Dreyfuss has been outspoken regarding the media's influence in shaping public opinion, policy, and legislation. In the 2000s, he expressed his sentiments in favor of right to privacy, freedom of speech, democracy, and individual accountability.[44] In 2011 and 2014, Dreyfuss was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board.
In May 2023, Dreyfuss spoke out against the Academy Awards' new diversity guidelines that require films to have met at least two of four benchmarks, including that the lead actors are from underrepresented groups or that at least 30% of the cast and crew come from these groups. During an interview with Margaret Hoover, host of the PBS show The Firing Line, Dreyfuss claimed that the new guidelines "make me vomit". Dreyfuss explained that he was opposed to the guidelines because movie-making is "an art form ... and no one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give into the latest, most current idea of what morality is."[45][
In 2006, Dreyfuss discussed his diagnosis of bipolar disorder in the documentary Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, in which Fry (who also has the disorder) interviewed Dreyfuss about his experience being bipolar.
During his acting career, Dreyfuss had feuds with some of the people he worked with, most notably actors Robert Shaw and Bill Murray, who costarred with him in Jaws and What About Bob? respectively, and filmmaker Oliver Stone, who directed him in W.[54]
Allegation of sexual harassment
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In 2017, writer Jessica Teich accused Dreyfuss of sexual harassment during the filming of an ABC special.[55] Dreyfuss denied the allegations. He said he had been overly flirtatious in his past, and that he regretted that behavior, but he emphasized that he "values and respects women" and is "not an assaulter."[56] He thought they were involved in a "consensual seduction ritual.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard ... s#Politics