Dennis Dugan American actor and director Date of Birth: 05.09.1946 Country: USA

Biography of Dennis Dugan

Dennis Dugan was born in 1946 in Wheaton, Illinois. He began his acting career in the early 1970s, appearing in television shows such as "Cannon," "The Sixth Sense," and "The Waltons." In 1972, he starred in the thriller "Night Call Nurses." Dugan went on to act in films such as "The Day of the Locust," "Night Moves," and "Smile."

One of Dugan's memorable roles was as a police sergeant in an episode of "Columbo" titled "Last Salute to the Commodore." He then starred as the main character in the series "Richie Brockelman, Private Eye" in 1977. Throughout the late 1970s, Dugan appeared in various television projects, including "Rich Man, Poor Man," "Alice," and "Good Heavens."

During the 1980s, Dugan continued to act in popular TV shows like "Hill Street Blues," "St. Elsewhere," and "Moonlighting." In the 1990s, he transitioned into directing films and TV shows. He directed episodes of shows like "L.A. Law," "Picket Fences," "NYPD Blue," and "Burke's Law."

In 1990, Dugan directed the family comedy "Problem Child," which tells the story of a couple who adopts a seven-year-old boy who turns out to be a troublemaker. The film was a success, and Dugan continued to work as a director. He directed the comedy "Brain Donors" in 1992 and the sports comedy "Happy Gilmore" in 1996, both of which starred Adam Sandler.

Dugan's collaboration with Sandler proved to be the most successful period of his career. Together, they worked on films like "Big Daddy" in 1999, "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" in 2008, and "Grown Ups" in 2010. In 2007, Dugan directed the comedy "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry," which starred Sandler in the lead role.

It is known that Dugan was married twice. His first wife was actress Joyce Van Patten from 1973 to 1987. His second wife, whom he is still married to today, is actress Sharon Dugan. Dugan's son, Kelly Dugan, is a baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Currently, Dugan is set to direct the comedies "Jack and Jill" and "Just Go with It," both of which will be released in 2011 and star Adam Sandler.