Adam Rifkin
Adam Rifkin (born December 31, 1966), sometimes credited as Rif Coogan, is an American filmmaker and actor. His career ranges from broad family comedies to dark and gritty urban dramas. He is best known for writing or co-writing family-friendly comedies like Mouse Hunt and 2007's Underdog.
Adam Rifkin
Gorillamania · CC BY 3.0
- Name
- Adam Rifkin
- Born
- 31 December 1966
- Birthplace
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Occupation
- Film director, screenwriter, producer, actor
- Nationality
- United States
- Education
- Chicago Academy for the Arts
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Adam Rifkin (born December 31, 1966), sometimes credited as Rif Coogan, is an American filmmaker and actor. His career ranges from broad family comedies to dark and gritty urban dramas. He is best known for writing or co-writing family-friendly comedies like Mouse Hunt and 2007's Underdog.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Adam Rifkin. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q350710 · wikipedia · Adam Rifkin
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Adam Rifkin • Other Names — Rif Coogan • Born — 31 December 1966 • Birthplace — Chicago, Illinois, United States • Occupation — Film director, screenwriter, producer, actor
Early life and education
Early life and education
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Rifkin graduated from the Chicago Academy for the Arts in 1984, after which he moved to Los Angeles. He attended the University of Southern California for one year before dropping out. He then began writing scripts and collaborating with Brad Wyman.
Career
Career
As a screenwriter, Rifkin has written several family-friendly movies. He wrote Knucklehead for WWE Studios, starring WWE star Big Show, Underdog for Walt Disney Pictures, Zoom, starring Tim Allen and two films for DreamWorks, Mouse Hunt and Small Soldiers. Continuing in the family film genre, he wrote an unmade big screen version of He-Man for John Woo and 20th Century Fox, that was abandoned by Fox 2000 Pictures. He also wrote the unused draft of Planet of the Apes in 1988. Rifkin's film The Dark Backward was named one of the top ten films of its year by The New York Post. He was then the director responsible for New Line Cinema's Detroit Rock City.
Directing
Directing
Rifkin directed his first film Never on Tuesday in 1989. As of December 6, 2007, he has directed eleven others, including The Chase (1994), Detroit Rock City (1999) and the Night at the Golden Eagle (2002).
Production
Production
Rifkin began his production career in 1999 on the production of Touch Me in the Morning by Giuseppe Andrews. Preceding his completion of that project, Rifkin produced his own film Night at the Golden Eagle as well as Getting Hal by Tony Markes.
Acting
Acting
Rifkin began his acting career in 1989 with his directorial debut Never on Tuesday. Rifkin has appeared in small roles and cameos in his other films, Night at the Golden Eagle, Without Charlie, Detroit Rock City, The Dark Backward, Denial and Psycho Cop 2. Rifkin also appeared as Croaker/Miss Spain in the 1989 film, Going Overboard, starring Adam Sandler and Burt Young. He also wrote, directed and acted in the 2007 film Homo Erectus, in which he portrays a wimpy caveman called Ishbo, the main character in the film. The film's ensemble cast includes Ali Larter, David Carradine, Talia Shire, Gary Busey, and Ron Jeremy.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Director — Writer — Executive Producer — Creator • 1996 — Bone Chillers — Co-Executive • 2010 — Look: The Series • 2012 — Reality Show
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1966
Adam Rifkin born at Chicago.
Film
• Year — Title — Director — Writer — Producer — Notes • 1989 — Never on Tuesday • Going Overboard — Uncredited — Co-producer • Tale of Two Sisters • 1990 — The Invisible Maniac — Credited as "Rif Coogan" • 1991 — The Dark Backward • 1992 — The Nutt House • 1993 — Psycho Cop 2 — Credited as "Rif Coogan" • 1994 — The Chase • 1997 — Mouse Hunt • 1998 — Denial • Small Soldiers • Welcome to Hollywood — Co-directed with Tony Markes • 1999 — Detroit Rock City • 2001 — Without Charlie • Night at the Golden Eagle • 2006 — Zoom • 2007 — Homo Erectus • Look • Underdog • 2010 — Knucklehead • 2011 — Chillerama — Executive — Segment "Wadzilla" • 2015 — Shooting the Warwicks • 2016 — Director's Cut • 2017 — The Last Movie Star • 2021 — Willy's Wonderland — Executive • 2023 — The Adam Rifkin Film Festival — Compilation of short films made from 1975 to 1987 • 2025 — Last Train to Fortune Acting credits • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1984 — Sixteen Candles — Head Nerd — Uncredited • 1989 — Never on Tuesday — William • Going Overboard — Croaker / Miss Spain • 1990 — Disturbed — Gary • 1991 — The Dark Backward — Rufus Bing • Bikini Island — Desk Boy — Credited as Rif Coogan • 1992 — Last Dance — Mark • 1993 — Psycho Cop 2 — Man with Video Camera • The Flesh Merchant — Man In Bondage Room • Bikini Squad — Singing Teacher — Credited as Rif Coogan • 1998 — Denial — Reuben • Susan's Plan — Gambler #1 • Welcome to Hollywood — Himself • 1999 — Detroit Rock City — It's Raining Men Billboard Model — Uncredited • 2001 — Without Charlie — Norman • Night at the Golden Eagle — Man in Private Booth — Uncredited • 2007 — Homo Erectus — Ishbo • 2011 — Chillerama — Miles Munson — Segment "Wadzilla" • 2015 — Shooting the Warwicks — Mickey Wagner • 2016 — Director's Cut — Himself Documentary film • Year — Title — Director — Producer • 1999 — Touch Me in the Morning • 2004 — Babysitter • 2006 — Jacuzzi Rooms • 2007 — Garbanzo Gas • 2014 — Giuseppe Makes a Movie
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q350710: Adam RifkinWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Adam Rifkin is recorded as screenwriter, film producer, writer, actor and director.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,960 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Adam of PerseigneAuthor
- Adam OleariusAuthor
- Adam OsborneAuthor
- Adam ReißnerAuthor
- Adam RobertsAuthor
- Adam RuddenAuthor
- Adam RutherfordAuthor
- Adam SchiffAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Adam Rifkin?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.