Dennis Dugan

Dennis Dugan
Born	Dennis Barton Dugan (1946-09-05) September 5, 1946 Wheaton, Illinois, U.S.
Education	Art Institute of Chicago (BFA)
Occupation(s)	film director, actor, comedian
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Joyce Van Patten (1973–1987; divorced) Sharon O'Connor (?–present)
Children	1 son

Dennis Barton Dugan (born September 5, 1946) is an American director, actor, writer, artist and comedian. He is known for his partnership with comedic actor Adam Sandler, with whom he directed the films Happy Gilmore (1996), Big Daddy (1999), I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007), You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), Grown Ups (2010), Just Go with It (2011), Jack and Jill (2011), and Grown Ups 2 (2013).

Life and career

Dugan was born in Wheaton, Illinois, the second of four sons of Marion, a housewife, and Charles Dugan, an insurance salesman. He graduated from Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago (now at DePaul University) and started his acting career in 1969 in New York City. He moved to Hollywood in 1972 and appeared in his first TV show, "The Sixth Sense". Later, he played in the 1973 TV movie The Girl Most Likely to.... Other early film appearances include Night Call Nurses (1972), Night Moves (1975), Smile (1975), Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) and Norman... Is That You? (1976). In 1979, he was cast as the time-displaced hero in Unidentified Flying Oddball, Disney's very loose adaptation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. In 1981, he appeared in Joe Dante's adaptation of The Howling.

Dugan made guest appearances on several TV series during the 1970s including The Mod Squad, The Waltons, Cannon, Columbo, The Rockford Files, and Alice. He also appeared in the mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man, as well as two episodes of M*A*S*H and in 1978 starred in the short-lived series Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, a spin-off from The Rockford Files.

He took on a semi-regular role as an aspiring caped crusader who called himself "Captain Freedom" on Hill Street Blues. He also appeared on Empire (1984) and Shadow Chasers (1984). He played Walter Bishop, briefly the husband of Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) on Moonlighting. Dugan's other film credits of the 1980s include Water (1985), Can't Buy Me Love (1987), The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988) and Ron Howard's Parenthood (1989).

Dugan launched a career as a television and film director, making cameo appearances in many of his films. Ones he directed include the comedy Problem Child (1990), Brain Donors (1992), the comedy Saving Silverman (2001) (in which Dugan plays a football referee), the comedy National Security (2003), and the Adam Sandler comedies Happy Gilmore (1996) (in which Dugan plays Doug Thompson, the golf tour supervisor) and Big Daddy (1999) (with Dugan as a man who reluctantly gives candy to a trick-or-treating Julian). Dugan has directed episodes of such television series as Moonlighting (was also a guest star in some episodes), Ally McBeal, and NYPD Blue.

Dugan directed The Benchwarmers (2006), a comedy co-produced by Sandler, about a trio of men who try to make up for missed opportunities in childhood by forming a three-player baseball team to compete against Little League squads. Dugan himself has a bit part as Coach Bellows. He then directed two more Sandler vehicles, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007) and You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008).

Dugan directed Grown Ups (2010), which follows a group of high school friends who are reunited after thirty years for the Fourth of July. The film again stars Sandler, along with Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade; it was released in the summer of 2010 with major box office success.

Dugan's Just Go with It (2011) was his sixth film with Sandler; it also starred Jennifer Aniston and Brooklyn Decker. Dugan directed Jack and Jill (2011), again with Sandler, and Grown Ups 2 (2013), with Sandler, James, Rock and Spade, all reprising their roles. Schneider was unable to do so due to scheduling conflicts.

To date, Dugan's films have grossed over $1.8 billion worldwide.

Personal life

Dugan's first marriage was to actress Joyce Van Patten in 1973. The couple divorced in 1987, and he later wed Sharon O'Connor, to whom he is still married.

In June 2009, Dugan's son, Kelly Dugan, was drafted with the 75th overall selection by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Major League Baseball Draft. A graduate of Notre Dame High School of Sherman Oaks, California, he has played for four of the club's minor league teams, including the Gulf Coast League Phillies, Reading Fightin' Phils, Williamsport Crosscutters, and Lakewood BlueClaws. As of 2020, Kelly was playing for the independent Lancaster Barnstormers.

Filmography

Films

As actor

Title	Year	Notes
Norman... Is That You?	1976	as Garson Hobart
Unidentified Flying Oddball	1979	as Tom Trimble
The Howling	1981	as Chris Halloran
Can't Buy Me Love	1987	as David Miller
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking	1988	as Mr. Settigren
Parenthood	1989	as David Brodsky

As director

Title	Year	Notes
Problem Child	1990
Brain Donors	1992
Happy Gilmore	1996	as Doug Thompson
Beverly Hills Ninja	1997
Big Daddy	1999	Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
Saving Silverman	2001	Also known as Evil Woman
National Security	2003
The Benchwarmers	2006	as Coach Bellows
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry	2007	Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
You Don't Mess with the Zohan	2008
Grown Ups	2010	as Basketball Referee
Just Go with It	2011	Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
Jack and Jill
Grown Ups 2	2013	Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
Love, Weddings & Other Disasters	TBA

Television

Title	Year	Notes
Cannon	1974	Episode: "The Deadly Trail"
Columbo	1976	Episode: "Last Salute to the Commodore"
The Rockford Files	1978/79	3 episodes
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye	1978	5 episodes
Hill Street Blues	1982	4 episodes
Hunter	1987	2 episodes
Wiseguy	1988	Episode: "Phantom Pain"
Moonlighting	1988–1989	5 episodes
Shadow Chasers	1985-1986	14 episodios
M*A*S*H	1975, 1983	2 episodes
Doogie Howser, M.D.	1993	Episode: "What Makes Doogie Run"
Columbo	1993	Episode: "Butterfly in Shades of Grey"
Burke's Law	1994	Episode: "Who Killed Nick Hazard?"
L.A. Law	1993–1994	2 episodes
Traps	1994
The Byrds of Paradise	1994	2 episodes
The Shaggy Dog	1994	TV movie
Marker	1995	Episode: "The Pilot"
Picket Fences	1994–1995	2 episodes
Chicago Hope	1995	Episode: "Freeze Outs"
Love Boat: The Next Wave	1998	Episode: "Smooth Sailing"
Ally McBeal	1998	Episode: "Alone Again"
Shasta McNasty	1999	Episode: "Pilot"
A Screwball Homicide	2003	TV movie
NYPD Blue	1993–2004
The Mullets	2004	Episode: "Silent But Deadly"
Karroll's Christmas	2004	TV movie
Hope & Faith	2005	Episode: "Wife Swap" (Parts 1 and 2)

External links

• Dennis Dugan at IMDb
• Dennis Dugan at AllMovie