Dan Hedaya

Born:July 24, 1940

Place of Birth:Brooklyn, New York, USA

Known For:Acting

Biography

Dan Hedaya, born on July 24, 1940, is a versatile American actor whose career spans over several decades. Hedaya's passion for acting blossomed during his time at Tufts University, where he honed his craft by performing in the campus theater. His early experiences on stage laid the foundation for a successful career in film and television.

Known for his ability to portray a wide range of characters, Hedaya has often been cast in roles that showcase his talent for playing sleazy villains and uptight, wisecracking individuals. His performances are characterized by a nuanced understanding of human behavior and a keen attention to detail, which have earned him critical acclaim throughout his career.

One of Hedaya's standout roles was in the Coen brothers' crime thriller "Blood Simple," where he delivered a memorable performance as a cuckolded husband caught in a web of deceit and betrayal. His portrayal of the character brought depth and complexity to the role, showcasing his ability to captivate audiences with his on-screen presence.

In addition to his work in film, Hedaya also found success on the small screen with his role as Nick Tortelli on the beloved sitcom "Cheers." As the scheming ex-husband of Carla Tortelli, Hedaya brought a mix of humor and charm to the character, making him a fan favorite among viewers of the show.

Throughout his career, Hedaya has demonstrated a remarkable versatility as an actor, seamlessly transitioning between comedic and dramatic roles with ease. His ability to inhabit a wide range of characters with authenticity and depth has solidified his reputation as a talented and respected performer in the entertainment industry.

Beyond his work in front of the camera, Hedaya has also lent his voice to various animated projects and has appeared in numerous stage productions, showcasing his dedication to his craft and his willingness to explore new creative avenues.

With a career that continues to thrive, Dan Hedaya remains a prominent figure in Hollywood, beloved by audiences for his memorable performances and respected by his peers for his professionalism and dedication to his art. As he continues to take on new and challenging roles, audiences can look forward to seeing more of his exceptional talent on screen for years to come.

Images

Filmography

Acting

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Red

2016

In 1926, Newt Scamander arrives at the Magical Congress of the United States of America with a magically expanded briefcase, which houses a number of dangerous creatures and their habitats. When the creatures escape from the briefcase, it sends the American wizarding authorities after Newt, and threatens to strain even further the state of magical and non-magical relations.

Clueless

Mel Horowitz

1995

Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Emboldened by her success, she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother was right about how misguided she was -- and falls for him.

Robots

Mr. Gunk (voice)

2005

Rodney Copperbottom is a young robot inventor who dreams of making the world a better place, until the evil Ratchet takes over Bigweld Industries. Now, Rodney's dreams – and those of his friends – are in danger of becoming obsolete.

Mulholland Drive

Vincenzo Castigliane

2001

Blonde Betty Elms has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia. Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman's identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.

The Usual Suspects

Jeff Rabin

1995

Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord's almost supernatural prowess.

The Addams Family

Tully Alford

1991

When a man claiming to be long-lost Uncle Fester reappears after 25 years lost, the family plans a celebration to wake the dead. But the kids barely have time to warm up the electric chair before Morticia begins to suspect Fester is fraud when he can't recall any of the details of Fester's life.

Alien Resurrection

General Perez

1997

Two hundred years after Lt. Ripley died, a group of scientists clone her, hoping to breed the ultimate weapon. But the new Ripley is full of surprises … as are the new aliens. Ripley must team with a band of smugglers to keep the creatures from reaching Earth.

Commando

Arius

1985

John Matrix, the former leader of a special commando strike force that always got the toughest jobs done, is forced back into action when his young daughter is kidnapped. To find her, Matrix has to fight his way through an array of punks, killers, one of his former commandos, and a fully equipped private army. With the help of a feisty stewardess and an old friend, Matrix has only a few hours to overcome his greatest challenge: finding his daughter before she's killed.

Ransom

Jackie Brown

1996

When a rich man's son is kidnapped, he cooperates with the police at first but then tries a unique tactic against the criminals.

Shaft

Jack Roselli

2000

New York police detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade Jr. for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade returns to face trial, confident his money and influence will get him acquitted -- especially since he's paid a drug kingpin to kill the witness.

The First Wives Club

Morton Cushman

1996

After years of helping their hubbies climb the ladder of success, three mid-life Manhattanites have been dumped for a newer, curvier model. But the trio is determined to turn their pain into gain. They come up with a cleverly devious plan to hit their exes where it really hurts - in the wallet!

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

John Gomez

1984

Adventurer/surgeon/rock musician Buckaroo Banzai and his band of men, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, take on evil alien invaders from the 8th dimension.

The Hurricane

Della Pesca

1999

The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.

Maverick

Twitchy, Riverboat Poker Player

1994

Bret Maverick is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them, and needs an additional $3k in order to enter a winner-takes-all poker game beginning in a few days. He joins forces with a woman with a marvelous Southern accent, and the two try and enter the game.

A Night at the Roxbury

Kamehl Butabi

1998

Despite being well into adulthood, brothers Doug and Steve Butabi still live at home and work in the flower shop owned by their dad. They exist only to hit on women at discos, though they're routinely unsuccessful until a chance run-in with Richard Grieco gets them inside the swank Roxbury club. Mistaken for high rollers, they meet their dream women, Vivica and Cambi, and resolve to open a club of their own.

Blood Simple

Julian Marty

1984

The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.

Benny & Joon

Thomas

1993

A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.

To Die For

Joe Maretto

1995

Suzanne Stone wants to be a world-famous news anchor and she is willing to do anything to get what she wants. What she lacks in intelligence, she makes up for in cold determination and diabolical wiles. As she pursues her goal with relentless focus, she is forced to destroy anything and anyone that may stand in her way, regardless of the ultimate cost or means necessary.

A Civil Action

John Riley

1998

Jan Schlickmann is a cynical lawyer who goes out to 'get rid of' a case, only to find out it is potentially worth millions. The case becomes his obsession, to the extent that he is willing to give up everything—including his career and his clients' goals—in order to continue the case against all odds.

The Hunger

Lieutenant Allegrezza

1983

Five-thousand-year-old vampire Miriam promises her lovers the gift of eternal life. When John, her cellist companion for centuries, discovers that he has suddenly begun growing old, he attempts to seek out the help of Dr. Sarah Roberts, a researcher on the mechanisms of aging.

Pacific Heights

Loan Officer

1990

A couple works hard to renovate their dream house and become landlords to pay for it. Unfortunately one of their tenants has plans of his own.

Too Big to Fail

Congressman Barney Frank

2011

An intimate look at the epochal financial crisis of 2008 and the powerful men and women who decided the fate of the world's economy in a matter of a few weeks.

In & Out

Military Attorney

1997

A midwestern teacher questions his sexuality after a former student makes a comment about him at the Academy Awards.

Searching for Bobby Fischer

Tournament Director

1993

A seven-year-old chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.

Rookie of the Year

Larry 'Fish' Fisher

1993

12-year-old Henry Rowengartner, whose late father was a minor league baseball player, grew up dreaming of playing baseball, despite his physical shortcomings. After Henry's arm is broken while trying to catch a baseball at school, the tendon in that arm heals too tightly, allowing Henry to throw pitches that are as fast as 103 mph. Henry is spotted at nearby Wrigley Field by Larry "Fish" Fisher, the general manager of the struggling Chicago Cubs, after Henry throws an opponent's home-run ball all the way from the outfield bleachers back to the catcher, and it seems that Henry may be the pitcher that team owner Bob Carson has been praying for.

Fair Game

Walter Hollenbach (uncredited)

1995

Max Kirkpatrick is a cop who protects Kate McQuean, a civil law attorney, from a renegade KGB team out to terminate her

Nixon

Trini Cardoza

1995

A look at President Richard M. Nixon—a man carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders while battling the self-destructive demands from within—spanning his troubled boyhood in California to the shocking Watergate scandal that would end his Presidency.

Marvin's Room

Robert "Bob" Carter

1996

A leukemia patient attempts to end a 20-year feud with her sister to get her bone marrow.

Joe Versus the Volcano

Frank Waturi

1990

Hypochondriac Joe Banks finds out he has six months to live, quits his dead end job, musters the courage to ask his co-worker out on a date, and is then hired to jump into a volcano by a mysterious visitor.

Mulholland Dr.

Vincenzo Castigliane

1999

Initially, "Mulholland Dr." was to mark David Lynch's return to television. It is a retooling of a script originally shot as a 94-minute pilot for a TV series (co-written with TV screenwriter Joyce Eliason) for the channel ABC, which had approved the script, but chose not even to air the pilot once it was done in 1999, despite Lynch's labours to cut the project to their liking. It was left in limbo until 18 month later French company Studio Canal Plus (also producer of 'The Straight Story') agreed to pay ABC $7 million for the pilot, and budget a few million more to turn the pilot into a two-hour, 27-minute movie. The cost of the film doubled to $14 million as sets had to be reconstructed and actors recalled.

Tightrope

Det. Molinari

1984

Wes Block is a detective who's put on the case of a serial killer whose victims are young and pretty women. The murders are getting personal when the killer chooses victims who are acquaintances of Block. Even his daughters are threatened.

Running Scared

Captain Logan

1986

Two street-wise Chicago cops have to shake off some rust after returning from a Key West vacation to pursue a drug dealer that nearly killed them in the past.