- Born
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- Dan Gilvezan was born in south St. Louis, just a stone's throw (although you really shouldn't throw stones, it's not nice) away from the legendary Anheuser-Busch brewery. The oldest of three children, Gilvezan's penchant for performing became apparent at an early age when he began charging the neighborhood kids a nickel apiece to attend impromptu talent shows in his parent's garage.
Following this auspicious beginning, he performed in many elementary school plays in roles as diverse as Little Boy Blue, Jack Horner and Wee Willie Winkie. "He was really something," one of his teachers once observed, "He not only had his own lines memorized, but everyone else's as well. What a pain in the ass!" By the eighth grade Dan had built an impressive resume, but it was his turn as Harold Hill in a high school production of "The Music Man" that the acting bug truly took hold.
Upon graduating from Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri with a BA in drama, Gilvezan joined the cast of the National Players touring company bringing the classics to grade schools, universities and civic auditoriums nationwide. After completing the tour he further honed his skills performing in regional theater, summer stock, dinner theater and children's theater all along the Atlantic seaboard.
Hoping the world of West Coast show business would welcome him with open arms, Gilvezan moved to Los Angeles and found that finding fame and fortune in Hollywood wasn't going to be as easy as he had imagined. "It was when I saw all these character actors I had watched on TV as a kid, who I had always imagined as living in big mansions in Beverly Hills, standing in line at the unemployment office that the realities of this business truly hit me."
After a time working odd jobs just to keep food on the table, lightening finally struck when he won the role of Spider-Man in the NBC Saturday morning series "Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends." Roles in other animated shows of the 1980s soon followed. He was cast as Bumblebee in the original Transformers television series, jet pilot Slipstream in "GI Joe," Cooler in Hanna Barbera's "Pound Puppies" along with a host of other notable cartoon characters during the 8os and early 90s.
His television appearances are too numerous to mention, but include recurring roles on "Diagnosis Murder," "She-Wolf of London" and the FX series "Baskets."
Expanding into the world of the written word, Dan is the author of "Bumblebee & Me: Life as a G1 Transformer," a memoir of his time working on the seminal series, and the novels, "Drowned in the Grenadine" and "Soul."
- IMDb mini biography by: Evelyn Grundy
- SpousesJoselle Celine Oldenkamp(2001 - present)Penelope Jeffries(1985 - 1996) (1 child)Michaela Hartnett(1974 - 1979)
- Gender / Gender identityMale
- Was considered for the role of Spike in the original Transformers television series, but since Spike and Bumblebee had so many scenes together the producers thought it best to cast another actor in the role. The part of Spike went to voice actor Corey Burton.
- Was originally hired to shoot two Jack In the Box commercials. After sales skyrocketed upon their airing, he was signed to a three-year contract as on-camera spokesperson.
- Is the author of three books. "Drowned in the Grenadine," a novel based on his experiences working as an actor in Hollywood, "Bumblebee & Me: Life as a G1 Transformer," a remembrance of his time working on the original Transformers animated series, and Soul: A Novel, a fantasy that takes place on Earth, in the Afterlife and places in between.
- In 2015, he performed the role of the father in the play "Almost Perfect" at the Santa Monica Playhouse. Twenty-nine years earlier, in 1986, during the show's initial run, he played one of the sons.
- Engaged in conversations with various car parts in the role of the driver in a series of radio commercials for the Ford Motor Company.
- In acting the most important thing is honesty. If you can fake that you've got it made.
- Take the path less chosen, but keep an eye out for security guards.
- Auditioning is like standing naked before a hanging jury - while your hair is on fire.
- I have a BA in Drama, an actual diploma from an accredited university stating that I'm qualified to participate in my profession, and in 30 years in the business no one has ever asked to see it. Acting is the only profession one can enter with literally no experience or discernible ability. Except maybe for politics.
- Show business isn't cruel, it's indifferent, which is worse.
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