One of the biggest benchmarks of being a movie star in modern Hollywood is the ability to star in movies that dependably make money, with$100 million still being considered somewhat of a magic number. Many a movie star has made a name for themselves by consistently being the face of films that cross $100 million at the box office, and it’s even more impressive if it happens consecutively with each release. At the peak of their powers, people likeTom CruiseandWill Smithboth broke records for the number of consecutive $100 million movies, with Cruise having five consecutive films thanks toJerry Maguireand Smith having eight consecutive films thanks toHancock. If you sat back and wondered which actors were the first to achieve such hallowed territory, I highly doubtRichard Dreyfussis the name that would pop up, buthe is, in fact, the first actor to star in three consecutive $100 million movies.
‘Jaws’ Made Richard Dreyfuss a Big Deal
Dreyfuss more or less made himself a name overnight by having his first prominent feature film role inJaws,the first true blockbuster that started it all by earning $100 milliontotal at the box office.He provided equal parts comic relief and scientific exposition as Hooper, the nerdy and high-strung oceanologist who stands in stark contrast to the humble Brody (Roy Scheider) and the macho Quint (Robert Shaw).Jawsis perfectly engineered to be a thrill machine with a human heart underneath, andHooper is vital to keeping the sense of stakes and danger in perspective, as Brody doesn’t know anything aboutsharksand Quint thinks he can solve the problem single-handedly. Dreyfuss swiftly establishes the kind of performance that would become his comfort zone for the bulk of his prime:energetic and aggrieved, full of stubborn pride and deep-seated conviction with a zeal that borders on manic. Like many of his later characters, Hooper proves to be obnoxious and endearing in equal measure, and possesses an irrepressible force that breaks down your initial hesitancy and makes you intrigued in him.
Richard Dreyfuss Was the Ideal Steven Spielberg Surrogate in ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’
Intrigue was key to his next big film,Close Encounters of the Third Kind,Steven Spielberg’s first big swing ata UFO movie, which became an even larger smash hit atover $300 million.Dreyfuss gives the most emotionally tumultuous performance of his career as Roy Neary, Spielberg’s ultimate everyman, compelled by forces beyond reason to abandon his family and make contact with aliens. Roy is a working-class family man driven to what seems like a complete nervous breakdown, frantically building mashed potato mountains and crying in the shower, alienating everybody who once trusted him.
Michael Caine Couldn’t Collect His Oscar Because He Was Working on This Bizarre, Critically Shellacked Sequel to a Classic
It doesn’t get much less prestigious than ‘Jaws The Revenge.’
Dreyfuss is without vanity in how pathetic and broken he makes Roy at his lowest point, butwins the audience’s trust by capturingthat sense of Spielbergian wonder in his eyesbetter than any other actor in Spielberg’s titanic career.Close Encountersis one of the busiest ofSpielberg’s blockbusters, with so many moving parts and subplots to keep track of for the sake of pulling off its beautifully symphonic ending. The whole structure could crumble and become too impersonal if it didn’t have an emotional anchor to center the experience, and Richard Dreyfuss ensures that Spielberg’s wildest fantasies can feel tantalizingly tangible.
‘The Goodbye Girl’ Was the Peak of Dreyfuss' Career
Once upon a time, American audiences cared more than you could imagine about anything written byNeil Simon, a prominently precocious playwright who functioned like a hybrid ofWoody AllenandAaron Sorkin. The 1970s was a golden age for film adaptations of his numerous plays, andThe Goodbye Girlproved to be the most successful of them all, becoming the firstromantic comedyto earn $100 millionand receiving 5 Oscar nominations, includingBest Picture. It was an enemies-to-lovers story of struggling dancer and single mom Paula (Marsha Mason), her daughter, Lucy (Quinn Cummings) and high-maintenance actor Elliot (Dreyfuss) learning to live and love together in one apartment, and isthe most overtly endearing performance of Dreyfuss' career. This had some of Simon’s most organic dialogue, and Dreyfuss is an ideal fit for his flow, constantly zipping between being a total pain in the ass, an affectionate father figure, and a dependable partner who can be a benefit to Paula’s life. For playing such a multifaceted man that didn’t fit the bill ofyour traditional rom-com king, Richard Dreyfuss won the Best Actor Oscar, becoming the youngest actor (at 30 years old) to do so untilAdrien Brody won his Oscar at 29 forThe Pianist.
While Dreyfuss' career never hit these heights again, these three roles form a sharp snapshot of what people wanted fromHollywood in the late 1970s. In a time of desperate reinvention and unbridled originality, the notions of old Hollywood were being torn down, with audiences dictating the wave of the future, including what kinds of actors could become famous.Richard Dreyfuss was not really anybody’s idea of a “movie star,“nor did he carry himself like one, or have the long-term career of one. But at this pivotal transition point from the wild west of the ’70s to the corporate packaging of the ’80s, he became a cornerstone of cinema culture and represented a broadening of the taste of the average moviegoer. People wanted to see actors that actually looked and sounded and felt like them, and Dreyfuss arrived at the perfect time to defy conventions and enshrine himself in history.
