Moosie Drier (born August 6, 1964) is an American

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. He is best known for his roles as Adam Landers in '' Oh, God!'' and Riley on ''

Kids Incorporated ''Kids Incorporated'' (also known as ''Kids Inc.'') is an American children's television program that began production in the mid-1980s and continued airing into the mid-1990s. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as ...

''. Drier had regular appearances on ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for six seasons from January 22, 1968, to July 23, 1973, on the NBC television network. The show, hosted by comed ...

'' and ''

The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American television sitcom produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychol ...

''. He has also worked as a

voice actor Voice acting is the art of Acting, performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animation, animated, ...

and as a director.

Life and career

Drier was born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

but raised in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He was named after former New York Yankee Bill "Moose" Skowron, who was a friend of Drier's father. He attended U.S. Grant High School, Van Nuys, California. Drier began his television career as a recurring performer on ''

'' from the middle of season three until the final season in 1973, hosting a "Kid News for Kids" segment. His first dramatic role was as a

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

boy in two 1972 episodes of '' Lassie''. During this period, Drier had movie roles in the 1972

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

comedy, '' The War Between Men and Women'', the 1972

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

comedy '' Up the Sandbox'', and the made-for-TV comedies '' Roll, Freddy, Roll!'' (1974) and ''All Together Now'' (1975). In 1977 he was cast in '' Oh, God!'' starring

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American Country music, country and Folk music, folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic m ...

and

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film, and television. His arched eyeb ...

. He followed this with a prominent role in the

Alan Freed Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...

screen biography '' American Hot Wax'' (1978), in which the adolescent Drier recounts his reaction to

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

's death in a broken voice. At age 10, Drier began voice-acting as a regular character on ABC’s 1974 '' These Are the Days''. Other recurring television roles included Howie Borden, the son of series regular Howard (

Bill Daily William Edward Daily (August 30, 1927 – September 4, 2018) was an American actor and comedian known for his sitcom work as Major Roger Healey on ''I Dream of Jeannie'' and Howard Borden on ''The Bob Newhart Show''. Early life and early ...

) on ''

,'' and on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

’s short-lived series '' Executive Suite'' as B.J. Koslo. He made appearances on ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural mountainous Western Virginia of the Appalachian Mountains / Allegheny Mountains / Blue Ridge Mountains chain, during the economic hardships and mass unemp ...

'' (1973), ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...

'' (1973), '' Apple's Way'' (1974), '' Police Story'' (3 episodes, 1974–75), ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...

'' (2 episodes; 1975), ''

Doc DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: People and characters * Doc, an abbreviation of doctor * Doc (nickname) * Doc (mascot), the Towson University mascot Persons * The D.O.C., American rapper (born 1968) * Doc Gallows (born 1983), ring nam ...

'' (1975), and ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

'' (1976), ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. After the final first-run telecast on NBC in May 1983, the series went into reruns on Sundays fr ...

'' (1980), '' Family Ties'' (1983), ''

'' (1984), ''

Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which originally aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and ...

'' (1986), ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American Action television, action television series that ran on NBC from January 23, 1983, to March 8, 1987, about a fictional team of former United States Army Special Forces who work as mercenaries while on the run from ...

'' (1986), '' Highway to Heaven'' (1986), '' Blacke's Magic'' (1986), '' Cagney & Lacey'' (1986), ''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

'' (1986), '' Just the Ten of Us'' (1988), '' The Munsters Today'' (1990), and '' Jack & Jill'' (2000). During his early acting career, Drier also appeared in three

ABC Afterschool Special ''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American anthology television series that aired on ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presented situations, often controve ...

s, in one of which, ''Hewitt's Just Different'', Drier had a lead role as Willie Arthur, the friend of the developmentally disabled title character. His late 1970s and early 1980s roles included '' When Every Day Was the Fourth of July'' (1978) and

Peter Benchley Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 11, 2006) was an American author. He is best known for his bestselling novel '' Jaws'' and co-wrote its movie adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works were also adapted for both ...

's thriller ''Hunters of the Reef'' (1978). Other teen roles consist primarily of biographical dramas; most notably, Drier played a young

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last survivi ...

in the 1978

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...

biography ''

Rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...

''. The year 1978 also saw the filming of the made-for TV

Jack Albertson Harold "Jack" Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981) was an American actor, comedian, dancer and singer who also performed in vaudeville. Albertson was a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winning actor, which ranks him among a rare stature of 24 ...

vehicle ''Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase'', which was not released until three years later. In the 1980s made-for-TV movie ''Homeward Bound'', he played a terminally ill young man, Bobby Seaton, who spends a last summer vacation repairing his relationship with his father, Jake, played by

David Soul David Soul (born David Richard Solberg; August 28, 1943 – January 4, 2024) was an American-British actor and singer. With a career spanning five decades, he rose to prominence for portraying Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the Americ ...

. During the late 1990s, Drier accepted minor roles in the sci-fi space-ship hijack thriller '' Velocity Trap'' (1997) and ''

Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...

'' (1999), a thriller about a secret military weather control machine gone awry. Since 2000, he has specialized in voice-over work in such films as '' Teaching Mrs. Tingle'' (1999), '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''

What Lies Beneath ''What Lies Beneath'' is a 2000 American supernatural horror thriller film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, with supporting performances from Diana Scarwid, Miranda Otto, James Remar, Joe Mort ...

'' (2000) ''

Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman, loosely based on the 1990 children's picture boo ...

'' (2001), '' 40 Days and 40 Nights'' (2002), '' The Shape of Things'' (2003), '' Jungle Book 2'' (2003), '' the Lion King 1½'' (2004), '' The Chronicles of Riddick'' (2004), '' Hauru no ugoku shiro'' (Eng: ''Howl's Moving Castle'') in 2004, and ''

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

'' (2005). Drier directed episodes of such series as '' Reba'' (2005) and '' Too Late with Adam Carolla'' (2005). He directed a well-received children's musical, ''Precious Piglet and Her Pals'' at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks as well as the critically acclaimed ''Love Like Blue'' in 2007, also at the Whitefire Theatre.

Personal life

Selected filmography

Television

* 1968 : ''

'': Regular Performer (1971–1973) * 1972 : '' Lassie'': Tommy * 1972 : '' Here Comes the Judge'': First child * 1972 : ''

'': recurring character: Howie Borden (1972–1977) * 1973 : ''

'': Georgie * 1973 : ''

'': Dennis Wingard * 1974 : '' Apple's Way'': Craig Carlson * 1974 : ''Runaways'' (special): Freddie Britton * 1974 : '' These Are the Days'' (voice) * 1974 : '' Roll, Freddy, Roll!'': Tommy Danton * 1975 : '' Police Story'': Mike Brenner, Kevin Prescott * 1975 : '' All Together Now'': Rafe * 1975 : ''

'': Michael * 1975 : ''

'': Rick Jenkins * 1976 : ''

'': Junior Barrett * 1976 : '' Executive Suite'': B.J. Koslo (a recurring character) * 1977 : ''Hewitt's Just Different'' (special): Willie Arthur * 1977 : '' It Happened at Lakewood Manor''): Tommy West * 1978 : '' When Every Day Was the Fourth of July'' (special): Howie Martin * 1978 : ''

'': Mickey Rooney * 1980 : ''[Homeward Bound'' (1980 TV Movie) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080885/ * 1980 : ''

'': Wayne * 1981 : ''Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase'' (movie): Morris O'Neill (produced 1978) * 1983 : ''Andrea's Story: A Hitchhiking Tragedy'' (special): David * 1983 : '' Family Ties'': Arnie * 1984 : ''

'': Riley (1984–1988) * 1986 : ''

'': John * 1986 : ''

'': Bobby Sherman * 1986 : '' Highway to Heaven'': Tim Charles Jr * 1986 : '' Blacke's Magic'': Dale * 1986 : '' Cagney & Lacey'': Gorham * 1986 : ''

'': Phillip Epperson * 1988 : '' Just the Ten of Us'': Warren * 1990 : '' The Munsters Today'': The Gateman's Son * 2000 : '' Jack & Jill''

Filmography (actor)

* 1972 : '' The War Between Men and Women'': David Kozlenko * 1972 : '' Up the Sandbox'': Billy * 1973 : ''The Toy Game'': Matthew Norris * 1977 : '' Oh, God!'': Adam Landers * 1978 : '' American Hot Wax'': Artie Moress, Buddy Holly Fanclub President * 1980 : ''The Hollywood Knights'': Moosie * 1989 : ''The 'burbs'': voice * 1997 : '' Velocity Trap'': E.D. Officer * 1999 : ''Storm'': Radar Techhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165498/fullcredits * 2018 : ''

Charming Charming may refer to: Fiction * ''Charming'' (film), a 2019 animated musical comedy film * Charming, a fictional town where the television series ''Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American Action film, action crime drama television ...

'': Additional voices

Filmography (director)

* 1988 : ''

'' (TV): Kahuna Kids * 2005 : '' Reba'' (TV) * 2005 : '' Too Late with Adam Carolla'' (TV) * 2009 : ''The Peacemaker'' (TV pilot)

Theater (director/producer)

* 2005: ''Precious Piglet and Her Pals'' * 2007: ''Love Like Blue'' * 2012: ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a 1955 American three-act play by Tennessee Williams. The play, an adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", was written between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his ...

'' * 2013: '' God of Carnage'' * 2014: ''Hollywood Shorts'', ''Lend Me a Tenor'', ''Littlest Angel'' * 2015: ''Hollywood Shorts'', ''Dead Pilots Society'', ''Hound of the Baskervilles''

Bibliography

* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995''. Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 349-350.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drier, Moosie 1964 births American male child actors American male television actors American male film actors American television directors American theatre directors Living people Male actors from Los Angeles Grant High School (Los Angeles) alumni