Rusty DeWees (born November 15, 1960) is an American actor, producer and writer. He works regionally in

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

, in television, and films. He is best known for his one-man comedy show, ''The Logger''.

Early life

Rusty DeWees was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, the son of Marilyn Mason DeWees, a homemaker and newspaper business manager, and William Wallace DeWees, a

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

bus driver. He is the younger brother of Holly DeWees. DeWees is Dutch, meaning "the orphan". He attended Stowe High School, where he played basketball, and percussion in the school band. He also performed in high school theater productions. After graduating high school DeWees, worked as a school bus driver, basketball coach, stonemason, and logger. During a town team basketball game, Champlain College coach Robert Tipson noticed him and recruited him to play basketball on the team. After graduating, he worked as a gas jockey in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is the List of municipalities in Vermont, most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat, seat of Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County. It is located south of the Can ...

Career

DeWees acted in Burlington with Vermont Repertory Theater under the direction of Robert R. Ringer before moving to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1989 to pursue an acting career. In New York, DeWees worked as an assistant to William J. Doyle of William Doyle Galleries, while doing commercials and movies on the side. Known for his authentic rural appearance, DeWees appeared in the films: '' Black Dog,'' ''A Stranger in the Kingdom,'' '' Pieces of April, Radical Jack'', ''Mud Season,'' '' Where the Rivers Flow North'', and ''

The Devil's Own ''The Devil's Own'' is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, with Rubén Blades, Natascha McElhone, Julia Stiles, Margaret Colin, Treat Williams, and George Hearn in supp ...

''. DeWees also appeared in '' Law and Order'', '' The Cosby Mysteries'', and various soap operas. While working on the

Patrick Swayze Patrick Wayne Swayze ( ; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and dancer. Known for his romantic, tough, and comedic roles in blockbusters and cult films, Swayze was nominated for three Golden Glob ...

movie, ''Black Dog'', he met the singer

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...

, who gave DeWees advice on how to produce his one-man play, ''The Logger, a comedy in Two Ax'', for which he is best known in and around

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

. DeWees has also written two books, ''Scrawlins'', and ''Scrawlins Too'' compilations of short essays.

Awards

DeWees won Best Actor at the Los Angeles Method Fest Film Festival for his role as Jerry in ''Mud Season''.

Personal life

DeWees was raised in Stowe, Vermont and attended the Stowe Community Church. In addition to acting, DeWees is a musician and plays with his band, The Fellers. DeWees also races stock cars at Thunder Road Speedbowl. DeWees works with charities, Ronald McDonald House, Make-a-Wish, and Meals on Wheels. He does motivational speaking to high schools and businesses.

Filmography

The following is the Filmography by American Actor, Producer, Writer, and Comedian Rusty DeWees.

Film

Television

References

External links

Personal website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dewees, Rusty Living people 1960 births Male actors from Philadelphia American male comedians Comedians from Philadelphia Writers from Philadelphia 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American writers Comedians from Vermont Writers from Burlington, Vermont Male actors from Vermont 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American comedians Champlain College alumni Actors from Burlington, Vermont