Editing Richard Dreyfuss (section)

=== 1964–1974: Rise to prominence ===
[[File:Richard Dreyfus and Allan Carr at the Governor's Ball party after the 1989 Academy Awards.jpg|thumb|Dreyfuss (left) and producer [[Allan Carr]] at the Governor's Ball after the [[61st Academy Awards|1989 Academy Awards]]]]

Dreyfuss began acting in his youth, at [[Temple Emanuel (Beverly Hills, California)|Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills]] Arts Center and the Westside Jewish Community Center, under drama teacher Bill Miller.<ref name="tca" /><ref>Personal interview</ref> He debuted in the TV production ''In Mama's House'', when he was fifteen. He attended San Fernando Valley State College, now [[California State University, Northridge]], for a year, and was a [[conscientious objector]] during the [[Vietnam War]], working in alternate service for two years, as a clerk in a Los Angeles hospital. During this time, he acted in a few small TV roles on shows such as ''[[Peyton Place (TV series)|Peyton Place]]'', ''[[Room 222 ]]'', ''[[Gidget (TV series)|Gidget]]'', ''[[That Girl]]'', ''[[Gunsmoke]]'', ''[[Bewitched]]'', ''[[The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (TV series)|The Ghost & Mrs. Muir]]'', and ''[[The Big Valley]]''. He played a larger role  in an episode in the second season of ''[[Judd, for the Defense]]''. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he also performed on stage on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], [[Off-Broadway]], repertory, and [[Improvisational theatre|improvisational theater]]. Dreyfuss appeared in the play ''[[The Time of Your Life]]'', which was revived on March 17, 1972, at the [[Huntington Hartford Theater]] in Los Angeles, and directed by [[Edwin Sherin]].<ref>{{cite book|title=WorldCat|publisher=Worldcat.org|oclc = 611053954}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2211&dat=19720408&id=FCcmAAAAIBAJ&pg=781,2046468|publisher=The Afro American|title=Hollywood Beat|date=April 8, 1972|access-date=January 22, 2012}}</ref>

Dreyfuss's first film role was a small, uncredited appearance in ''[[The Graduate]]''. He had one line, "Shall I get the cops? I'll get the cops." He was also briefly seen as a stagehand in ''[[Valley of the Dolls (film)|Valley of the Dolls]]'' (1967), in which he had a few lines. Dreyfuss also featured prominently in a 1969 movie, ''[[Hello Down There]]'' with Tony Randall. In mid-1972, Dreyfuss filmed a supporting role in ''[[The Second Coming of Suzanne]]'', but the movie did not premiere for two years.<ref>Lomax, Michele (October 21, 1974). {{"'}}Suzanne' fails to speak out". ''San Francisco Examiner''. p. 33.</ref> In 1973 he starred in the [[CBS]] pilot ''[[Catch-22]]''. He subsequently appeared in ''[[Dillinger (1973 film)|Dillinger]]'', and landed a key role in the 1973 [[George Lucas]] hit ''[[American Graffiti]]'', acting with other future stars such as [[Harrison Ford]].<ref name="tca" /> Dreyfuss played his first lead role in the Canadian film ''[[The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (film)|The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz]]'' (1974), receiving positive reviews, including praise from [[Pauline Kael]].<ref name="tca" />