Daniel Stern (actor)

Daniel Jacob Stern (born August 28, 1957) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the Hollywood films Breaking Away, C.H.U.D., Diner, City Slickers, the first two Home Alone films, where he played bandit Marv Merchants, and as the voice-over narrator on the television series The Wonder Years as the present-day adult Kevin Arnold. He also starred in the horror comedy film Otis.

Early life

Stern was born in Bethesda, Maryland, to a social worker father and a mother who managed a day care center.^[1] His parents are both Jewish. His brother is television writer David M. Stern. During his years at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Stern starred in several theater productions, including playing C.C. Baxter in Promises, Promises and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Stern applied for a job as a lighting engineer for a Shakespeare Festival in Washington, D.C., but was hired as a walk-on in their production of The Taming of the Shrew, starring Glenn Close. He dropped out of high school in his senior year and soon moved to New York. After taking acting lessons at HB Studios with Austin Pendleton and Herbert Berghof, Stern began his acting career in Off Broadway and Broadway productions, including True West with Gary Sinise and How I Got That Story at Second Stage Theatre with Bob Gunton. He acted in numerous productions at The Public Theater, Ensemble Studio Theater, Cherry Lane Theater,and Manhattan Theater Club.

Career

Daniel Stern with Kristen Wiig and Drew Barrymore at 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

In 1979, Stern made his film debut as Cyril in Breaking Away. The following year he played a student who raised objections during Jill Clayburgh's proof^[2] of the snake lemma in the film It's My Turn. His breakthrough role as Laurence "Shrevie" Schreiber came in Barry Levinson's Diner. He had another early film role in the 1984 horror film C.H.U.D., as the soup kitchen C.H.U.D. hunter. He appeared in two films with Woody Allen, Stardust Memories and Hannah and Her Sisters.

Stern has played characters in a number of comedic roles, such as Phil Berquist in City Slickers, and Marv Murchens the burglar in the first two Home Alone films, Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, with Joe Pesci. However, he declined to play the character once again in the future installments of the franchise. He also starred as Max in Bushwhacked. He provided the voice of the narrator on the TV series The Wonder Years, which starred Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold. As narrator, Stern played the adult Kevin Arnold, remembering his youth.^[3] Stern and Savage were also featured together in Little Monsters, in which Stern played the father of Savage's character. In the late 1990s, Stern took on a more serious role in the black comedy Very Bad Things with Christian Slater, Cameron Diaz and Jon Favreau. Stern provided the voice for the main character of the Dilbert animated TV series, based on the comic strip by Scott Adams.

Stern directed several episodes of The Wonder Years and the 1993 feature film Rookie of the Year, and in recent years directed two episodes of the TV series, Manhattan.

Stern created, wrote and starred in the CBS television show Danny.

He wrote the off-Broadway hit "Barbra's Wedding", which was produced by The Dodgers and Manhattan Theater Club. It starred John Pankow and Julie White and ran for six months. Mr. Stern also appeared in the play at Garry Marshall's Falcon Theater.

Stern was originally offered the role of Dale Gribble in King of the Hill but he was replaced by Johnny Hardwick when his salary agreement went low.

Personal life

Stern works as an artist, specializing in bronze sculpture. He has created sculptures for public art projects in San Diego, Pasadena, Palm Desert, Temple City and Agoura Hills. He is an artist in residence at Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo. He has also done many private commissions, gallery exhibitions and art fairs.^[4]

He and his wife, Laure, started the Malibu Foundation for Youth and Families, which created The Malibu Boys and Girls Club, a thriving institution serving Malibu. He served as the President of foundation as well.

He developed a curriculum and taught Media Literacy in classrooms throughout California.

He served as Honorary Chairman of the California PTA.

Over Christmas in 2003, Mr. Stern visited the troops in Iraq on Handshake Tour with the USO. He was accompanied by his son Henry, who served as tour director.

He helped create and served as the founding Chairman of the Malibu Arts Commission.

In 2009, President Obama awarded him the United States' highest honor for volunteerism, the President's "Call to Service Award".

He owns a 500-acre cattle ranch in California's Central Valley.

Filmography

Stern at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Daniel Stern.

• Daniel Stern at the Internet Movie Database
• Daniel Stern - Personal webpage about Daniel Stern's artwork
• Iceboxx - Webblog about Daniel Stern's artwork