Dick Solomon
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Dr. Dick Solomon is a character played by
John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...
in the late-1990s
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''
3rd Rock from the Sun ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' is an American television sitcom created by Bonnie and Terry Turner, which originally aired from January 9, 1996, to May 22, 2001, on NBC. The show is about four Extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrials who are on an e ...
''. Solomon is the High Commander of a highly trained alien unit, sent to Earth by their leader, The
Big Giant Head The Big Giant Head is a fictional character from the American sitcom ''3rd Rock from the Sun''; he is the Solomons' mission leader and king of the universe. Role on the show He was an unseen character at first, and even then very rarely referre ...
. His crew is made up of
Sally Solomon Sally Solomon (played by Kristen Johnston) is a fictional character from the television sitcom ''3rd Rock from the Sun''. Role as female Prior to arriving on Earth, the Solomons had some sort of contest or a bet to determine who would be male or ...
(played by
Kristen Johnston Kristen Angela Johnston (born September 20, 1967) is an American actress. Best known for her work on television sitcoms, she twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sally Solomon in ...
),
Harry Solomon Harry S. Solomon is a character in '' 3rd Rock from the Sun'', played by French Stewart. He is the brother of Dick Solomon and Sally Solomon, and the uncle of Tommy Solomon. His middle initial is mentioned in the episode "Dick the Vote." French ...
(played by
French Stewart Milton French-Stewart IV (born February 20, 1964), known professionally as French Stewart, is an American actor, best known for playing Harry Solomon on the NBC sitcom ''3rd Rock from the Sun''. He also played Marv Murchins in ''Home Alone 4'', In ...
), and Tommy Solomon (played by
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (; born February 17, 1981) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances ...
). In the first episode, "Brains and Eggs", Dick states that he has made a home of a "third rate planet, has a job at a third rate university, and now we are looking at a third floor apartment."


Work

When Mary was growing up, Dick worked as a color spectrum particle separator at the Assemblage Dome. Dick works at
Pendelton State University ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' is an American television sitcom created by Bonnie and Terry Turner, which originally aired from January 9, 1996, to May 22, 2001, on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, the ...
as a professor of physics, and shares an office with
Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...
professor
Mary Albright Mary Margaret Albright is a fictional character who was played by former Saturday Night Live, SNL cast member Jane Curtin in the United States, American situation comedy ''3rd Rock from the Sun''. She serves as a straight foil and love interest fo ...
(played by
Jane Curtin Jane Therese Curtin (born September 6, 1947) is an American actress and comedian. First coming to prominence as an original cast member on the hit TV comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for ...
). In the first episode the office is green with various pictures and certificates adorning the wall; after this, however, the office is antique white with tribal masks featured, presumably from Albright's anthropological studies (later it is found that she simply "bought them at airports"). Dick often uses his class, oddly enough the same throughout all six seasons, to gain a better understanding of humanity by assigning arbitrary essays on which their grade depends. (John's real life son, Ian Lithgow plays the shy, and often ridiculed, Leon, one of Dick's students.) Dick never has the idea that they're actually learning something, but when he finally gets through to them " his father" came in, dismissing the class because he needed to talk to Dick.


Love life

Throughout the course of the series, Dick maintains a tense love-hate relationship with
Mary Albright Mary Margaret Albright is a fictional character who was played by former Saturday Night Live, SNL cast member Jane Curtin in the United States, American situation comedy ''3rd Rock from the Sun''. She serves as a straight foil and love interest fo ...
. At times they are together, while at others Mary quite clearly disfavors Dick. At the end of the second season, Dick and Mary are to be married as the other Solomons (Sally, Harry, and Tommy) return to the home planet. At one point, Dick discovers what he calls the "freedom" of casual sex. He has sex with the recently divorced mother of a student, Bug (
David DeLuise David Dominick DeLuise (born November 11, 1971) is an American actor and television director. He has appeared on numerous television shows as well as films. He is known for Coop in the animated show ''Megas XLR'' and Jerry Russo in ''Wizards of W ...
) when she is in on holiday, not knowing who she is. Dick realizes the identity of his partner when, as he frequently does, he relates his sexual experience to his class. At the end of the episode, Bug's father (portrayed by David DeLuise's father
Dom DeLuise Dominick DeLuise (August 1, 1933 – May 4, 2009) was an American actor, comedian, director, producer, chef, and author. Known primarily for his comedic performances, he rose to fame in the 1970s as a frequent guest on television variety shows ...
) walks into Dick's office wearing a
fedora A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...
flanked by two brutes (portrayed by DeLuise' real-life sons
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
and
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
) who seem to have a connection to the mob. In season four's episode five, "What's Love Got to Do, Got to Do with Dick," Dick is forced to share his office with Dr. Jennifer Ravelli (played by
Laurie Metcalf Laura Elizabeth Metcalf (born June 16, 1955) is an American actress. Often described as a character actor, she's known for her complex and versitile roles across the stage and screen. She has received various accolades throughout her career sp ...
), a professor of Comparative Literature from
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
for whom Dick coins the caustic appellation "Professor McBitch." Dick enjoys the free-hearted literary genius of his new office partner and develops a crush; however, due to his lack of familiarity with relationships, he assumes he is in love and seeks permission from Mary Albright to "see other people" and it is granted. The quirks that attracted Dick soon become a nuisance, bringing a quick end to their relationship, but not before Dick attempts to use Mary's new jealousy to gain "quantity time as well as quality time."


Alternate universe

After Dick, Harry and Sally enter a parallel universe in the two-part episode "Dick'll Take Manhattan" from the sixth season, Dick discovers that in the parallel universe, he is a highly successful lawyer; unfortunately, he does not have a girlfriend. When looking for
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
, Dick enters a bar, where he finds Mary, performing on stage under the name of "Kiki".


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solomon, Dick 3rd Rock from the Sun characters Fictional American Jews Fictional commanders Extraterrestrial characters in television Fictional professors Television characters introduced in 1996