Richard Overton (born August 10, 1954) is an American screenwriter, actor and comedian. His writing credits include '' Dennis Miller Live'', and his acting credits include ''

Beverly Hills Cop ''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr., and starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop ...

'', ''

Groundhog Day Groundhog Day ( pdc, Grund'sau dåk, , , ; Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges fr ...

'' and ''

Mrs. Doubtfire ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It was written for the screen by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, based on the 1987 novel ''Alias Madame Doubtfire'' by Anne Fine. Robin Williams, who also s ...

''.

Life and career

Overton was born in

Forest Hills, Queens Forest Hills is a mostly residential neighborhood in the central portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is adjacent to Corona to the north, Rego Park and Glendale to the west, Forest Park to the south, Kew Gardens to the southeas ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, the son of Nancy Overton (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Swain), a singer, and

Hall Overton Hall Franklin Overton (February 23, 1920 – November 24, 1972) was an American composer, jazz pianist and music teacher. He was born in Bangor, Michigan, the first of the three sons of Stanford and Ruth (Barnes) Overton. He grew up in Grand Rap ...

, a teacher and music arranger.Rick Overton Biography (1954-)
/ref> He grew up in

Englewood, New Jersey Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which at the 2020 United States census had a population of 29,308. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from po ...

, where he attended Dwight Morrow High School. Overton made his first onscreen appearance in the 1982 film ''

Young Doctors in Love ''Young Doctors in Love'' is a 1982 American comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. It spoofs a variety of medical shows (in particular, ''General Hospital'') and has many guest stars from ABC soap operas. The film stars Sean Young, Michael Mc ...

'', followed by a small role in '' Airplane II: The Sequel'' later that year. In 1987, he wrote an episode of '' The New Adventures of Beans Baxter'' while also appearing in various films and television shows including ''

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

'', ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...

'' and ''

Million Dollar Mystery ''Million Dollar Mystery'' (also known as ''Money Mania'') is a 1987 American film released with a promotional tie-in for Glad-Lock brand bags. This was the final feature-length film directed by Richard Fleischer. It starred an ensemble cast o ...

''. In 1992, he landed a role in the

FOX Network The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...

show ''

The Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing voca ...

''. The show ended in 1993. Later that year, Overton appeared in two episodes of ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself and ...

'' and landed a small role in ''

''. The following year, he won an Emmy for writing an episode of ''Dennis Miller Live''. In 2005, Overton appeared on ''

Alias Alias may refer to: * Pseudonym * Pen name * Nickname Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film * ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006 * ''Alias the J ...

'' and ''

Joan Of Arcadia ''Joan of Arcadia'' is an American fantasy family drama television series telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi ( Amber Tamblyn), who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays on CBS ...

''; in the latter he played God explaining to the title character the meaning of real wealth. He also portrayed both H.G. Wells and

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

in a

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosin ...

episode of ''

The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd ''The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd'' is a short audio and video series distributed via podcasting. Created by Grant Baciocco and Doug Price, it is a family friendly show in the style of old-time radio. The show also draws much inspiration fro ...

'' that same year. In 2009, Overton appeared in the film ''A Fork in the Road'' alongside

Jaime King Jaime King (born April 23, 1979) is an American actress and model. In her modeling career and early film roles, she used the names Jamie King and James King, which was a childhood nickname given to King by her parents, because her agency alread ...

. Overton appeared in a

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable ene ...

commercial as the father who wants his son to have his grandfather's hammer.

Filmography

*'' Target...Earth?'' (1980, Documentary) - Himself *''

'' (1982) - Dr. Thurman Flicker *'' Airplane II: The Sequel'' (1982) - Clerk *''

'' (1984) - Bonded Warehouse Night Supervisor *'' Odd Jobs'' (1986) - Roy *''

Gung Ho ''Gung ho'' () is an English term, with the current meaning of "overly enthusiastic or energetic". It originated during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) from a Chinese term, ( zh, hp=gōnghé, l=to work together), short for Chinese I ...

'' (1986) - Googie *'' A Fine Mess'' (1986) - Companion *'' Modern Girls'' (1986) - Marsalis *''

'' (1987) - Stuart Briggs *''

'' (1988) - Franjean *''

Traxx Alstom Traxx (sold as Bombardier TRAXX before 2021) is a modular product platform of mainline diesel-electric and electric locomotives produced originally by Bombardier Transportation and later Alstom, which was built in both freight and passen ...

'' (1988) - Frank Williams *''

Earth Girls Are Easy ''Earth Girls Are Easy'' is a 1988 American science fiction musical romantic comedy film that was produced by Tony Garnett, Duncan Henderson, and Terrence E. McNally and was directed by Julien Temple. The film stars Geena Davis, Julie Brown, C ...

'' (1988) - Dr. Rick *''

That's Adequate ''That's Adequate'' is a 1990 mockumentary comedy film documenting a fictional Hollywood studio, Adequate Film Studios. Narrated and hosted by Tony Randall, the film features an all-star cast including James Coco (in his final film role), Robert ...

'' (1989) - Stand-up Comic *'' A Sinful Life'' (1989) - Janitor *'' Blind Fury'' (1989) - Tector Pike *'' The Rocketeer'' (1991) - South Seas Patron *''

Galaxies Are Colliding ''Galaxies Are Colliding'' is a 1992 Canadian-American comedy film written and directed by John Ryman and starring Dwier Brown and Kelsey Grammer in his feature film debut. Cast *Dwier Brown as Adam *Susan Walters as Beth *Karen Medak as Margo ...

'' (1992) - Rex *''

'' (1993) - Ralph *''

'' (1993) - Maitre D' *''

The High Crusade ''The High Crusade'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Poul Anderson, about the consequences of an extraterrestrial scoutship landing in Medieval England. Poul Anderson described the novel as "one of the most popular things I've ever ...

'' (1994) - Sir Roger *'' Devil in the Flesh'' (1998) - Dr. Milletson *''

My Giant ''My Giant'' is a 1998 American comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann. The film stars Billy Crystal, who also produced and co-wrote the story for the film, and Romanian NBA player Gheorghe Mureșan in his only film appearance. David Seltzer's ...

'' (1998) - Director *''

EDtv ''EDtv'' is a 1999 American satirical comedy film directed by Ron Howard. An adaptation of the Quebecois film '' Louis 19, King of the Airwaves (Louis 19, le roi des ondes)'' (1994), it stars Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrels ...

'' (1999) - Barry *''

Jackpot Jackpot or Jackpot! may refer to: * A prize, such as a progressive jackpot * Gardena jackpots, a poker variant * Jackpot, Nevada, a community on the Nevada–Idaho state border Comics * Jackpot (comics), several comic book characters * ''Jackp ...

'' (2001) - Roland *''Extreme Honor'' (2001) - Dr. Lumber *''Shoot or Be Shot'' (2002) - Sasha *'' Eight Legged Freaks'' (2002) - Deputy Pete Willis *''

Northfork ''Northfork'' is a 2003 film directed by Michael Polish and written by Michael and Mark Polish. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2003 and later received a limited release in the United States on July 11, 2003. The film s ...

'' (2003) - Rudolph *''Motocross Kids'' (2004) - Hook *'' Serial Killing 4 Dummys'' (2004) - Mr. Korn *''Off the Lip'' (2004) - McReady *''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

'' (2004) - Man at Taxi Convention *'' Fat Albert'' (2004) - Coach Gillespie *''

Frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in t ...

'' (2005) - Bartender *'' A Lot Like Love'' (2005) - Tailor *''Keep Your Distance'' (2005) - Dr. Floyd Beasley *''

Popstar A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...

'' (2005) - Mr. Thomas *'' Fun with Dick and Jane'' (2005) - Head Shop Clerk *''Blue Sombrero'' (2005) - General Hard / Fabio / Major Cajones *'' Cloud 9'' (2006) - Buckner *''Billy Schulz'' (2006) - Billy Schulz *''The Last Stand'' (2006) - Redneck Heckler *''Comedy Hell'' (2006) - Wayne *'' The Tripper'' (2006) - Mayor Hal Burton *''

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 ranch ...

'' (2006) - Arnold 'Arnie' Millard *''

National Lampoon's Pledge This! ''National Lampoon's Pledge This!'' is a 2006 American comedy film starring Paris Hilton, who also served as an executive producer. The film was released straight to video. Plot When a dorm toilet explodes on the first day back to school, a grou ...

'' (2006) - Janitor Jones *''Chasing Robert'' (2007) - Thadeus Wrazinski *''The Metrosexual'' (2007) - Meter Maid *'' A Plumm Summer'' (2007) - Agent Brinkman *''Totally Baked'' (2007) - Himself - Street Interview *'' Cloverfield'' (2008) - Frantic Man *''So Long Jimmy'' (2008) - Dimitri Adams *''The Whole Truth'' (2009) - Uri Standinoff *'' Year One'' (2009) - Sodom Officer Rick (uncredited) *'' The Informant!'' (2009) - Terry Wilson *'' A Fork in the Road'' (in post-production, 2010) - Sheriff Thompson *''Jelly'' (Post-Production, 2010) - Tad Wasserstein *'' Dinner for Schmucks'' (2010) - Chuck - Beard Champion *''

InSight Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect within a particular context. The term insight can have several related meanings: *a piece of information *the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of seeing intui ...

'' (2011) - Det. Gehrke *''

Bad Teacher ''Bad Teacher'' is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jake Kasdan from a screenplay by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky. Starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, John Michael Higgins and Jason Segel, the film tel ...

'' (2011) - Philip *''Frogtown'' (2011) - Steve *'' The Babymakers'' (2012) - Officer Raspler *''

Noobz ''Noobz'' is a 2012 American comedy film, directed by (and also starring) Blake Freeman. Plot Four friends face down a mace-spraying mother, a 1980s arcade champ, and Casper Van Dien in their quest to take the top prize at the Cyberbowl Video Gam ...

'' (2012) - Martin Wilson *''

A Haunted House 2 ''A Haunted House 2'' is a 2014 American horror satire film directed by Michael Tiddes and starring Marlon Wayans. The film is the sequel to the 2013 film ''A Haunted House'' and the final installment. Produced by IM Global Octane and distribut ...

'' (2014) - Professor Wilde *'' Such Good People'' (2014) - Sidney Talmadge *'' Muffin Top: A Love Story'' (2014) - Steve *'' Lethal Seduction'' (2015) - Deacon Williams *''Body High'' (2015) - Abe *''30 Years of Dark Seduction'' (2015) - Himself *''

Dave Made a Maze ''Dave Made a Maze'' is a 2017 American fantasy adventure comedy horror film directed by Bill Watterson, and starring Nick Thune, Meera Rohit Kumbhani, Kirsten Vangsness, Stephanie Allynne, James Urbaniak and John Hennigan. The film centers on the ...

'' (2017) - Hobo *''

Literally, Right Before Aaron ''Literally, Right Before Aaron'' is a 2017 American comedy film written and directed by Ryan Eggold. The film stars Justin Long, Cobie Smulders, Ryan Hansen, John Cho, Kristen Schaal, Dana Delany, Peter Gallagher, Lea Thompson and Luis Guzmán. ...

'' (2017) - Dean *''

A Futile and Stupid Gesture ''A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever'' is an American book by Josh Karp that was published in 2006. It is a history of ''National Lampoon'' magazine and one of its three founders, Doug Kenn ...

'' (2018) - First Publisher *'' Duck Duck Goose'' (2018) - Stanley (voice)

Television

*''

Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from O ...

'' (1 episode, 1983) - New Wave Cop *''Help Wanted: Kids'' (1986) - Photographer *''Double Switch'' (1987) - DeeJay *''

'' (1 episode, 1987) - John Aubrey *''Jonathan Winters: On the Ledge'' (1987, TV Movie) - Additional Improviser *''Encyclopedia Brown'' (1 episode, 1989) - Buddy Claggett *''

Babes Babes may refer to: __NOTOC__ Arts and entertainment * Babes (band), an American indie pop band * "Babes", a song from the album '' The Inner Me'' by Lala Hsu * ''Babes'' (TV series), an American sitcom (1990–1991) * Babes (website), a pornogra ...

'' (10 episodes, 1990) - Ronnie Underwood *'' Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures'' (1991) - Rufus *''

'' (7 episodes, 1992–1993) *''

'' (2 episodes, 1993) - The Drake *''Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 Women'' (1994, TV Movie) - Officer Brown *'' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (2 episodes, 1994–1995) - Victor *'' Duckman'' (1 episode, 1995) - (voice) *''Encino Woman'' (1996, TV Movie) - Raji *''

The Single Guy ''The Single Guy'' is an American sitcom television series that ran for two seasons on NBC, from September 21, 1995, to April 14, 1997. It starred Jonathan Silverman as struggling New York City writer Jonathan Eliot and followed several of his ...

'' (2 episodes, 1996) - Carl Gannon / Gannon *'' Married... with Children'' (2 episodes, 1996) - Dr. Fisher *''

Ned and Stacey ''Ned & Stacey'' (or ''Ned and Stacey'') is an American sitcom created by Michael J. Weithorn, and starring Thomas Haden Church and Debra Messing as the titular couple. The series lasted two seasons, airing on Fox from September 11, 1995, to Janu ...

'' (1 episode, 1997) - Rod *'' ER'' (1 episode, 1997) - Mr. McNamara *''

The Weird Al Show ''The Weird Al Show'' is an American television show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Produced in association with Dick Clark Productions and taped at NBC Studios, it aired on Saturday mornings on the CBS TV network. The show ran for one season, ...

'' (1 episode, 1997) - Mr. Molasses *''

Mad About You ''Mad About You'' is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City. It initially aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999, winning numerous awards including four Golden Glob ...

'' (2 episodes, 1998) - Earl / Shepherd *'' Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show'' (1 episode, 1998) - George *'' It's Like, You Know...'' (2 episodes, 1999-2001) - Evan / Milosevic *''

The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne ''The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne'' is a Canadian science fiction television series that first aired in June 2000 on CBC Television in Canada. The series first ran in the United States on cable on The Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy), and lasted ...

'' (5 episodes, 2000) - Count Gregory *''

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcas ...

'' (3 episodes, 2000) - Triad Member #3 *'' JAG'' (1 episode, 2001) - William Markey *''

Curb Your Enthusiasm ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' is an American television sitcom produced and broadcast by HBO since October 15, 2000, and created by Larry David, who stars as a semi-fictionalized version of himself. It follows David's life as a semi-retired televi ...

'' (1 episode, 2001) - Angry Gentile *''Comic Remix'' (1 episode, 2002) *''My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star'' (11 episodes, 2002) - Dole Greyson *''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensembl ...

'' (1 episode, 2002) - Richard Webb *''

According to Jim ''According to Jim'' is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children (and then five children, starting with the seventh season finale). It originally ran on ABC from October ...

'' (1 episode, 2004) - Rick *'' Six Feet Under'' (1 episode, 2004) - Thomas Sheedy *''

Joan of Arcadia ''Joan of Arcadia'' is an American fantasy family drama television series telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi ( Amber Tamblyn), who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays on CBS ...

'' (1 episode, 2004) - Bad Stand-Up Comedian God *''

'' (1 episode, 2005) - Alexei Vasilevich *''Family Plan'' (2005, TV Movie) - Owens *''

Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography * Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland *Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

'' (1 episode, 2005) - Matthew Reed *''Van Stone: Tour of Duty'' (2006, TV Movie) - Gary Seibert's Dad *'' Rodney'' (1 episode, 2006) - Max *''

Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" * ...

'' (1 episode, 2007) - Bank Manager *'' Leverage'' (3 episodes, 2008–2009) - Taggert / FBI Agent Taggert *''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original ser ...

'' (2 episodes, 2009) - William Beesly * ''

The George Lucas Talk Show ''The George Lucas Talk Show'' is an improvised talk show in New York City hosted by comedian Connor Ratliff, who appears as George Lucas, the creator of '' Star Wars'', and he interviews real guests as themselves in a panel format. He is joine ...

'' (1 episode, 2020) - Self

Video game

*'' The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction'' (2005)

Writer

*''An Evening at the Improv'' (1 episode, 1983) *'' The New Adventures of Beans Baxter'' (1 episode, 1987) *'' Dennis Miller Live'' (Unknown episodes, 1994)

Awards and nominations

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

*Nominated: Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program, '' Dennis Miller Live'' (1997) *Won: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Variety or Music Program, ''Dennis Miller Live'' (1996)

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility ...

*Nominated: Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series, ''Dennis Miller Live'' (1997)

References

External links

www.realrickoverton.com
*
Rick Overton on MySpaceRick Overton interviewed about growing up with a jazz legend father
{{DEFAULTSORT:Overton, Rick 1954 births Living people American male film actors American male television actors American male screenwriters American male comedians Dwight Morrow High School alumni Emmy Award winners Male actors from New Jersey Male actors from New York City People from Forest Hills, Queens People from Englewood, New Jersey 20th-century American male actors Comedians from New York City 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from New Jersey