Diedrich Bader
A character actor whose deadpan delivery and distinctive voice have defined cult comedy favorites for decades.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American actor·Birthday: December 24·Generation X
Biography
Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Diedrich Bader's path to comedy was almost accidental, landing his breakout role as the lovably dim Oswald Lee Harvey on 'The Drew Carey Show' straight out of a Shakespeare theater program. This launched a career built not on leading-man status, but on becoming one of Hollywood's most reliable and recognizable utility players. His face is familiar from scene-stealing film turns in 'Office Space' and 'Napoleon Dynamite,' but his voice is arguably his most potent instrument, bringing life to animated icons like Batman in 'Brave and the Bold' and countless others. Bader has cultivated a unique niche, moving seamlessly between live-action sitcoms like 'American Housewife' and voiceover booths, always delivering a specific blend of earnestness and absurdity that makes even the smallest role memorable.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Diedrich was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Diedrich Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Diedrich's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as Oswald Lee Harvey for nine seasons on the hit ABC sitcom 'The Drew Carey Show'.
- Voiced the title character in the animated series 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold,' defining a generation's Caped Crusader.
- Played the memorably bizarre security guard Drewbacca in the cult film 'Office Space'.
- Portrayed the eccentric neighbor Otto on the ABC comedy series 'American Housewife' for five seasons.
Did You Know?
He is a direct descendant of Civil War Confederate General James Longstreet.
He lived in Paris as a teenager and is fluent in French.
He and his wife have the same birthday, though he is two years older.
He was a member of the National Shakespeare Company early in his career.
“The great thing about voiceover is you can be a leading man and you don't have to go to the gym.”
