Richard Dreyfuss Interview 1974 Brian Linehan's City Lights

In this interview from 1974, 26 year old Richard Dreyfuss talks about the craft of acting, generosity between actors, his classmates Rob Reiner and Albert Brooks from Beverly Hills High School, Diana Maddox, performing in the Incident at Vichy as a young actor in LA, the experience of seeing The Great White Hope with Jane Alexander and James Earl Jones on Broadway, and tells stories about Tony Randall and Henry Fonda. He calls Robert De Niro "the best actor in my generation."
From 1974 to 2000, Canada’s Brian Linehan conducted thousands of in-depth interviews with the greatest actors and directors from over 60 years of film history. His programs City Lights and Linehan have not been seen since they first aired and are now available for the first time for licensing. Linehan, a stylishly gifted broadcaster, meticulously did all his own research and that, coupled with his knowledge and passion about film and filmmaking, puts him in a class all by himself.
With 20,000 hours of music footage spanning 90 years and thousands of hours of in-depth interviews with the 20th century’s icons of Film and Television, Politics, Comedy, Literature, Art, Science, Fashion and Sports, Reelin’ In The Years Productions is now the World’s Premier Source For Footage Of Musical Artists, Entertainers & History Makers.
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Note: these clips are available on KZbin for producers, directors, researchers and clearance companies for potential use in their projects. Our website on the screen is to protect the footage from being used without our consent and so industry professionals can find us to properly license the footage.
Brian Linehan, who passed away in 2004, left his entire estate to The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation to provide training, work opportunities and promotion for young actors of exceptional talent. All of the income of his Foundation is donated to not-for-profit institutions for that purpose. In the decade since his death, recipients of the Foundation’s support have included extraordinary young actors affiliated with the Canadian Film Centre, The National Screen Institute of Canada, the Stratford Shakespearean Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, which, since Brian's passing, has preserved and housed Brian's personal archive and tape library.

[@joycegibbs5267]

one of the best actors. Actors used to be so exciting.

[@ferabra8939]

"You went to Beverly Hills High" "Sure I did...yesterday" "I meant the school" "ohhh,...I see. Yes, I did".

[@WendyFedan]

I LOVE his passion!!! Such a captivating interview! Thanks for posting this!

[@TheLisab56]

The first time I saw Richard was in The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz. I knew, right then, that Richard was a great actor. He has been plagued by bipolar disorder most of his life. He was able to manage it in a way that actually helped him with his craft. If Richard did not become the genius we have seen through the years, (his astounding workmanship, dedication, and respect for acting) I often wondered if he would still be with us. Thank god he was called to become one of the very best.

[@queenslander954]

I hear you Lisa , I watched that movie growing up in Australia and though it was amazing , be it the director Ted Kotcheff also made ‘Wake in Fright’ in Oz as well which turned out brilliantly.. funny thing is I heard Richard say that he hated watching the movie .. might have been his youthful appearance. That let’s face it , no one ever likes.

[@sbrechegno]

​@@queenslander954 Wake in fright is an outstanding piece of cinema

[@nysguy07]

Now we know why he was the narrator for Stand By Me, he knew Reiner since childhood.

[@shaunigothictv1003]

Dreyfuss is the most passionate person Brian Linehan ever interviewed.

[@CasperLCat]

You can see exactly why Spielberg chose this guy for the manically obsessed Dad in Close Encounters.

[@sharpasaneraser]

he's got his JAWS' glasses on

[@xyz8655]

When he first showed up to do JAWS they said he looked exactly how they thought Hooper would look. They even told him not to shave, don't change a thing. So Richard's own look was used as Hooper in Jaws.

[@hunterking4045]

he's need go back to school 😂

[@kezadrone]

This hosts questions are excellent.

[@jamesrogers8527]

Nice to see him looking so well.

[@fingerprint5511]

It was nearly 50 years ago 😂

[@yuljohnson5502]

"Well this is not a boating accident,and there wasn't no propeller and there was no coral reef. And it wasn't Jack the ripper...it was a Shark"

[@deadheaders86]

Imagine Samuel L. Jackson saying this.

[@tatianaartemova3636]

I wish this interview was waaay longer

[@nysguy07]

Love the comment about Albert Brooks, “he’s gaining a very good reputation in the states “. All Brooks did was become a genius.

[@youtubenatan]

One of a kind. No words. He is the art speaking...SBN RESONATE

[@nigeace]

Funnily enough, this was how Dreyfuss looked at the time. Carl Gottlieb and Spielberg said....that he shouldn’t change his look as that’s how they figured Matt Hooper to look like.

[@Anthony-vc2fd]

Even funnily enough, search for the film American graffiti, a film I watched when I was a kid, Richard Dreyfuss looks completely different, it’s funny how his hair colour and appearance looked so vast from two years ago.

[@Anthony-vc2fd]

Funnier enough again, in the actual novel of jaws, (what the film was based off) hooper was a tanned, tall, buff young man. Which didn’t fit the structure of Dreyfuss at all at the time. I recommend the novel, amazing

[@sharpasaneraser]

in fact, i think he's got his Matt Hooper costume on...must've been on recess from filming it.

[@GjpgrD]

Since he mentions Diane Maddox working on something "this summer", I suspect this was just before filming on JAWS began (May/June ''74). He's there promoting DUDDY KRAVITZ & he's always said that he accepted the role in JAWS when DUDDY came out & he thought he was terrible in it & would never work again. (He was wrong - he's awesome in it, got great reviews & was even seriously considered for an Oscar nomination for it.)

[@sharpasaneraser]

GjpgrD thanks for the cinema lesson

[@romansfortunyr3882]

this is a great actor, always followed his work, and you can tell he was passionate about (much like the goodbye girl) an actor playing an actor...amazing!

[@hectormann3337]

dreyfuss one of the best A actor of the era

[@yuljohnson5502]

Agreed!!! He proved that in Jaws, his performance in that movie was flawless!! The humor and drama he showed in that movie was almost unparallel!!

[@GrandmaKassey]

I've never heard it like that. I get it now. I had to look up cathartic (release of strong emotions). Thank you Ricky.

[@lifemusic1980]

I just watched an interview with him discussing his bipolar disorder and this really shows the manic behavior he described when he was younger.

[@annieanonymous611]

I never knew this and I was going to comment on how intense he is here but this explains it.

[@spockboy]

Someone should send this to Richard Dreyfuss.

[@GjpgrD]

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for this!!!! But where is Part 2 (Thursday)????

[@KG-vr3te]

I'm grinning from ear to ear thinking its great to see Mr Hooper survived the sinking of the Orca, and Richard at this point would not want to see Robert Shaw walk in. But I love Richard's talk, the rhythm and enthusiasm is exactly what I loved about him in Close Encounters and Jaws. I wish he did more, when I was 5 to 11 years old, Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss filled me with magic and imagination.

[@heffphilat]

He's also got the ring on he wore in JAWS, I wonder if he kept the Alsta divers watch he wore as Hooper.

[@BrianJgriffin709]

Passion

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Dreyfuss’s enthusiasm and voice reminds me a little of the late Harlan Ellison.

[@TheLisab56]

Ellison is one of my favorite writers. I miss that cranky bastard.

[@TheChadWork2001]

Wow, that host's hair, and the giant microphone around Richard's neck.

[@johnnay6335]

He does hyper converstion like I do hyper conversation. Transcendence.

[@Frisenette]

God, that guy is a great interviewer! Is that theme music written for the show or can you get the long clean version somewhere?

[@jenniferrose5837]

Teen crush! 😍💘

[@stevemarshall3986]

Totally remember Brian from when I was a kid and the city lights logo.

[@zigzagbigbag]

The irony is Albert Brooke's is actually Albert Einstein brother of Super Dave Osborne who filmed Bizarre TV show in Canada.

[@laustcawz2089]

You don't seem to know the definition of irony.

[@jamesrogers8527]

I now realize Dreyfuss was just playing himself in 'Jaws'.

[@daleroth1477]

they should just call it "Let's Name Drop" 🤣🤣🤣

[@Matthewsmollen4]

This was probably around the time he was filming Jaws.

[@victormirabelli5895]

He must of did this interview before he started shooting Jaws in May 1974. He was probably promoting The Apprentiship of Duddy Kravitz which opened in April 1974.

[@justicia5783]

"must HAVE DONE" "have" is the auxiliary verb for the main verb/past participle of "did" , i.e. "done" "of did" is nonsense

[@joeambrose3260]

No shit Sherlock, he says it at 5:33

[@joeambrose3260]

@@justicia5783 Get a life

[@justicia5783]

@@joeambrose3260 "Get a [brain]"

[@charleswinokoor6023]

The whole thing reminds me of SCTV.

[@alukuhito]

The funny intro music, the red background, the large microphone hanging around his neck, ...

[@krisscanlon4051]

Exactly this seems like Short doing both roles

[@walbermagalhaes9721]

Good actor ..really.

[@dingodundee1212]

This could of been recorded yesterday, apart from the fashion etc..

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Both far too well-spoken to have been filmed yesterday...

[@Hanover-ek4jy]

Richard really disliked Robert Shaw in jaws!

[@chiefscheider]

In one of those Making of Jaws things, Carl Gottlieb said that just before a take, Shaw would say something to throw Dreyfuss off, like "Mind your mannerisms..."

[@sdne1959]

. So.....was the second part of this fascinating interview ever completed........or is it just not included here ?? .

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Linehan during his career conducted “thousands” of interviews? Hundreds maybe, but even that’s a stretch. Notwithstanding that bit of hyperbole, this interview with Dreyfuss was excellent.

[@donsample1002]

Charles Winokoor In a career lasting 25 years, just two interviews a week gets you to thousands.

[@charleswinokoor6023]

@@donsample1002 I stand corrected. But at the time of this particular interview I tend to doubt he had done thousands.

[@melissamaylath2289]

Close encounters of 3rd kind. Jaws, What about bob. Are my favorite movies. He's like a down earth kinda guy. He's seems real. & honest. I like that. I only like actors that can relate to real people .Those who are humble & honest. There are very few of them that are like that.

[@Anthony-vc2fd]

Hooper? STARBOARD AINT YOU WATCHING IT

[@alukuhito]

It's funny how his shaggy look has come back full circle. I could never do it. It would just feel too gross for me, but lots of people seem totally comfortable with the messy hair, beard, and sometimes glasses thing.

[@peterdowney1492]

He's talking about De Niro and states there was one part....... and the interviewer moves on. I wanted to know what it was. Up to that point I think he was doing a great job.

[@chiefscheider]

He may have been talking about Bang the Drum Slowly or Mean Streets, which both came out the year before this interview.

[@gerrydooley951]

known as Rick in high school he was a very entitled little punk and it shows in his work. He was really full of himself. The character in the Goodbye Girl was really him

[@youtubenatan]

I cried at 11:55...SBN RESONATE

[@mattkylie6723]

Matty Hooper!!!

[@davemcdonagh7295]

Richard was so disappointed by his performance in Duddy Kravitz (his words not mine) that he rang Steven Spielberg and begged for a role in a movie he had turned down twice, the movie was Jaws.

[@marshacreary9771]

Is he related to the famous photographer Alex W. Dreyfoos?

[@zacharyantle7940]

God he was yummy back in the day 🤤

[@oo88oo]

What Bobby DeNiro role is he talking about?? Mean Streets???

[@chiefscheider]

Either that or Bang the Drum Slowly

[@daveruda]

This is the Dreyfuss that would go from strength to strength over that next few years. Sorry to say he kind of lost his spark later.

[@dfangirl72]

i think it's more quality over quantity.the crew was really good , once around was good ,

[@marshacreary9771]

1:38-1:56 Rudy who?

[@DylanRoth1860]

Actor says actors are great, while dismissing the notion that actors are self serving. Got it.

[@jamesrogers8527]

He reminds me of John Lennon here, actually.

[@justicia5783]

this dude's beard/facial hair would start graying in a year, the man is barely entering his late 20's The two spots in his chin hair are in the preliminary state just before losing pigment completely. He's also entering the end-game on top as well with that desperate comb-over or should I say, 'comb-forward'

[@dalebaker9109]

There's a photo of him, from June 1975, and he is totally grey, at just 27. He started greying from about 23. An old man by 30. what a great actor he is.

[@justicia5783]

@@dalebaker9109 Good actor but a complete lunatic.

[@joeambrose3260]

Grow up Losers

[@patrickfallon6192]

Richard can talk dang and what’s up with his hair 😬

[@ferabra8939]

He's high on something other than coffe for sure...

[@silverscreenreviews8521]

Fer Abra he’s bi-polar mate, hence his energetic actions and persona

[@ferabra8939]

Coke sure didn't help his condition...and he did a lot in the 70s, according to himself.

[@silverscreenreviews8521]

Fer Abra ah cool man didn’t know that, cheers for the info fella 👍🏻

[@justicia5783]

Dreyfuss has always been a bit of a kook.

[@TheChadWork2001]

Is acting really "work?" It's playing, pretending.

[@robroberts1473]

Of course it's work.