Eddie Deezen

Eddie Deezen
Deezen at Chiller Theatre Expo inParsippany, New Jersey,in 2012
Born	Edward Deezen (1957-03-06)March 6, 1957 Cumberland, Maryland,U.S.
Occupations	Actor comedian
Years active	1977–present
Website	eddiedeezen

Edward Deezen(born March 6, 1957)is an American actor and comedian, best known for his roles as "nerd"characters in films includingGrease,Grease 2,Midnight Madness,I Wanna Hold Your Hand,1941,andWarGames.He has had larger starring roles in independent films such asSurf II,Mob Boss,Beverly Hills Vamp,andTeenage Exorcist.

Deezen is also a prolific voice actor, whose more notable characters include Mandark in theCartoon NetworkseriesDexter's Laboratory,Snipes the Magpie inRock-a-Doodle,NedinKim Possible,and the Know-It-All Kid inThe Polar Express.

Early life

Deezen was born toJewishparents Irma (née Calet) and Robert Dezen inCumberland, Maryland.His parents owned a jewelery store.A class clown in his youth, Deezen aspired to become astand-up comedian;he moved toHollywoodwithin days of graduating high school in order to pursue a comedy career.

Deezen graduated fromAllegany High Schoolin 1975 and shortly moved toLos Angeles, California.As a stand-up comedian, Deezen performed atThe Comedy Storeand appeared on an episode ofThe Gong Showin the mid-1970s, only to be gonged by singer-songwriterPaul Williams.After a poorly-received act and having difficulty memorizing his routine, Deezen eventually decided to abandon stand-up and focus on acting.

Career

Mainstream film

He also starred in the movie "A Polish Vampire in Burbank."

In 1977, Deezen landed his first role in the filmGrease,playing nerdy student Eugene Felsnic.

Following the commercial success ofGrease,Deezen was cast in a series of comedy films, includingRobert Zemeckis'I Wanna Hold Your HandandSteven Spielberg'sepiccomedy1941.By 1979, Deezen was in such demand that he was frequently obliged to decline some roles as he was already working: two such notable instances included the characters of Eaglebauer inRock 'n' Roll High Schooland Spaz inMeatballs,both of which he turned down to appear in1941.Throughout the early 1980s, Deezen appeared in several high-profile studio releases, includingMidnight Madness(1980),Zapped!(1982) andWarGames(1983), as well as reprising the role of Eugene Felsnic inGrease 2(1982), one of only seven actors from the originalGreaseto return for the sequel.

In 1984, Deezen was cast in a major television role, playing the role ofsuperintendentEddie on the first season of theNBCsitcomPunky Brewster.After filming eight episodes, however, Deezen quit due to his discomfort while performing for a live audience and continuing difficulty in remembering his lines.

Independent film

AfterWarGameswrapped, Deezen worked exclusively inindependent filmfor the remainder of the 1980s, starting with his first starring role in the 1984 cult comedySurf II: The End of the Trilogy,where he played the antagonist,mad scientistMenlo Schwartzer.

Deezen worked steadily throughout the remainder of the 1980s and early 1990s, continuing to play stereotypical "nerds" in both bit parts and major roles, includingThe Whoopee Boys(1986), theensemblecomedyMillion Dollar Mystery(1987),Critters 2: The Main Course(1988), andThe Silence of the Hams(1994). He worked several times alongside comedianTim Conway,most notably appearing in two of hisDorfvideos, and struck up a partnership with low-budget filmmaker and producerFred Olen Ray,who gave Deezen leading roles with the filmsBeverly Hills Vamp(1988),Mob Boss(1990), andTeenage Exorcist(1991).

Following hiscameo appearanceas a security guard in the 1996Leslie NielsenspoofSpy Hard,Deezen wouldn't appear in a live-action film for another 17 years. In a July 2009 interview, Deezen talked about his struggle maintaining an acting career, saying "The truth is, it is extremely tough to sustain a career in Hollywood. It is tough enough ever getting work, just the sheer odds. I loved John [Badham] and Matthew [Broderick] and it would definitely be my pleasure to work with them again. Believe me, if the right role was there and available, I'd be there in a second".

Throughout the 2010s, Deezen appeared in several short films, including as himself in 2012'sI Love You, Eddie Deezen,a nervous airline passenger in 2015'sFlight Frightand oppositeLarry ThomasandCaryn Richmanin the short comedyThe Love Suckers,which screened at the 2017 New York City International Film Festival.Deezen returned to live-action films in Fred Olen Ray's 2013television filmAll I Want for Christmasin a cameo as a supposed A-listaction filmstar being interviewed on a daytime talk show.

Voice acting

In the mid-1980s, Deezen transitioned intovoice acting,a change of pace he favored due to better pay and not needing to memorize extensive dialogue.His early voice roles included Donnie Dodo inSesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird(1985), and Snipes theMagpieinDon Bluth's1991 filmRock-a-Doodle.According to a 2011 interview, Deezen unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of the title character in Robert Zemeckis'sWho Framed Roger Rabbit,losing out to comedianCharles Fleischer.He was also considered for the role of Judge Doom in the film along with several other actors that were considered but lost the role toChristopher Lloyd.

Deezen eventually found full-time voice work on television in the mid-1990s, playing recurring characters on the animated seriesGrimmy,Duckman,Kim PossibleandWhat's New, Scooby-Doo?,as well as guest spots on many others, includingJohnny Bravo,Recess,andDarkwing Duck.His best-known voice-over character, however, is that of Mandark, the nemesis of the eponymous Dexter onCartoon Network'sDexter's Laboratory,a role he played for the series' entire run from 1996 to 2003. Deezen also voiced the character on the TV specialDexter's Laboratory: Ego Tripand the video gamesCartoon Network RacingandFusionFall.

In 2004, Deezen supplied voice andmotion captureperformance for Robert Zemeckis' holiday filmThe Polar Express,playing the role of the nerdy "Know-It-All". He reprised this role for the subsequentvideo game.

Deezen regularly voice acted in radio and television commercials. In the late 1990s, he provided the voice of Pop (ofSnap, Crackle and Pop) in commercials forRice Krispiescerealand Nacho, the mascot forTaco Bell's kid's meals commercials, alongsideRob Paulsenas Dog. In 2011, Deezen was under consideration for succeedingGilbert Gottfriedas the voice of theAflac Duck,but did not win the role.

Personal life

After having lived inCumberland, MarylandandLos Angeles, California,Deezen currently lives inSpartanburg, South Carolina.He is a fan ofThe Beatles,and was interviewed as himself for the unreleased 2005 filmMe and Graham: The Soundtrack of Our Livesa documentary following two filmmakers searching the US and UK for the ultimate Beatles fan.For over a year his official website featured a difficult Beatlestriviaquiz - devised by Deezen himself - with a $100 prize for anyone who could answer all the questions correctly. Deezen revealed in a later interview that nobody had ever claimed the prize.

Deezen also has a strong interest inpop culturetrivia,and since 2011 has contributed to several trivia websites includingmental_floss,TodayIFoundOut and Neatorama.While most of Deezen's articles focus on The Beatles and their members, he also writes about such subjects asbaseball,American history and classic comedy acts likeThe Three Stooges,theMarx Brothers,andMartin and Lewis.

Although he was raised Jewish, he became aScientologistafter being introduced to it byJohn Travolta.Deezen at one point stopped being a Scientologist, claiming in 2012 that he "hasn't been very active lately."

In June 2021, Deezen was dropped by his public relations manager Steve Joiner after a waitress accused Deezen of stalking her while at work and writing abusiveFacebookposts about her.However, the two have since reconciled.

Health

On January 6, 2020, Deezen underwent open heart surgery atRuby Memorial HospitalinMorgantown, West Virginia.On January 16, 2020, he developed an infection ofpneumoniawhile recovering at the hospital.He was then transferred to a rehab facility inCumberland, Maryland,on February 6, 2020, to begin recovery.

Legal issues

On September 16, 2021, Deezen was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer after refusing to leave a restaurant inLaVale, Maryland.According to the Allegany County Sheriff's Department, he had been asked by the restaurant's staff to leave after causing a disturbance and refused to do so, prompting a response from law enforcement. Upon the deputy's arrival, Deezen hid behind a woman in a booth, refused multiple orders to exit, and reportedly threw plates, bowls, and food that struck one of the deputies. Deezen was eventually removed and detained in the Allegany County Jail to await a court appearance on charges of second degree assault, disorderly conduct and trespassing.

On April 8, 2022, Deezen was arrested after he unlawfully entered a nursing facility. Two hours before his arrest, he had been told to stay away from the property. According to theMaryland State Police,Deezen was charged with fourth-degree burglary, two counts of trespassing, and one count of disturbing the peace. He was then taken to Allegany County Detention Center.According to Deezen's friend and former social media manager Bob Barnett, it was revealed that Deezen had been struggling with a mental disorder at the time of the incident.In August 2022, he was ruled unfit to stand trial as a result of his mental health struggles and underwent treatment at theMaryland Department of Health.

Filmography

Film

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1978	Laserblast	Froggy
	Grease	Eugene Felsnic
	I Wanna Hold Your Hand	Richard "Ringo" Klaus
1979	1941	Herbie Kazlminsky
1980	Midnight Madness	Wesley
1981	Steigler and Steigler	Red
1982	Grease 2	Eugene Felsnic
	Zapped!	Sheldon
1983	WarGames	Eddie Malvin
1984	Surf II: The End of the Trilogy	Menlo Schwartzer
	The Rosebud Beach Hotel	Sydney
1985	A Polish Vampire in Burbank	Sphincter
	Mugsy's Girls	Lane
	Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird	Donnie Dodo	Voice
1986	The Longshot	Parking Attendant	Cameo
	The Whoopee Boys	Eddie Lipschitz
1987	Happy Hour	Hancock
	Million Dollar Mystery	Rollie
1988	Critters 2: The Main Course	Hungry Heifer Manager
	Assault of the Killer Bimbos	Dopey Deputy
	Dorf's Golf Bible	Waldo	Short film
	Beverly Hills Vamp	Kyle Carpenter
1989	Hollywood Boulevard II	Walter
1990	Wedding Band	Slappy the Clown	Cameo
	Dorf Goes Auto Racing	Dipstick	Short film
	The Raven Red Kiss-Off	Himalayan Operator	Cameo
	Mob Boss	Tony Anthony
1991	Rock-a-Doodle	Snipes	Voice
	Teenage Exorcist	Eddie
1994	The Silence of the Hams	Video Cameraman	Cameo
1995	Mr. Payback: An Interactive Movie	Phil the Guard	Short film
1996	Spy Hard	Rancor Guard Who Gets Spit On	Cameo
1997	The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue	Charlie	Voice
1998	News Traveler	Eddie
2004	The Polar Express	Know-It-All Kid	Voice andmotion-capture
2012	I Love You, Eddie Deezen	Himself	Short film
2015	Flight Fright	Nervous Airline Passenger	Short film
	The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water	Seagull	Voice
2016	The Love Suckers	Sammy Schwartz	Short film
2023	Critters: All You Can Eat	Big Ed	Short film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1979	Champions: A Love Story	Eric Philpot	Television film
1981	Homeroom	Ron Carp	Pilot
1982	The Facts of Life	Grusky	Episode: "The Big Fight"
1983	Magnum, P.I.	Mickey Dalrumple	Episode: "Squeeze Play"
1984	Punky Brewster	Eddie Malvin	12 episodes
1986	The Fall Guy	Merle Monroe	Episode: "Lady in Green"
1989	Monsters	Demon #2	Episode: "The Demons"
1991	Darkwing Duck	Mouth	Voice, episode: "Darkly Dawns the Duck"
1991–1992	Mother Goose and Grimm	Ham	Voice, 7 episodes
1992	Goof Troop	Road Hogs Biker	Voice, episode: "Queasy Rider"
	Eek! The Cat	Ringo	Voice, episode: "Bearz 'N the Hood"
1994	Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights	Caliph	Voice, television special
	Aaahh!!! Real Monsters	Bulletin Board Monster	Voice, episode: "Cold Hard Toenails/Attack of the Blobs"
	The Pink Panther	Robot	Voice, episode: "A Hard Day's Pink/You Only Pink Twice"
1994–1996	Duckman	Iggy Catalpa	Voice, 3 episodes
1995	The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	Agent Tucker	Television film
1996–2003	Dexter's Laboratory	Mandark	Voice, 22 episodes
1996–1997	Life with Louie	Melvin	Voice, 4 episodes
1996	Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series	Alvin Yasbek	Voice, episode: "Mondo-Man"
	Timon & Pumbaa	Bahuka	Voice, episode: "Alcatraz Mataz/Oahu Wahoo"
1997	The Weird Al Show	The Guy Boarded Up in the Wall	Voice, 4 episodes
1998	Cow and Chicken	Glasses Boy	Voice, episode: "Can Cow Come Out and Play/Horn Envy"
	What a Cartoon!	Ice Cream Guy	Voice, episode: "" Kenny and the Chimp: Diseasy Does It! "
	The Lionhearts	Tex Hardbottom	Voice, episode: "Brown Dog Day"
	The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs	D'Cell	Voice, episode: "D'Cell/Halfday"
1999	Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip	Mandark	Voice, television special
	Johnny Bravo	Oswald	Voice, episode: "A League of His Own/Johnny Goes to Camp/Buffoon Lagoon"
1999–2000	Disney's Recess	Frank 'Tiny' Sedgwick	Voice, 3 episodes
2000	Pigs Next Door	Ben Crenshaw	Voice, 13 episodes
2001–2004	Lloyd in Space	Larry	Voice, 7 episodes
2001–2003	Oswald	Andy Pumpkin	Voice, 7 episodes
2002–2007	Kim Possible	Ned	Voice, 4 episodes
2003–2005	What's New, Scooby-Doo?	Gibby Norton	Voice, 3 episodes
2005	Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama	Ned	Voice, television special
	Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island	Slurpy the Bat	Voice, episode: "5 Nuts and a Baby"
2009	Chowder	Todd	Voice, episode: "Sheboodles"
	SpongeBob SquarePants	Himself	Episode: "SpongeBob's Truth or Square"
2010	Pound Puppies	Carlton J. Stankmeyer	Voice, episode: "The Yipper Caper"
2012	Handy Manny	Zip	Voice, 2 episodes
2013	All I Want for Christmas	Larry Eastwood	Cameo Television film
2015	Star vs. the Forces of Evil	Squares	Voice; episode: "Party With a Pony"
	Transformers: Robots in Disguise	Ped	Voice, episode: "Can You Dig It?"
2016	Wander Over Yonder	Cartoon Peepers	Voice, episode: "The Cartoon"

Video games

Year	Title	Voice role
2004	The Polar Express	Know-It-All Kid
2006	Cartoon Network Racing	Mandark
2009	FusionFall

External links

• Official website
• Eddie DeezenatIMDb
• Eddie Deezenat Behind The Voice Actors

Interviews

• InterviewwithKittenpants.org
• READ Magazine Interview
• Rogue Cinema Interview
• The Radio Dan Show Interview(Audio Interview)
• Revenge of the 80s Radio Interview(Audio Interview)
• I Heart Chaos Interview