 2015 ''Dutch Book'' as Billy Santiago * 2018 ''Burning Shadow'' as Ronald * 2019 ''

3 From Hell ''3 from Hell'' is a 2019 American horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Rob Zombie. It is the third installment in the ''Firefly'' trilogy, which began with ''House of 1000 Corpses'' (2003), and stars Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Mose ...

'' as Carlos Perro

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edson, Richard 1954 births Living people American Jews Jewish American male actors American male film actors American male actors American rock drummers American male television actors Noise rock musicians Musicians from New Rochelle, New York Male actors from New Rochelle, New York Sonic Youth members No wave musicians 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Tito & Tarantula members