Denis Dugan is an American director, actor, and comedian. He’s recognized for his work on films such as Problem Child, Brain Donors, Beverly Hills Ninja, and National Security, along with his partnership with the comedic actor Adam Sandler.
Early Life & Education
Dugan was born on September 5, 1946, in Wheaton, Illinois, as the second of four sons to Marion, a housewife, and Charles Dugan, who was an insurance executive.
He graduated from The Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago (now DePaul University) and started his acting career in 1969 in New York City.
Denis Dugan’s Career
Denis Dugan made his way to Hollywood in 1972 and kicked off his TV career with The Sixth Sense. After that, he starred in the 1973 TV movie The Girl Most Likely to….
Some of his other early film roles 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 landed the role of a time-traveling hero in Unidentified Flying Oddball, which was Disney’s loose take on A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Then in 1981, he showed up in Joe Dante’s The Howling.
In the 1970s, Dugan guest-starred on several television shows, such as The Mod Squad, The Waltons, Cannon, Columbo, The Rockford Files, and Alice.
He was also part of the mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man, and showed up in two episodes of M*A*S*H. In 1978, he starred in the short-lived series Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, which was a spin-off from The Rockford Files.
He had a recurring role as an aspiring caped hero known as “Captain Freedom” on Hill Street Blues. He also featured in Empire (1984) and Shadow Chasers (1984).
He took on the role of Walter Bishop, who was briefly the husband of Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) on Moonlighting.
Denis Dugan’s other film credits from the 1980s include Water (1985), Can’t Buy Me Love (1987), She’s Having a Baby (1988), The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988), and Ron Howard’s Parenthood (1989).
Denis Dugan enjoyed a successful partnership with the hilarious Adam Sandler, directing movies like Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, The Benchwarmers, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups, Just Go with It, Jack and Jill, and Grown Ups 2.
In 2020, Dugan was involved in Love, Weddings & Other Disasters, taking on the roles of writer, director, and actor. The film stars Diane Keaton, Jeremy Irons, Maggie Grace, and Andrew Bachelor. He also wrote the songs that Elle King performed in the film and co-wrote the score.
Personal Life
Denis Dugan‘s first marriage was to actress Joyce Van Patten in 1973. They divorced in 1987, and he later married Sharon O’Connor, and they are still together.
In June 2009, Dugan’s son Kelly was selected as the 75th overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies during the Major League Baseball Draft.
He played for five of the club’s minor league teams until 2015, then had shorter tenures with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017 before transitioning to independent baseball from 2018 to 2024.
Net Worth
Dennis Dugan is an American actor, director, and comedian, boasting a net worth of $12 million. He has featured in numerous film and television projects, including “Mod Squad”, “The Rockford Files”, “Hill Street Blues”, “M*A*S*H”, “The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking”, “The Benchwarmers”, “Grown Ups”, and “Grown Ups 2”, among others.
