Edward Deezen (born March 6, 1957) is an American character actor and comedian, best known for portraying "nerdy" characters in several films, including Grease (1978), Robert Zemeckis' I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979), Midnight Madness (1980), Grease 2 (1982), Zapped! (1982), WarGames (1983), Surf II (1984), and Critters 2: The Main Course (1988). He also had leading roles in direct-to-video productions such as Beverly Hills Vamp (1988), Mob Boss (1990), and Teenage Exorcist (1991).
Deezen is also known for his voice-over work in animation, most notably as Mandark in the Cartoon Network series Dexter's Laboratory (1996–2003). In 2004, he reunited with Zemeckis, portraying the Know-It-All Kid in the motion capture film The Polar Express.
Early life
Deezen was born to Jewish parents Irma (née Calet) and Robert Dezen in Cumberland, Maryland. His parents owned a jewelry store. A class clown in his youth, Deezen aspired to become a stand-up comedian.
Deezen graduated from Allegany High School in 1975. Days after his graduation Deezen moved to Los Angeles, California. As a stand-up comedian, Deezen performed at The Comedy Store and appeared on an episode of The Gong Show in the mid-1970s, only to be gonged by singer-songwriter Paul Williams.
Career
Mainstream film
In 1977, Deezen landed his first role in the film Grease, playing nerdy student Eugene Felsnic.
Following the commercial success of Grease, Deezen was cast in a series of comedy films, including Robert Zemeckis' I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Steven Spielberg's epic comedy 1941. By 1979, Deezen was in such demand that he was frequently obliged to decline some roles as he was already working: two such notable instances included the characters of Eaglebauer in Rock 'n' Roll High School and Spaz in Meatballs, both of which he turned down to appear in 1941. Throughout the early 1980s, Deezen appeared in several high-profile studio releases, including Midnight Madness (1980), Zapped! (1982), WarGames (1983), Million Dollar Mystery (1987), as well as reprising the role of Eugene Felsnic in Grease 2 (1982), one of only seven actors from the original Grease to return for the sequel.
In 1984, Deezen was cast in a major television role, playing the role of superintendent Eddie on the first season of the NBC sitcom Punky Brewster. After filming eight episodes, however, Deezen quit due to his discomfort while performing for a live audience and continuing difficulty in remembering his lines.
Throughout the 2010s, Deezen appeared in several short films, including as himself in 2012's I Love You, Eddie Deezen, a nervous airline passenger in 2015's Flight Fright and opposite Larry Thomas and Caryn Richman in the short comedy The Love Suckers, which screened at the 2017 New York City International Film Festival. Deezen returned to live-action films in Fred Olen Ray's 2013 television film All I Want for Christmas in a cameo as a supposed A-list action film star being interviewed on a daytime talk show.
Voice acting
In the mid-1980s, Deezen transitioned into voice acting, a change of pace he favored due to better pay and not needing to memorize extensive dialogue.
Deezen eventually found full-time voice work on television in the mid-1990s, playing recurring characters on the animated series Grimmy, Duckman, Kim Possible and What's New, Scooby-Doo?, as well as guest spots on many others, including Johnny Bravo, Recess, and Darkwing Duck. His best-known role is as Mandark, the nemesis of Dexter in Dexter's Laboratory. Deezen also voiced the character on the TV special Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip and the video games Cartoon Network Racing and FusionFall.
In 2004, Deezen supplied voice and motion capture performance for Robert Zemeckis' holiday film The Polar Express, playing the role of the nerdy "Know-It-All". He reprised this role for the subsequent video game.
Deezen regularly voice acted in radio and television commercials. In the late 1990s, he provided the voice of Pop (of Snap, Crackle and Pop) in commercials for Rice Krispies cereal
Personal life
After having lived in Cumberland, Maryland, and Los Angeles, California, throughout his career, Deezen currently lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is a fan of The Beatles, and was interviewed for Me and Graham: The Soundtrack of Our Lives, a documentary following two filmmakers searching for the ultimate Beatles fan. For over a year, his official website featured a difficult Beatles trivia quiz - devised by Deezen himself - with a $100 prize for anyone who could answer all the questions correctly. Deezen revealed in a later interview that nobody had ever claimed the prize. While most of Deezen's articles focus on The Beatles and their members, he also writes about such subjects as baseball, American history and classic comedy acts like The Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, and Martin and Lewis.
Although he was raised Jewish, he became a Scientologist after being introduced to it by John Travolta. Deezen at one point stopped being a Scientologist, claiming in 2012 that he "hasn't been very active lately."
In June 2021, Deezen was dropped by his public relations manager, Steve Joiner, after a waitress accused Deezen of stalking her while at work and writing abusive Facebook posts about her. Deezen and Joiner subsequently reconciled.
Health
On January 6, 2020, Deezen underwent open heart surgery at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia. On January 16, 2020, he developed an infection of pneumonia while recovering at the hospital. He was then transferred to a rehab facility in Cumberland, Maryland, on February 6, 2020, to begin recovery.
Legal issues
On September 16, 2021, Deezen was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer after refusing to leave a restaurant in LaVale, Maryland. According to the Allegany County Sheriff's Department, he had been asked by the restaurant's staff to leave after causing a disturbance and refused to do so, prompting a response from law enforcement. Upon the deputy's arrival, Deezen hid behind a woman in a booth, refused multiple orders to exit, and reportedly threw plates, bowls, and food that struck one of the deputies. Deezen was eventually removed and detained in the Allegany County Jail to await a court appearance on charges of second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and trespassing.
On April 8, 2022, Deezen was arrested after he unlawfully entered a nursing facility. Two hours before his arrest, he had been told to stay away from the property. According to the Maryland State Police, Deezen was charged with fourth-degree burglary, two counts of trespassing, and one count of disturbing the peace. He was then taken to Allegany County Detention Center. According to Deezen's friend and former social media manager Bob Barnett, it was revealed that Deezen had been struggling with a mental disorder at the time of the incident.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:33px;"|Year
! style="width:225px;"|Film
! style="width:175px;"| Role
! style="width:175px;"| Notes
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1978 || Laserblast || Froggy ||
|-
| Grease || Eugene Felsnic ||
|-
| I Wanna Hold Your Hand || Richard "Ringo" Klaus ||
|-
|| 1979 || 1941 || Herbie Kazlminsky ||
|-
|| 1980 || Midnight Madness || Wesley ||
|-
|| 1981 || Steigler and Steigler || Red ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1982 || Grease 2 || Eugene Felsnic ||
|-
| Zapped! || Sheldon ||
|-
|| 1983 || WarGames || Eddie Malvin ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1984 || Surf II: The End of the Trilogy || Menlo Schwartzer ||
|-
| The Rosebud Beach Hotel || Sydney ||
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1985 || A Polish Vampire in Burbank || Sphincter ||
|-
| Mugsy's Girls || Lane ||
|-
| Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird || Donnie Dodo ||Voice
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1986 || The Longshot || Parking Attendant || Cameo
|-
| The Whoopee Boys|| Eddie Lipschitz ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1987 || Happy Hour|| Hancock ||
|-
|Million Dollar Mystery|| Rollie ||
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1988 || Critters 2: The Main Course || Hungry Heifer Manager ||
|-
| Assault of the Killer Bimbos || Dopey Deputy ||
|-
| Dorf's Golf Bible || Waldo || Short film
|-
| Beverly Hills Vamp || Kyle Carpenter ||
|-
|| 1989 || Hollywood Boulevard II || Walter ||
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1990 || Wedding Band || Slappy the Clown || Cameo
|-
| Dorf Goes Auto Racing || Dipstick || Short film
|-
| The Raven Red Kiss-Off || Himalayan Operator || Cameo
|-
| Mob Boss || Tony Anthony ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1991 || Rock-a-Doodle || Snipes ||Voice
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:60px;"|Year
! style="width:225px;"|Title
! style="width:175px;"|Role
! style="width:175px;"|Notes
|-
| 1979 || Champions: A Love Story || Eric Philpot || Television film
|-
| 1981 || Homeroom || Ron Carp || Pilot
|-
| 1982 || The Facts of Life || Grusky || Episode: "The Big Fight"
|-
| 1983 || Magnum, P.I. || Mickey Dalrumple || Episode: "Squeeze Play"
|-
| 1984 || Punky Brewster || Eddie Malvin || 12 episodes
|-
| 1986 || The Fall Guy || Merle Monroe || Episode: "Lady in Green"
|-
| 1989 || Monsters || Demon #2 || Episode: "The Demons"
|-
| 1991 || Darkwing Duck || Mouth || Voice, episode: "Darkly Dawns the Duck"
|-
| 1991–1992 || Mother Goose and Grimm || Ham || Voice, 7 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1992 ||Goof Troop || Road Hogs Biker || Voice, episode: "Queasy Rider"
|-
| Eek! The Cat || Ringo || Voice, episode: "Bearz 'N the Hood"
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1994 || Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights || Caliph || Voice, television special