Dennis Dugan (; born September 5, 1946) is an American film director, actor, and comedian. He is known for directing the films Problem Child, Brain Donors, Beverly Hills Ninja and National Security, and his partnership with comedic actor Adam Sandler, for whom he directed the films Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, The Benchwarmers, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups, Just Go with It, Jack and Jill and Grown Ups 2. Dugan is a four-time Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director nominee, winning once.
Early life Dugan was born in Wheaton, Illinois, the second of four sons of Marion, a housewife, and Charles Dugan, an insurance executive.
Career He moved to Hollywood in 1972 and appeared in his first television show, The Sixth Sense. Later, he played in the 1973 television film The Girl Most Likely to.... Other early film appearances include Night Call Nurses (1972), Night Moves (1975), Smile (1975), Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) and Norman... Is That You? (1976). In 1979, he was cast as the time-displaced hero in Unidentified Flying Oddball, Disney's very loose adaptation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. In 1981, he appeared in Joe Dante's The Howling.
Dugan made guest appearances on several television series during the 1970s including The Mod Squad, The Waltons, Cannon, Columbo, The Rockford Files, and Alice. He also appeared in the mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man, as well as two episodes of M*A*S*H and in 1978 starred in the short-lived series Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, a spin-off from The Rockford Files.
He took on a recurring role as an aspiring caped crusader who called himself "Captain Freedom" on Hill Street Blues. He also appeared on Empire (1984) and Shadow Chasers (1984). He played Walter Bishop, briefly the husband of Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) on Moonlighting. Dugan's other film credits of the 1980s include Water (1985), Can't Buy Me Love (1987), She's Having a Baby (1988), The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988) and Ron Howard's Parenthood (1989).
Dugan launched a career as a television and film director, making cameo appearances in many of his films. Ones he directed include the comedy Problem Child (1990), Brain Donors (1992), the comedy Saving Silverman (2001) (in which Dugan plays a football referee), the comedy National Security (2003), and the Adam Sandler comedies Happy Gilmore (1996) (in which Dugan plays Doug Thompson, the golf tour supervisor) and Big Daddy (1999) (with Dugan as a man who reluctantly gives candy to a trick-or-treating Julian). Dugan has directed episodes of such television series as Moonlighting (was also a guest star in some episodes), Ally McBeal, and NYPD Blue.
Dugan directed The Benchwarmers (2006), a comedy co-produced by Sandler, about a trio of men who try to make up for missed opportunities in childhood by forming a three-player baseball team to compete against Little League squads. Dugan himself has a bit part as Coach Bellows in that film while his dad Charles portrayed the Video Stop boss Marty. He then directed two more Sandler vehicles, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007) and You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008).
Dugan directed Grown Ups (2010), which follows a group of high school friends who are reunited after thirty years for the Fourth of July. The film again stars Sandler, along with Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph while Dugan had a bit part as a basketball referee; it was released in the summer of 2010 with major box office success.
, Dugan's films had grossed over $1.8 billion worldwide.
Dugan's Just Go with It (2011) was his sixth film with Sandler; it also stars Jennifer Aniston and Brooklyn Decker. Dugan directed Jack and Jill (2011), again with Sandler, and Grown Ups 2 (2013), with Sandler, James, Rock and Spade, all reprising their roles while Dugan had a bit part as Dr. Larry. Schneider was unable to reprise his role due to scheduling conflicts.
Dugan wrote, directed and acted in Love, Weddings & Other Disasters in 2020, which stars Diane Keaton, Jeremy Irons, Maggie Grace and Andrew Bachelor. He also wrote the songs, which were sung in the film by Elle King, and co-wrote the score for the film.
Personal life Dugan's first marriage was to actress Joyce Van Patten in 1973. They divorced in 1987, and he later wed Sharon O'Connor, to whom he is still married.
In June 2009, Dugan's son Kelly was drafted with the 75th overall selection by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Major League Baseball draft. A graduate of Notre Dame High School of Sherman Oaks, California, he played for five of the club's minor league teams through 2015, followed by shorter stays in the Chicago Cubs (2016) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2017) organizations before moving on to independent baseball (2018–2025).
Filmography Film Director Year Title Notes 1990 Problem Child 1992 Brain Donors 1996 Happy Gilmore 1997 Beverly Hills Ninja 1999 Big Daddy Nominated- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 2001 Saving Silverman Also known as Evil Woman 2003 National Security 2006 The Benchwarmers 2007 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry Nominated- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 2008 You Don't Mess with the Zohan 2010 Grown Ups 2011 Just Go with It Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director Jack and Jill 2013 Grown Ups 2 Nominated- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 2020 Love, Weddings & Other Disasters Also writer
Acting roles Year Title Role 1976 Norman... Is That You? Garson Hobart 1979 Unidentified Flying Oddball Tom Trimble 1981 The Howling Chris Halloran 1985 Water Untitled 1987 Can't Buy Me Love David Miller 1988 She's Having a Baby Bill The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking Mr. Settigren 1989 Parenthood David Brodsky 1990 Problem Child All American Dad 1996 Happy Gilmore Doug Thompson 1999 Big Daddy Reluctant Trick-or-Treat Giver (uncredited) 2006 The Benchwarmers Coach Bellows 2007 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry Cab Driver 2008 You Don't Mess With The Zohan Homeless Guy 2010 Grown Ups Basketball Referee 2012 That's My Boy School janitor 2013 Grown Ups 2 Dr. Larry 2020 Love, Weddings & Other Disasters Eddie Stone 2024 Knox Goes Away Philo Jones 2024 Father There Is Only One 4 Himself 2025 Happy Gilmore 2 Doug Thompson
Television Year Title Notes1973The WaltonsEpisode: "The Theft"1974CannonEpisode: "The Deadly Trail"1976ColumboEpisode: "Last Salute to the Commodore" 1978–79The Rockford Files 3 episodes 1978Richie Brockelman, Private Eye5 episodes 1979SupertrainEpisode: "Superstar" 1981It's a LivingEpisode: “Second Time Around, Almost” 1982Hill Street Blues4 episodes 1987 Hunter 2 episodes 1988 Wiseguy Episode: "Phantom Pain" 1988–89 Moonlighting 5 episodes 1985–86 Shadow Chasers 14 episodes 1975, 1983 M*A*S*H 2 episodes 1993 Doogie Howser, M.D. Episode: "What Makes Doogie Run" Columbo Episode: "Butterfly in Shades of Grey" 1993–94 L.A. Law 2 episodes 1993–2004 NYPD Blue 1994 Burke's Law Episode: "Who Killed Nick Hazard?" 1994 Traps The Byrds of Paradise 2 episodes 1994–95 Picket Fences 2 episodes 1995 Marker Episode: "The Pilot" Chicago Hope Episode: "Freeze Outs" 1998 Love Boat: The Next Wave Episode: "Smooth Sailing" Ally McBeal Episode: "Alone Again" 1999 Shasta McNasty Episode: "Pilot" 2004 The Mullets Episode: "Silent But Deadly" 2005 Hope & Faith Episode: "Wife Swap" (Parts 1 and 2)
TV movies The Shaggy Dog (1994) A Screwball Homicide (2003) Karroll's Christmas (2004)
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