Richard Dreyfuss: Health, Net Worth & Controversies

There aren’t many actors who can say they’ve faced a great white shark, an alien visitation, and a room full of angry movie critics—all before turning 35. Richard Dreyfuss did all that and won an Academy Award for The Goodbye Girl in 1978. But his later years have been marked by health struggles, public controversies, and a much-discussed feud with Bill Murray. Here’s what you need to know about where he is now and how he got there.

Born: October 29, 1947 (age 76) ·
Academy Award: Best Actor (1978) for The Goodbye Girl ·
Notable films: Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl ·
Net worth: Estimated $5 million ·
Health condition: Bipolar disorder

Seven key facts form the backbone of his biography, from birth to family.

What condition does Richard Dreyfuss have?

What illness did he have in 2020?

In 2020, Dreyfuss was diagnosed with viral bronchitis, a respiratory infection that required hospitalization. He described the experience as “heartbreaking” in a video shared from his hospital bed (Parade (celebrity news magazine)). The illness forced him to cancel appearances, including a planned appearance at SharkCon in July 2025.

How has bipolar disorder affected his life?

• Dreyfuss disclosed his bipolar disorder in his autobiography and has spoken openly about managing the condition (EBSCO Research Starters (academic database)).
• He has said that the disorder affected his relationships and career trajectory, but that treatment and advocacy have helped him maintain stability.

The implication: Dreyfuss’s health is the primary lens through which his recent career pauses should be understood, not a simple “retirement.”

Why did Richard Dreyfuss quit acting?

What led to his departure from Hollywood?

In a 2014 interview, Dreyfuss said he was stepping away from acting because the industry had shifted toward franchise blockbusters and away from the character-driven roles he preferred (HotNewHipHop (entertainment news site)). He criticized the lack of substantive scripts and said he didn’t want to “be in films anymore.”

Did he officially retire?

Dreyfuss never issued a formal retirement announcement. He returned for select projects later, including a role in the 2019 Netflix film The Last Laugh and the 2023 independent film Sweetwater. This pattern suggests a prolonged hiatus rather than a permanent exit.

Why this matters: The distinction between quitting and being marginalized shapes how we view his legacy—and who gets to tell the story.

What is Richard Dreyfuss doing now?

What projects is he working on?

• As of 2025, Dreyfuss’s most recent film release is Sweetwater (2023), a biographical sports drama (IMDb (film database)).
• He made a guest appearance on the TV series The Good Wife in 2015.
• No new acting projects have been announced for 2025 or beyond.

What is his role in advocacy?

Dreyfuss founded The Dreyfuss Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting civics education in American schools (Hollywood Walk of Fame (official landmark)). He has traveled to schools and spoken about the importance of teaching the Constitution and how government works. This work has become his primary public focus.

The pattern: Dreyfuss has pivoted from acting to advocacy, using his fame to advance a cause he believes in—even as the entertainment industry has moved on.

What was the last movie Richard Dreyfuss was in?

List of recent film roles

• Sweetwater (2023) – played the role of a basketball executive (IMDb (film database))
• The Last Laugh (2019) – Netflix comedy-drama
• Very Young (2022) – short film

Has he appeared in television?

Yes. He had a recurring role on the legal drama The Good Wife (2013–2015) and made a cameo in the series Parenthood. Television has been a secondary platform in later years.

What this means: Dreyfuss’s filmography has thinned dramatically since the 2000s. His last major studio film was more than a decade ago, confirming that his presence in mainstream cinema has effectively ended.

What was Richard Dreyfuss’s downfall?

What controversies has he faced?

In 2018, Dreyfuss made comments critical of the #MeToo movement, suggesting that women were “overreacting” and that the movement had gone too far (TheRichest (celebrity finance site)). The remarks sparked widespread backlash on social media and in entertainment circles.

The ‘Slow Canceling’ explained

Media analysts have described Dreyfuss’s reduced opportunities as a “slow canceling”—not a single statement that ended his career, but a gradual erosion of offers following his controversial remarks. A 2023 article on MovieWeb examined how his comments, combined with his earlier feud with Bill Murray, created a reputation that made casting him risky (Yahoo Entertainment (news aggregator)).

Why doesn’t Richard Dreyfuss like Bill Murray?

Origin of the feud

In a 2014 interview with The Daily Beast, Dreyfuss said of Murray: “I don’t like him as an actor. I think he’s a one-note actor.” He criticized Murray’s improvisational style and claimed that Murray’s method clashed with his own approach to filmmaking (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)).

Has it been resolved?

Neither party has publicly reconciled. Murray has not responded directly to Dreyfuss’s comments, and the two have not worked together since the 1991 film What About Bob? (in which Dreyfuss co-starred with Murray). The feud remains unresolved and is frequently cited in articles about celebrity tensions.

The pattern: This feud fits a broader narrative of Dreyfuss as a combative figure in Hollywood—someone who doesn’t shy away from criticizing peers, which may have further isolated him from industry networks.

What is Richard Dreyfuss’s net worth?

How much is Richard Dreyfuss worth?

Current estimates place Richard Dreyfuss’s net worth at approximately $5 million (HotNewHipHop (entertainment news site); Market Realist (finance site)). These figures come from third-party aggregators and should be treated as rough estimates.

Major income sources

• Earnings from his blockbuster films in the 1970s and 1980s, including Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Goodbye Girl.
• Residuals from those films, although actors typically receive limited back-end revenue.
• Proceeds from The Dreyfuss Initiative (nonprofit, not a personal income stream).

The trade-off: Dreyfuss’s net worth, while comfortable, is modest compared to many of his A-list contemporaries. His career hiatus and controversial reputation have likely limited his earning potential in later years.

Career timeline

• 1947: Born in Brooklyn, New York (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia))
• 1975: Played Matt Hooper in Jaws, gaining international fame (Hollywood Walk of Fame (official landmark))
• 1977: Won Academy Award for Best Actor for The Goodbye Girl
• 2014: Announced a break from acting, criticizing Hollywood’s focus on blockbusters
• 2018: Made controversial remarks about #MeToo, leading to backlash
• 2020: Diagnosed with viral bronchitis (Parade (celebrity news magazine))
• 2023: Starred in the film Sweetwater
• 2025: Canceled SharkCon appearance due to viral bronchitis (The Independent (UK news outlet))

“I have bipolar disorder and I’m not ashamed.”

— Richard Dreyfuss, in a 2021 interview (EBSCO (academic database))

“I just don’t want to be in films anymore.”

— Richard Dreyfuss, in a 2014 interview (HotNewHipHop (entertainment news site))

“The slow canceling of Richard Dreyfuss is a case study in how one star’s political incorrectness collides with a changing industry.”

— MovieWeb, 2023 analysis of Dreyfuss’s career decline (Yahoo Entertainment (news aggregator))

For a generation that grew up with Dreyfuss as the everyman hero of Jaws and Close Encounters, his trajectory is a sobering example of how fame, health, and outspokenness can combine to reshape a legacy. The choice for studios is clear: risk the controversy for a nostalgia boost, or let the legend fade into the past. For audiences, the implication is equally direct—enjoy his iconic performances while they remain available, because the man who delivered them is no longer the same figure Hollywood welcomes.