David Strickland
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
David Strickland had carved out a thriving acting career, starring as a regular on the NBC sitcom "Suddenly Susan" and making the move to film with a supporting role in the successful romantic comedy "Forces of Nature" (1999) before taking his own life at age 29. Born in Glen Cove, New York and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Strickland did not consider an acting career until, as a teenager, he moved with his family to Pacific Palisades, California. A veteran of over fifty student films, he made his big screen debut with a small role in 1994's "Postcards From America," but was first notably featured opposite Ron Eldard in the festival screened independent "Delivered" (1998). He starred in this quirky comedic thriller as rant-prone pizza delivery man who records all of his (often violent) rambling thoughts. When his recorder gets into the hands of a murderer (Eldard), the killer relates to the pizza man and endeavors to act on all of his gripes and revenge fantasies. A smaller role that exposed him to a much wider audience came with "Forces of Nature" (1999), a romantic comedy starring Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock and Maura Tierney. In this blockbuster film, Strickland played Tierney's former boyfriend Steve, who holds a torch for her and tries to win her back the day before her impending marriage to Affleck. He shone in this supporting role, capably playing a likable but misguided victim of love whose botched attempts to win Tierney's affection offer both poignancy and inanity.
Strickland's television work was more prolific, beginning with 1995 appearances on the sitcoms "Roseanne" (ABC) and "Dave's World" (CBS), interestingly playing police officers on both series. He had recurring roles on UPN's "Sister, Sister" and NBC's "Mad About You" (both 1996), featured in the latter with a memorable turn as Paul's backstabbing co-worker. Surely, though, Strickland was best known as the awkward music critic Todd Stites on "Suddenly Susan." His close cropped hair, infectious energy and wide-eyed innocent appeal made him a perfect candidate to represent the MTV generation on the magazine-set program, which he aptly did as the short-attention span stricken writer. Todd, whose plotlines included a sacrificial self-enforced celibacy in an effort to better his writing, emerged as a most endearing character, and the actor's portrayal of the goofy critic was a highlight of the Brooke Shields' vehicle. He starred on "Suddenly Susan" from it's 1996 debut until his 1999 tragic suicide, an act that happened to coincide with the Number One box office showing of "Forces of Nature" (1999).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1994
Had a bit part in "Postcards from America", based on the memoirs of artist David Wojnarowicz
1995
Guest starred on the sitcoms "Roseanne" (ABC) and "Dave's World" (CBS)
1995
Appeared in recurring role as a back-stabbing co-worker of Paul Buckman on the NBC sitcom "Mad About You"
1998
Had leading role in the independent film "Delivered" which was shown at both the Seattle International Film Festival and at Cannes
1999
Played Maura Tierney's ex-boyfriend who tries to win her back the day before her wedding to Ben Affleck in the hit romantic comedy "Forces of Nature"
Family
Companions
