Diedrich Bader was born in Alexandria, Virginia, but his life took a dramatic turn when his family relocated to Paris, France, at the tender age of two. It was during his early years in the City of Light that he developed a deep appreciation for the works of legendary movie icons such as Fred Astaire and Charles Chaplin.
As fate would have it, a fragile Chaplin movie reel caught fire in the theater's projector when Bader was just four years old. With the crowd in a state of panic, the young boy hopped onto the stage and began to entertain the audience with an impromptu imitation of the Little Tramp. The standing ovation he received was a defining moment in his life, and he knew from that moment on that he wanted to perform.
After returning to the United States for high school, Bader attended the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts. It was during his spring break in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that he was discovered by a casting director, which led to an audition for a small role in a TV pilot. Much to his surprise, he landed a starring role instead. Although the pilot was not picked up, Bader's big break was just around the corner.
He moved to Los Angeles and began auditioning for various roles, eventually landing guest spots on several popular TV series, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Cheers, and Quantum Leap. Filmmaker Penelope Spheeris took notice of his unique tongue-in-cheek delivery when he read for her action-adventure spoof series, Danger Theatre, and hired him for the project.
Bader's breakthrough role came when he played the dual roles of twins Jethro and Jethrine Beaudine in the feature film The Beverly Hillbillies, which Spheeris also directed. He also appeared in the political thriller The Assassination File for the Encore Entertainment Group, a project that allowed him to be shot in the head - a first for the actor.
Bader's family has a rich history of public service, with his father, William, serving as the Chief of Staff for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and currently presiding over the Eurasia Foundation on Capitol Hill. His mother, Gretta, is a talented sculptor whose portrait of the late Sen. J. William Fulbright is proudly displayed in the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Today, Bader is married to actress Dulcy Rogers and resides in Los Angeles, California.
