Andy Dick Biography

Andy Dick is an American actor and comedian known for his offbeat persona, boundary-pushing humor, and a career that spans sketch comedy, sitcoms, voice work, and reality television.

Andrew Roane Dick was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and was adopted at birth, later growing up in various locations due to his father’s Navy career. He became interested in performance and comedy at a young age and eventually studied improvisational theater, including work with the famed Second City troupe.

Dick’s first major break came as a cast member on the short-lived but influential sketch series The Ben Stiller Show in the early 1990s. He gained wider recognition playing eccentric reporter Matthew Brock on NBC’s workplace sitcom NewsRadio from 1995 to 1999, cementing his image as a manic, unpredictable comedic presence.

In the 2000s, Dick became a familiar face on television through a regular role on the ABC sitcom Less Than Perfect and through his own MTV projects. He created and starred in The Andy Dick Show, a sketch and prank series that ran for three seasons on MTV, and later headlined the satirical reality series The Assistant, parodying hit reality formats of the era.

Alongside his TV work, Dick built a substantial film and voice-acting résumé in both live-action comedies and animated features. His credits include Reality Bites, The Cable Guy, Inspector Gadget, Old School, and voice roles such as Nuka in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, Boingo in Hoodwinked!, Lennie in Dr. Dolittle 2, and Mambo in Happily N’Ever After.

Dick’s career has often been overshadowed by widely reported struggles with substance abuse and a series of arrests and legal issues, including drug-related charges and multiple allegations of inappropriate conduct. In recent years he has faced criminal charges that resulted in a jail sentence, mandatory registration as a sex offender, required counseling, and participation in recovery programs, which have further complicated his public image and professional prospects.

He was married to Ivone Kowalczyk from 1986 to 1990, with whom he has a son. He also has two children from another relationship.