Richard Edson (born January 1, 1954) is an American actor and musician.

Personal life

Edson was born in

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtow ...

to a Jewish family. He has one brother, Steven, who resides in the

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

area, and two sisters, Andrea, who resides in

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast (via the neighborhoods of ...

, and Jennifer, who resides in New York City. His father, Arnold (1917–2012), was one of the first Marine officers to land at

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...

in August 1942. After the war, his father became a toy manufacturer. His mother, Marian, a retired school teacher, resides in New Rochelle.

Music career

In 1979, Edson was a founding member of the San Francisco art rock band The Alterboys with Snuky Tate, Tono Rondone, Richard Kelly and JC Garrett, playing both drums and trumpet. From 1981 to 1982, he was

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

's original drummer and played drums for Konk at the same time. After the release of Sonic Youth's self-titled debut EP, Edson left the band to play with Konk full-time. Edson also played trumpet with San Francisco band The Offs on the group's eponymous 1984 album.

Acting career

Following his music career, Edson has worked as an actor, appearing in over 35 movies. His more notable roles include a disreputable parking garage attendant in '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), man at newspaper stand in '' Desperately Seeking Susan'' (1985), Richie in '' Howard the Duck'' (1986), Eddie in

Jim Jarmusch James Robert Jarmusch ( ; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director, screenwriter and musician. He has been a major proponent of independent film, independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films such as ''Stranger Than Paradise'' ...

cult film A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...

Stranger Than Paradise ''Stranger Than Paradise'' is a 1984 American black-and-white absurdist deadpan comedy film directed, co-written and co-edited by Jim Jarmusch, and starring jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor Richard Edson, an ...

'' (1984), real-life gambler Billy Maharg in '' Eight Men Out'' (1988), and the title character in '' Joey Breaker'' (1993). He also appeared in ''

Platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

'' (1986), '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987), '' Tougher Than Leather'' (1988), '' Let It Ride'' (1989), and '' Do the Right Thing'' (1989). He starred in the 1993 movie ''

Super Mario Bros is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...

'' as Spike, King Koopa's cousin. In 1987, Edson performed live a main role in the Scott B and

Joseph Nechvatal Joseph Nechvatal (born January 15, 1951) is an American post-conceptual digital artist and art theoretician who creates computer-assisted paintings and computer animations, often using custom computer viruses. Life and work Joseph Nechva ...

collaboration called ''Not a Door: A Spectacle'' at

Hallwalls Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (aka Hallwalls) is a non-profit art organization located in Buffalo, New York. Since 1974, Hallwalls has shown and shows the work of contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds who work in film, video, literatu ...

, based on the poetry of St. John of the Cross, Flaubert's ''Temptation of St. Anthony'' and works of Jean Genet and

Georges Bataille Georges Albert Maurice Victor Bataille (; ; 10 September 1897 – 8 July 1962) was a French philosopher and intellectual working in philosophy, literature, sociology, anthropology, and history of art. His writing, which included essays, novels, ...

. Edson played the lead role in three films directed by Raphael Nadjari: '' The Shade'' (1999), '' I Am Josh Polonski's Brother'' (2001) and ''Apartment #5c'' (2002). In 2003, he appeared in the music video for Cave In's single, "Anchor". Edson played the central character of the video, a depressed man walking down the street with his feet encased in cement blocks. He also appeared in Frankenfish 2004. His television appearances include '' The Adventures of Pete & Pete''; the third-season finale of '' Homicide: Life on the Street''; and the 1990–91 series '' Shannon's Deal'', produced by

John Sayles John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He is known for writing and directing the films '' The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), '' Matewan'' (1987), ...

. Edson appeared in a 2007 TV commercial for The Travelers Companies Inc., in which he plays the human personification of risk.

Selected filmography

* 1984 ''

'' as Eddie * 1985 '' Desperately Seeking Susan'' as Man With Newspapers * 1986 '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' as Garage Attendant * 1986 '' Howard the Duck'' as Ritchie * 1986 '' Crime Story'' (TV Series) as Jake Rennick * 1986 ''

'' as Sal * 1986 '' Walker'' as Turley * 1987 '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' as Private Abersold * 1988 '' Eight Men Out'' as Billy Maharg * 1988 '' Tougher Than Leather'' as Bernie Carteez * 1988 ''The Chair'' as Riot Leader * 1989 '' Bloodhounds of Broadway'' as Johnny Crackow * 1989 '' Do the Right Thing'' as Vito * 1989 '' Let It Ride'' as Johnny Casino * 1989 '' China Lake'' as Connie Veesk * 1989 '' Monsters'' (TV Series) as Jack Bateman * 1990-1991 '' Shannon's Deal'' (TV series) * 1991 '' Eyes of an Angel'' as Goon * 1992 ''Love Is Like That'' as Bubba-Lilly * 1992 '' Crossing the Bridge'' as Mitchell * 1993 ''Split Ends'' (TV Series) as Eric * 1993 '' Joey Breaker'' as Joey Breaker * 1993 ''Posse'' as Deputy Tom * 1993 '' Super Mario Bros.'' as Spike * 1993 '' What About Me'' as Nick * 1993 '' Love, Cheat & Steal'' as Billy Quayle * 1995 ''

Jury Duty Jury duty or jury service is a Civil service, service as a juror in a legal proceeding. Different countries have different approaches to juries: variations include the kinds of cases tried before a jury, how many jurors hear a trial, and whether th ...

'' as Skeets * 1995 '' Destiny Turns on the Radio'' as Gage * 1995 '' Strange Days'' as 'Tick' * 1996 '' Scorpion Spring'' as Lem Wells * 1996 ''Marco Polo The Missing Chapter'' as Bergman * 1996 '' Cosas que nunca te dije'' as Steve * 1996 '' The Winner'' as Frankie * 1996 '' Wedding Bell Blues'' as Tom * 1996 ''An Occasional Hell'' as Rodney Gillen * 1997 '' This World, Then the Fireworks'' as Joe * 1997 '' Snide and Prejudice'' as Rudolph Hess * 1997 ''Double Tap'' as Fischer * 1998 '' Lulu on the Bridge'' as Dave Reilly * 1998 '' Thick as Thieves'' as Danny * 1999 ''

Purgatory In Christianity, Purgatory (, borrowed into English language, English via Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman and Old French) is a passing Intermediate state (Christianity), intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul ...

'' (TV Movie) as Euripides * 1999 '' The Shade'' as Simon * 1999 ''Jack of Hearts'' as Henry * 2000 ''

Cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...

'' as Robbo * 2000 '' The Million Dollar Hotel'' as Joe * 2000 '' Timecode'' as Lester Moore * 2000 '' Picking Up the Pieces'' as Edsel Farkus * 2000 '' A Man Is Mostly Water'' as Bud Guy * 2000 '' Desperate But Not Serious'' as Screenwriter * 2001 '' I Am Josh Polonski's Brother'' as Abe Polonski * 2001 ''Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician'' as Thomas * 2001 ''P.O.V. - Point of View'' as Fool On Hill * 2002 '' Sunshine State'' as Steve Tregaskis * 2002 ''Apartment #5C'' as Harold * 2003 ''Highway to Oblivion'' (TV Movie) as Leslie * 2004 '' Starsky & Hutch'' as Monix * 2004 '' Land of Plenty'' as Jimmy * 2004 '' Frankenfish'' (TV Movie) as Roland * 2004 ''Goodnight, Joseph Parker'' as Frankie * 2005 ''Welcome to California'' as Husband / Sylvio * 2005 '' The Kid & I'' as Guy Prince * 2006 ''Hard Scrambled'' as Joe * 2006 '' The Astronaut Farmer'' as Chopper Miller * 2006 ''Cut Off'' as Mikey * 2007 ''Under There'' (Short) as Roman * 2008 ''

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

'' as Gus * 2008 ''Momma's Man'' as Tom * 2008 '' Columbus Day'' as Manny * 2008 '' Vicious Circle'' as John * 2009 '' Black Dynamite'' as Dino * 2009 '' The Smell of Success'' as Nelly 'The Nose ' * 2009 ''The Greims'' (Short) as Larry * 2010 '' NUMB3RS'' (TV Series) as Nick Rowland * 2010 '' Happiness Runs'' as Pete * 2010 ''Hands & Eyes'' (Short) as The Artist * 2012 '' A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III'' as Sanchez * 2012 ''Averageman'' * 2014 ''Dark Hearts'' as Ravetti * 2015 ''3 Holes and a Smoking Gun'' as Sam Dunkim * 2015 ''Dutch Book'' as Billy Santiago * 2018 ''Burning Shadow'' as Ronald * 2019 '' 3 From Hell'' as Carlos Perro

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edson, Richard 1954 births Living people Jewish American musicians Jewish American male actors American male film actors American rock drummers American male television actors Noise rock musicians Musicians from New Rochelle, New York Male actors from New Rochelle, New York Sonic Youth members No wave musicians 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Tito & Tarantula members Jews from New York (state) Drummers from New York (state)