Steve Guttenberg | |
---|---|
Born | Steven Robert Guttenberg August 24, 1958 New York City, New York, U.S. |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1977–present |
Spouses | Denise Bixler (m. 1988;div. 1992)Emily Smith (m. 2019) |
Steven Robert Guttenberg (born August 24, 1958) is an American actor, author, businessman, producer, and director. His lead roles in films include Cocoon , Police Academy , Three Men and a Baby , Diner , The Bedroom Window , Three Men and a Little Lady , The Big Green , and Short Circuit .
Guttenberg was born on August 24, 1958 [1] in Brooklyn, New York. [2] He is the only son (he has his two sisters) of Ann Iris (née Newman), a surgical assistant, and Jerome Stanley Guttenberg, an electrical engineer.[ citation needed ] His godfather is actor Michael Bell. [3] Steve had a Jewish upbringing [4] in the Flushing neighborhood of the borough of Queens. [2] In 1976, he graduated from Plainedge High School after his family moved from Queens to North Massapequa. [5] [6] [7] While still in high school, Guttenberg attended a summer program at the Juilliard School and studied under John Houseman. During that time, he auditioned for and won a part in an off-Broadway production of The Lion in Winter . [5] [7]
After high school, Guttenberg attended the University at Albany, SUNY for a year. When he left SUNY, Guttenberg moved to California to pursue an acting career. [5] [7] Within weeks, he was cast in a Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial playing opposite Colonel Sanders.
After playing an uncredited bit part in the suspense film Rollercoaster , [8] Guttenberg had his first screen credit in the TV movie Something for Joey (1977). Next he played the starring role in the 1977 high school comedy The Chicken Chronicles , set in Beverly Hills in 1969. He appeared in the 1978 film The Boys From Brazil , based on the Ira Levin bestseller, and guest-starred on Family .
Guttenberg starred in the short-lived TV series Billy (1979), based on Billy Liar . He had a supporting role in a tennis romance film Players (1979). In 1980, a Coca-Cola commercial featured him trying to help a non-English-speaking woman fix a flat bicycle tire. [9] He starred in the TV movie To Race the Wind (1980) playing blind lawyer Harold Krents. In the same year, he starred in the Nancy Walker-directed Can't Stop the Music , a semi-autobiographical movie about the disco group Village People. Guttenberg played Jim Craig in the TV movie Miracle on Ice (1981). He appeared in Barry Levinson's Diner (1982) and starred in another short-lived TV series No Soap, Radio (1982). Guttenberg starred in the action-comedy The Man Who Wasn't There (1983) and had a supporting part in the post-apocalyptic television movie The Day After (1983). He starred in The Ferret (1984) a pilot for a TV series which was not picked up.
In 1984, Guttenberg played the lead role in Police Academy . It grossed $8.5 million in its opening weekend and over $149 million worldwide, against a budget of $4.5 million; it is the most successful movie in the film franchise which it launched. [10] He became a busy star over the next four years, appearing in nine starring roles, tying with Gene Hackman for busiest actor. [11]
In 1985, Police Academy was quickly followed by a sequel, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment . Guttenberg then had the romantic male lead in Cocoon , another box-office success. A comedy in which he starred, Bad Medicine , was not particularly successful.
In 1986, Guttenberg played Pecos Bill in an episode of Tall Tales & Legends , then was in Police Academy 3: Back in Training . Also in 1986, he starred in Short Circuit opposite Ally Sheedy, another very popular film. In 1987, Guttenberg changed pace acting in the thriller The Bedroom Window , directed by Curtis Hanson. Guttenberg then made Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol , his last Police Academy Film. He had a cameo in Amazon Women on the Moon and supported Michael Caine and Sally Field in Surrender . Guttenberg had the biggest financial success of his career to date with Three Men and a Baby with Tom Selleck and Ted Danson. In 1988, Guttenberg starred with Peter O'Toole and Daryl Hannah in High Spirits , which flopped. In 1989, Guttenberg appeared in the Michael Jackson music video "Liberian Girl". [12] Guttenberg also acted in Cocoon: The Return which was a commercial disappointment.
In 1990, he replaced Timothy Hutton in the lead role of Prelude to a Kiss at the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway. [13] He also performed in London's West End, where he starred in The Boys Next Door. He appeared in the world stage premiere production of Furthest From the Sun, which Woody Harrelson directed and co-authored. In films, Guttenberg acted in Don't Tell Her It's Me and Three Men and a Little Lady . He directed "Love Off Limits" for CBS Schoolbreak Special in 1993. In 1995, he acted in The Big Green . He was among the ensemble in Home for the Holidays , and starred in It Takes Two with Kirstie Alley and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
In 1997, Guttenberg starred in Zeus and Roxanne , Casper: A Spirited Beginning and alongside Kirsten Dunst in Disney's Tower of Terror , based on the attraction at Disney World. In 1998, he acted in action films, Airborne, and Overdrive, as well as the comedy Home Team .
His first film as director/producer/co-screenwriter/star was P.S. Your Cat Is Dead (2002), a film adaptation of a novel and Broadway play by James Kirkwood, Jr. [5] Guttenberg starred in Mojave Phone Booth (2006) as Barry, and Making Change as Trafton. In Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus and then its sequel Meet the Santas , he played the starring role of Nick. He had a recurring role in the 2005–2006 season of the television series Veronica Mars as Woody Goodman, a wealthy businessman and community leader. He appeared as a lead in the NBC made-for-TV remake of The Poseidon Adventure (2005), playing Richard Clarke, a failing writer having an affair with a massage therapist. He guest-starred in a 2007 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent . He appeared in an According to Jim episode, "Two for the Money", in 2008. In the same year, Guttenberg released a video titled "Steve Guttenberg's Steak House" [14] on Will Ferrell's Funny or Die website. Guttenberg joined the 2008 spring season dancing on Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Anna Trebunskaya, and was eliminated on April 1. [15]
A video which appeared to show Guttenberg jogging nearly naked through Central Park in New York City was released online in 2008. [16] During an interview on the British talk show The Paul O'Grady Show , Guttenberg said that he made the video for Will Ferrell's Funny or Die website, but then decided to release it virally "as if it were real" [17] as part of a challenge for the show. Guttenberg became the Guinness World Record Holder for preparing the most hot-dogs in one minute. [18]
Guttenberg starred in the Cinderella pantomime at Churchill Theatre in Bromley (Greater London), playing the Baron (father of Cinderella) in 2008. [19] Celebrating his involvement, the local Empire Cinema screened Police Academy on November 19. He introduced the film and answered questions. [20] [21]
Guttenberg played himself in a 2010 episode of the Starz comedy Party Down . He appeared on Broadway from late 2011 to early 2012 in Woody Allen's one-act play Honeymoon Hotel, which was part of the show Relatively Speaking . [13] Guttenberg was on History Channel's 2015 miniseries Sons of Liberty playing Jack Bonner. In 2015, he was on SyFy Channel's Lavalantula and was featured in an episode of Community , "Intro to Recycled Cinema", which aired on Yahoo Screen. [22] In 2020, he appeared on Holey Moley II: The Sequel. He also starred in the Lifetime film How to Murder Your Husband: The Nancy Brophy Story where he portrayed Daniel Brophy. [23]
In a 2009 interview, Guttenberg mentioned that Disney was developing a second sequel to Three Men and a Baby, entitled Three Men and a Bride. He said that his co-stars, Ted Danson and Tom Selleck, would return for the sequel. [24] Guttenberg expressed his interest in making additional sequels to the Police Academy and Cocoon movies, saying they would be surefire hits if they were to be made. [25] In 2010, he revealed that David Diamond and David Weissman were writing a script for Police Academy 8. [26] In 2018, Guttenberg said that a new Police Academy film is packaged but had no other details. [27]
Guttenberg's production company, Mr. Kirby Productions, is named after Gerald J. Kirby, his high-school drama teacher. [5]
In 1995, Guttenberg was name-checked in The Simpsons episode "Homer the Great" in the song "We Do", whereby a fictional ancient secret society called the Stonecutters (a parody of the Freemasons) claim it was them that made Guttenberg a star. He was reportedly flattered by the reference. [28]
Guttenberg married model Denise Bixler on September 30, 1988. [29] They separated in June 1991 [30] and divorced in 1992. [31] Guttenberg has lived with WCBS-TV reporter Emily Smith since 2014. [32] They were engaged on Christmas Day 2016 [33] [34] and married on January 19, 2019. [35]
Guttenberg is involved with charities whose goal is to improve opportunities for the homeless and for young people. [36] In 2016, a trust in his honor was established to provide support services to the homeless population of Los Angeles. [37] The Entertainment Industry Foundation, Hollywood's charity arm, selected Guttenberg to be Ambassador for Children's Issues for his work on behalf of children and the homeless. [38] At the 2016 New York Walk to Fight Lymphedema & Lymphatic Diseases in Brooklyn, Guttenberg announced, via a pre-recorded message, that he had joined the Lymphatic Education & Research Network's (LE&RN) Honorary Board.
On January 8, 2025, Guttenberg was among the various citizens who have been volunteering their time helping first responders as devastating wildfires raged across the Los Angeles area of Southern California. Guttenberg even went unnoticed by the local media when interviewed. “This is the time for us to remember that we’re part of a community" Guttenberg said and that people “have to help each other and be kind to each other. If you see somebody who needs help, help them. Ask them what they need.” In an interview with CNN, Guttenberg said that he hadn't “seen anything like this in my entire life, and I don’t think many people have.” Guttenberg also discussed helping to rescue pets belonging to a neighbor who happened to be out of town as the fires raged. At least five people had died and more than 1000 structures have been destroyed, and more than 100,000 people, including various celebrities, have evacuated their homes in what has become the most destructive in Los Angeles' history. [39] [40]
The sixth Fire Island Golden Wagon Film Festival held annually, honored Guttenberg with the 2008 Tony Randall Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the entertainment industry, as well as his community service. [41] The award was created in tribute to the first Golden Wagon honoree, Tony Randall; it is given to a member of the entertainment industry who embodies the same love of Fire Island, independent spirit, and community service which Randall shared.
Guttenberg received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011. [42] In 2014, he received a key to the city from Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine for his work with Fun Paw Care, raising awareness for animal rights. [43]
Eugene Allen Hackman is a retired American actor. In a career that spanned more than six decades, he received two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Silver Bear. Hackman's two Academy Award wins included one for Best Actor for his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in William Friedkin's acclaimed thriller The French Connection (1971) and the other for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Little" Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood's Western film Unforgiven (1992). His other Oscar-nominated roles were in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and Mississippi Burning (1988).
Edward BridgeDanson III is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom Cheers (1982–1993), for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. He was further Emmy-nominated for the FX legal drama Damages (2007–2010) and the NBC comedy The Good Place (2016–2020). He was announced as the recipient of the 2025 Carol Burnett Award.
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor. He has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Thomas William Selleck is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, winning in 1985. From 2010 to 2024, Selleck has co-starred as NYC Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in the series Blue Bloods. From 2005–2015, he portrayed troubled small-town police chief Jesse Stone in nine television films based on the Robert B. Parker novels.
Martin Patterson Hingle was an American character actor who appeared in stage productions and in hundreds of television shows and feature films. His first film was On the Waterfront in 1954. He often played tough authority figures. Hingle was a close friend of Clint Eastwood and appeared in the Eastwood films Hang 'Em High, The Gauntlet, and Sudden Impact. He also portrayed Jim Gordon in the Batman film franchise from 1989 to 1997.
Police Academy is a comedy franchise of seven theatrical films and two spin-off television shows. The 1984 film Police Academy followed the premise of a new mayor requiring the local police department to accept all recruits. The film franchise relies heavily on slapstick humor and physical comedy, as the misfit recruits attempt to prove themselves capable of being police officers, succeeding despite their eccentricities. The first four films follow Carey Mahoney, a repeat offender forced to join the police academy as punishment. The 1994 film Mission to Moscow marked the seventh installment, with cast members George Gaynes, Michael Winslow, and David Graf appearing throughout the film series.
Three Men and a Baby is a 1987 American comedy film directed by Leonard Nimoy. It stars Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson as three bachelors as they attempt to adapt their lives to de facto fatherhood with the arrival of the love child of one of the men. The script was based on the 1985 French film Trois hommes et un couffin.
William Joseph Devane is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing (1983–1993) and as James Heller on the Fox serial dramas 24 (2001–2010) and 24: Live Another Day (2014). He is also known for his work in films such as Family Plot (1976), Marathon Man (1976), Rolling Thunder (1977), Payback (1999), and Space Cowboys (2000).
Nancy Ann Travis is an American actress. She began her career on Off-Broadway theater, before her first leading screen role in the ABC television miniseries Harem opposite Omar Sharif. Her breakthrough came in 1987, playing Sylvia Bennington in the comedy film Three Men and a Baby. She later starred in its sequel, Three Men and a Little Lady (1990).
Paul David Graf was an American actor, best known for his role as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry in the Police Academy series of films.
Cocoon is a 1985 American science fiction comedy drama film directed by Ron Howard and written by Tom Benedek from a story by David Saperstein. The film stars Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford, Steve Guttenberg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Herta Ware, Tahnee Welch, and Linda Harrison, and follows a group of elderly people rejuvenated by aliens.
James Paul Marsden is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993), Touched by an Angel (1995), and Party of Five (1995). Marsden gained fame for his portrayal of Cyclops in the X-Men film series (2000–2014) and for his roles in the films The Notebook (2004), Superman Returns (2006), Hairspray (2007), Enchanted (2007), 27 Dresses (2008), and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013). He portrayed John F. Kennedy in the drama film The Butler (2013) and Tom Wachowski in Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and its sequels.
Brian Manion Dennehy was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in over 180 films and in many television and stage productions. His film roles included First Blood (1982), Gorky Park (1983), Silverado (1985), Cocoon (1985), F/X (1986), Presumed Innocent (1990), Tommy Boy (1995), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Ratatouille (2007), and Knight of Cups (2015). Dennehy won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his role as Willy Loman in the television film Death of a Salesman (2000). Dennehy's final film was Driveways (2019), in which he plays a veteran of the Korean War, living alone, who befriends a young, shy boy who has come with his mother to clean out his deceased aunt's hoarded home.
Leslie Easterbrook is an American actress and producer. She played Sgt./Lt./Capt. Debbie Callahan in the Police Academy films and Rhonda Lee on the television series Laverne & Shirley.
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is a 1985 American comedy film directed by Jerry Paris. It is the second installment in the Police Academy franchise and the sequel to Police Academy.
Steven John Carell is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom The Office, and also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, and director. Carell has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award for The Office. He was recognized as "America's Funniest Man" by Life.
Three Men and a Little Lady is a 1990 American comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino. It is the sequel to the 1987 film Three Men and a Baby. Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson reprise the leading roles.
Frankie Russel Faison is an American actor known for his role as Deputy Commissioner, and, later, Commissioner, Ervin Burrell in the HBO series The Wire, as Barney Matthews in the Hannibal Lecter franchise, and as Sugar Bates in the Cinemax series Banshee.
Robin Weisman is a former American child actress. She is well known as the "little lady" Mary Bennington in the 1990 film Three Men and a Little Lady co-starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson.
William Thomas Sadler is an American stage, film, and television actor. His television and motion picture roles have included Chesty Puller in The Pacific, Luther Sloan in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sheriff Jim Valenti in Roswell, convict Heywood in The Shawshank Redemption, Senator Vernon Trent in Hard to Kill, Death in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and Bill & Ted Face the Music, and Colonel Stuart in Die Hard 2. He played Matthew Ellis in Iron Man 3, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and WHIH Newsfront. He also recurs as John McGarrett in the 2010 remake of the 1968 television series Hawaii Five-O, and the Boston boxing promoter and suspected drug dealer Gino Fish in the Jesse Stone television film series, opposite Tom Selleck. He also played Don in the 1992 movie Trespass.
I was born in Brooklyn, raised in Flushing, Queens, then Massapequa for my middle and high school years.