Remember when Judge Reinhold was a name on everyone’s lips? If it feels like a lifetime ago, that’s because it is. He came into the limelight in the 80s when Hollywood became a haven of blockbusters. Thanks to appearances in box office hits like Beverly Hills Cop and Gremlins, the Delaware native became a household name, on par with names like Tom Hanks. More than two decades after, Judge, real name Edward Ernest Reinhold Jr, has vanished from public consciousness.
While it’s true that no one shines forever, Judge’s absence in modern pop culture bears interrogation. After all, he was once said to have “tremendous potential as a leading man” by influential Hollywood figures like Jeffrey Katzenberg, former Disney chairman. We explain what happened to the former Hollywood star below.
Arrogance and Zero Hits Drove Judge Reinhold to Obscurity
Judge Reinhold’s career started with a lot of promise. He made his debut in the “Amazon Hot Wax” episode of Wonder Woman in 1979. Three years after, he appeared in the 80s cult classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and in one of the most defining scenes of his career: Phoebe Cates walking in on him while he masturbated to a fantasy of her unhooking her bra before she lays a steamy kiss on him.
The scene belongs in the annals of Hollywood history and it helped him land roles in subsequent cultural hits like Gremlins and the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. Within a few years of making his debut, he had developed an endearing profile as an everyman actor audience can relate to. He even led and starred in a couple of films like Roadhouse 66 (1985) and Off Beat (1986). Sadly, his early career successes made him arrogant and demanding. He admitted as much in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Unfortunately, by the time he realized the error of his ways, Judge had developed a reputation and his movie offers dried off. It certainly didn’t help that the few leading roles he got were commercial flops. For the rest of the 80s till the 2000s, he was largely relegated to supporting roles. Though he got a few notable ones here and there, like Dr. Neal Miller in The Santa Clause franchise and a memorable cameo in Arrested Development, he never came close to recapturing his initial fame. Without a high-profile role to endear him to culture-defining millennials, Judge Reinhold faded from the zeitgeist.
He Had an “Embrassing” Confrontation with the TSA in 2016
Judge briefly returned to the mainstream in 2016 after a confrontation with the TSA. Police arrested him at the Dallas Love Field Airport for refusing a backpack screening by airport security. He got into a verbal altercation with the agents, used expletives, and took his shirt off during the (attempted) routine check. The Ruthless People actor was released after ten hours in jail and apologized for his behavior. He also said he was embarrassed by the incident and blamed it on an adverse reaction to medication for a respiratory infection earlier in the week.
Judge’s backpack contained DVDs and CDs. Since losing his place on the big screen, the actor had settled into life in direct-to-DVD movies like Beethoven’s 4th and Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts. His appearances in smaller productions have helped the actor to 113 film and TV credits. He also has a producer credit in a 2006 Christian documentary, Be Still, directed by his wife, Amy Reinhold.
A Comeback in Beverly Hills Cop IV is Possible
Unless you’re dead, there’s always a chance of a comeback in Hollywood. Judge Reinhold might get his opportunity in the upcoming fourth installment of Beverly Hills Cop. He will reprise his role as Eddie Murphy‘s beloved sidekick, Lt. William “Billy” Rosewood. Filming began in August 2022 and is currently in post-production. A release date hasn’t been announced, but the film will be released by Netflix.
Beverly Hills Cop IV would be a full circle moment for Judge and the end of a long wait to appear in a major production. The fourth film was initially announced in the mid-90s but it never happened. There was a second announcement and a completed script in 2006, and Brett Ratner was named director two years after. Still, production did not begin. It took three more tries and several script rewrites before filming began. However, if Netflix releases the film, it may not be the triumphant return Judge Reinhold and his fans hope for. The third film, Beverly Hills Cop III, was a critical failure with mild box office success.
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