Richard Dreyfuss quit acting because he wanted to save 'my country' from 'damage'

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Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines January 18

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Richard Dreyfuss is a man determined to fight for his country. 

Known for his starring roles in films like "Jaws," "American Graffiti" and "The Goodbye Girl," for which he earned an Oscar for best actor, Dreyfuss has since transitioned into a life educating others on civic practices.

"I gave up something I loved, and had loved since I was nine-years-old, only for something else I loved as much," the 75-year-old actor admitted.

For Dreyfuss, that reason "was saving my country."

Richard Dreyfuss discussed leaving acting because he wanted to help save the United States of America. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Turner)

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"I firmly believe that if we don't revive the study of civics we will be dead before 2050. We'll have the same name, and it will be a nightmare," the actor revealed on The Glenn Beck Podcast. 

Speaking of the entertainment industry, Dreyfuss said, "If you want to be an actor in America, you can fulfill that… in almost any city in America because they have local, and they have regional, and they have Shakespeare. But if you want to be a movie star then you have to go to L.A. [Los Angeles] or New York," he explained to Beck, whose daughter is interested in pursuing acting.

Richard Dreyfuss with Marsha Mason in "The Goodbye Girl." (Warner Bros.)

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"Those are rough, rough towns," Dreyfuss said. "And we don't live in L.A. because… I retired and went to Oxford for four years to learn this subject… of civility and civics. And the damage being done to my country," he noted.

Dreyfuss, who authored the book "One Thought Scares Me," revealed, "I had led a blessed life, and I gave it up for a blessed life."

Richard Dreyfuss with Roy Scheider in "Jaws." (Silver Screen Collection)

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"It infuriates me that people don't understand what this place means," he said speaking of the United States of America. "What an advance on human progress this country is all about and how quickly we can abandon it without, without a second thought."

In 2006, Dreyfuss founded The Dreyfuss Civics Initiative (TDCI). Its purpose is "to revive the teaching of civics in American public education" and "to empower future generations with the critical-thinking skills they need to fulfill the vast potential of American citizenship."