Rick Dean, a towering figure with a rugged, curly-haired presence, made his film debut in 1982 with a low-budget horror movie titled "Island of Blood". A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Dean honed his craft under the guidance of renowned coaches Wynn Handmann of the American Place Theatre in New York and Roy London and Peggy Feury of The Lost Studio in Los Angeles.
With his striking features, including a long, narrow, craggy face, an askew yet powerful physique, and a mane of unruly dark hair, Dean often found himself typecast as rough-around-the-edges characters, such as bums, psychos, and dangerous criminals. This was particularly true during the late 1980s and 1990s, when he appeared in a plethora of straight-to-video features produced by the legendary Roger Corman.
Some of Dean's most notable roles include starring alongside Maria Ford in a string of Corman productions, including "Nam Angels", "The Unborn", "Quake", "Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight", both "Carnosaur" sequels, "Saturday Night Special", "Cheyenne Warrior", and "Black Scorpion". His standout performance as the enigmatic and philosophical derelict Sam Silver in "Naked Obsession" showcased his range as an actor.
Dean also left a lasting impression as a deranged individual pretending to be blind who terrorizes a strip club at gunpoint in "Stripteaser" and as a vicious, tattooed racist in the horror anthology "Tales from the Hood". In addition to his film work, Dean was an accomplished stage actor, director, and artist, specializing in pastel paintings.
Dean was married to artist and actress Cinda Jackson and was the proud father of actress Eliza Lauren Dean. His life was tragically cut short when he passed away suddenly at the age of 53 on February 3rd, 2006.
