What happened to Richard Dreyfuss?

Oscar award-winning actor, Richard Dreyfuss announced in early 2023 that he has stepped away from full-time acting and will now focus on transitioning into a “life educating others on civic practices.”

“I gave up something I loved and had loved since I was nine years old, only for something else I loved as much. I firmly believe that if we don’t revive the study of civics we will be dead before 2050. We’ll have the same name, and it will be a nightmare,” he said.

“If you want to be an actor in America, you can fulfill that… in almost any city in America because they have local, and they have regional, and they have Shakespeare. But if you want to be a movie star then you have to go to L.A. or New York,” he shared.

He also shared that pursuing an acting career in those areas are “rough towns” to consider. Dreyfuss founded The Dreyfuss Civics Initiative (TDCI) in 2006, “to revive the teaching of civics in American public education and to empower future generations with the critical thinking skills they need to fulfill the vast potential of American citizenship,”