Edward Ernest "Judge" Reinhold Jr. (born May 21, 1957) is an American actor who is best known for his work in Hollywood films during the 1980s. He has starred in several popular films such as Stripes (1981), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), and Ruthless People (1986). He has co-starred in all of the films in the Beverly Hills Cop series (1984, 1987, 1994, and 2024) and The Santa Clause (1994, 2002 and 2006) franchises.
Early life
Reinhold was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the son of Regina Celeste ( Fleming; 1923–2023) and Edward Ernest Reinhold (1907–1977), a trial lawyer. He was raised in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and attended James Monroe High School until his family moved to Martin County, Florida, prior to his junior year in high school. He attended Mary Washington College and Palm Beach State College (known as "Palm Beach Junior College" at the time). His maternal grandfather was from County Meath, Ireland.
Career
Early roles
Reinhold had a lead role in the movie Running Scared (1980) and a supporting part in the comedy Stripes (1981), which was a big hit. He was one of many names in the flop comedy Pandemonium (1982).
Reinhold's first major film role was as high school senior Brad Hamilton in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), along with then-unknown actors Sean Penn, Phoebe Cates, Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nicolas Cage, Anthony Edwards and Eric Stoltz. "I thought my career would really take off after that role," Reinhold said later. "Instead, Sean's career took off."
Reinhold tried to get financing for a film based on Carl Hiaasen's best-selling novel Tourist Season, but it was never made.
Return to supporting roles
He had supporting roles in Rosalie Goes Shopping (1989) and Daddy's Dyin': Who's Got the Will? (1990), and the lead in Enid Is Sleeping (1991) and Zandalee (1991), which he also produced.
Reinhold starred in the Canadian hard rock band Harem Scarem's 1992 music video "Honestly" as the male love interest. In 1994, Reinhold appeared in Beverly Hills Cop III and The Santa Clause. He reprised the latter role of Dr. Neal Miller in The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006).
Later career
Reinhold was nominated for an Emmy for a role on Seinfeld in which he played the "close talker" who develops an obsession with Jerry's parents. He can also be seen in Steven Spielberg's epic miniseries Into the West and replaced Charles Grodin in two direct-to-video movies in the Beethoven film series.
Reinhold appeared in the 2008 political satire Swing Vote.
In September 2022, Reinhold reprised his role as Detective Billy Rosewood in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
Personal life
Reinhold was nicknamed "Judge" because, when he was a baby, he looked stern and judge-like.
In popular culture
Reinhold has occasionally been referred to in film and television, largely in reference to his nickname, Judge. In the film Fanboys, Billy Dee Williams appears as a courtroom judge named "Judge Reinhold".
Filmography
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Year
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Award
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Category
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Work
!style="background:#B0C4DE"|Result
|-
|1994
|Primetime Emmy Award
|Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
|Seinfeld
|
|-
|}