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Rick Ducommun

Canadian actor (1952–2015)

Correspondence, annotated notebooks and portrait silhouettes prepared for research
People and ideasInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 28, 2026
Entity authorityQ511436
Source-derived summary

Richard Ducommun (July 3, 1952 – June 12, 2015) was a Canadian actor and comedian known for his supporting turns in various films, most prominently The 'Burbs (1989) and Groundhog Day (1993).

Career

One of his earliest television appearances was on Star Search and as a technician accosted by a scantily clad dancer near the end of the music video for O'Bryan's song "Lovelite", both in 1984. He finished second in the comedy category behind Brad Garrett.

His credits include Bart (half of Biff and Bart) in the Canadian children's TV series Zig Zag, Rick Dukeman in the music video show Rock 'N' America, Tom Hanks' neighbor Art Weingartner in The 'Burbs (1989), the villainous monster "Snik" in the Fred Savage fantasy Little Monsters (1989), a barfly in the Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day (1993), and Henry the chauffeur in Blank Check (1994).

Ducommun acted in other films, such as No Small Affair (1984), A Fine Mess (1986), Spaceballs (1987), Die Hard (1988), The Experts (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), The Last Boy Scout (1991), Class Act (1992), Encino Man (1992), Last Action Hero (1993), Jury Duty (1995), Scary Movie (2000) and MVP: Most Valuable Primate (2000).

Ducommun died in June 2015 of complications from diabetes. He was 62.

After his death, Ducommun was credited to be co-founder of Canadian skateboards company Skull Skates, alongside his brother Peter.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Rick Ducommun” as canadian actor (1952–2015). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Rick, Ducommun and Canadian.

Editorial reviewA useful biographical orientation record, particularly for establishing names, roles and a first chronology. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1952, 2015, 1989, 1993—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1952-07-03. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Rick, Ducommun and Canadian providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Rick Ducommun”, the useful work is to connect “canadian actor (1952–2015)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q511436. VIAF identifies the subject as 66109877. The Library of Congress control number is no99069010. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1952, 2015, 1989 and 1993.

Critical limits

Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.

Best used for
  • Establishing names and roles
  • Building a first chronology
  • Locating cited institutions
Verify next

Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Rick Ducommun”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Rick Ducommun primary sources, Rick Ducommun archive and Rick research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Rick Ducommun”?
  2. Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
  3. Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Rick Ducommun” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.