Diedrich Bader Biography

Date of Birth: December 24, 1966

Diedrich Bader was born Christmas Eve in Alexandria, VA to two fairly high profile parents. His father, William, was Chief of Staff of the Senate of Foreign Relations Committee during the Carter administration and his mother, Gretta, is a sculptor whose portrait of Senator William Fulbright sits in the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. His great-grandfather was also in the public eye, as a former mayor of Atlantic City, NJ.

When Bader was two, his family moved to Paris, France. While there, he was exposed to a steady stream of American comedies and developed an appreciation for Hollywood legends such as Fred Astaire and Charlie Chaplin. He made his unofficial stage debut at the age of four when a movie reel jammed in the projector at a theater. Bader hopped on stage and entertained the audience with his impersonation of the Little Tramp. He received a standing ovation and from that moment knew he wanted to be a performer.

Just as Bader was to begin high school, his family moved back to the United States where he attended the North Carolina School for the Arts. During a spring break vacation he was discovered by a casting director. That led to an audition for a small role in a television pilot, but he won the starring role instead. The pilot wasn't picked up, but it prompted Bader to move to Los Angeles, where he began pursuing an acting career full-time. He landed guest appearances on TV series such as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Cheers and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

In 1993, Bader was cast by filmmaker Penelope Spheeris in the television series Danger Theater, a short-lived action-adventure spoof. She liked his tongue-in-cheek delivery so much that when she was preparing to direct the feature film The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) later that year, she hired him to play Jethro Bodine and his twin Jethrine.

In 1995, Bader was cast as the logically challenged Oswald Lee Harvey on The Drew Carey Show. He remained with the sitcom until its final episode in 2004. His success on the show led to supporting roles in Office Space (1998), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Napoleon Dynamite (2004) and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005). He's also provided voices for characters in Ice Age (2002), The Country Bears (2002) and Dinotopia: Curse of the Ruby Sunstone (2004).

Bader married actress Dulcy Rogers in 1998 and they have one child together. Dermot Mulroney, Bader's childhood friend, attended the wedding.

Filmography:

Scooby-Doo & Batman: the Brave and the Bold (2018)
All She Wishes (2015)
Muffin Top: A Love Story (2014)
The Starving Games (2013)
Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon (2012)
Sassy Pants (2012)
Atlantis Shrugged II: The Strike (2012)
Vampires Suck (2010)
Calvin Marshall (2009)
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005)
Dead & Breakfast (2004)
Eurotrip (2004)
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Dinotopia: Curse of the Ruby Sunstone (2004)
The Country Bears (2002)
Ice Age (2002)
Evil Alien Conquerors (2002)
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Recess: School's Out (2001)
Office Space (1998)
Teresa's Tattoo (1994)
The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)