# David Strickland

**David Strickland** (1969–1999) was an American actor best known for playing Todd Stities, the magazine's music critic, on the NBC sitcom *Suddenly Susan* from 1996 until his death in 1999, and for a supporting role as Steve Montgomery in the romantic comedy *Forces of Nature* (1999). He should not be confused with the Alabama-born voice actor and radio broadcaster David L. Strickland, known for *The Signal* (2007) and the video game *Poppy Playtime* (2021), or with other performers of the same name.

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | Born 1969 in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York; died March 22, 1999 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 29<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup> |
| Signature role | Todd Stities, music critic on NBC's *Suddenly Susan*, 1996–1999, about 70 episodes<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup> |
| Recurring TV roles | Hollis Pavel on *Mad About You* (6 episodes, 1995–1996); Dave on *Sister, Sister* (3 episodes, 1995–1996)<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup> |
| Film roles | Will, the lead, in the independent *Delivered* (1998); Steve Montgomery in *Forces of Nature* (1999)<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_strickland)</sup> |
| Early training | Performed in 64 student films; stage credits include *Biloxi Blues*, *Bye Bye Birdie*, *Danny and the Deep Blue Sea*, *Pizza Man*, and *I Won't Dance*<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup> |
| Health | Suffered from bipolar disorder, according to his IMDb biography<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup> |

## Early life and training

Strickland was born in Glen Cove, on [Long Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/long-island), New York, and raised in [Princeton, New Jersey](https://www.edgepedia.org/princeton-new-jersey). He did not consider an acting career until, while in high school, he moved with his family to Pacific Palisades, a suburb of Los Angeles.<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_strickland)</sup> Instead of attending college, he joined a theater company and performed comedy sketches he wrote with a friend. To build acting experience he appeared in 64 student films, and his stage credits included *Biloxi Blues*, *Bye Bye Birdie*, *Danny and the Deep Blue Sea*, *Pizza Man*, and *I Won't Dance*.<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup>

## Television career

**Sitcom work.** Strickland's television career began with 1995 guest appearances on *Roseanne* (ABC) and *Dave's World* (CBS), playing a police officer on each series. He then held recurring roles on UPN's *Sister, Sister* and NBC's *Mad About You*, in the latter as Paul's backstabbing co-worker at the Explorer Channel.<sup>[3](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/david-strickland/umc.cpc.6962tcrw9w322sqsv84a00mvh)</sup>

**Suddenly Susan.** The role that defined his career was Todd Stites, the awkward music critic on *Suddenly Susan*, the magazine-set comedy starring [Brooke Shields](https://www.edgepedia.org/brooke-shields). His close-cropped hair, energetic delivery, and wide-eyed appeal made him a representative of the MTV generation on the show, and storylines for Todd included a self-enforced celibacy undertaken to improve his writing. He starred on the series from its 1996 debut until his death in 1999.<sup>[3](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/david-strickland/umc.cpc.6962tcrw9w322sqsv84a00mvh)</sup>

## Film work

Strickland made his screen debut with a small role as a driver in *Postcards from America* (1994), followed by a part as a homeless man in *Object of Obsession* (1994).<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_strickland)</sup> His first substantial film role was the lead in *Delivered* (1998), a dark comedy directed by Guy Ferland, in which he played a rant-prone pizza delivery man who records his often violent rambling thoughts; when the recorder reaches a murderer played by [Ron Eldard](https://www.edgepedia.org/ron-eldard), the killer acts on the delivery man's gripes and revenge fantasies.<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_strickland)</sup>

His widest exposure came with *Forces of Nature* (1999), a romantic comedy starring [Ben Affleck](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-affleck), Sandra Bullock, and [Maura Tierney](https://www.edgepedia.org/maura-tierney). Strickland played Steve Montgomery, Tierney's former boyfriend, who tries to win her back the day before her wedding to Affleck's character.<sup>[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_strickland)</sup> He also received a soundtrack credit on the film as a performer of "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)".<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup>

## Death and media reaction

Strickland died on March 22, 1999, in a Las Vegas motel room, in circumstances pointing to suicide, at age 29.<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-30-ca-22310-story.html)</sup> His IMDb biography records that he suffered from bipolar disorder.<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)</sup>

The death drew a volume of television coverage that a Los Angeles Times columnist, Brian Lowry, described as disproportionate to Strickland's level of fame: entertainment programs aired daily pieces, local stations led newscasts with the story, and some commentators framed it as part of a trend in Hollywood, linking it to the killing of [Phil Hartman](https://www.edgepedia.org/phil-hartman) the previous year. Brooke Shields issued a statement calling Strickland her family and asking the press to spare the cast their "insensitive prying," a portion of her comments that most news accounts omitted.<sup>[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-30-ca-22310-story.html)</sup> The *Suddenly Susan* cast paid tribute in the show's season finale, which aired the following month on NBC.<sup>[5](https://archives.lincolncountynm.gov/wp-content/uploads/publications/RUIDOSO%20NEWS/1999-05-19.pdf)</sup>

## References

1. [David Strickland, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0834362/)
2. [David Strickland Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_strickland)
3. [David Strickland Movies and Shows, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/david-strickland/umc.cpc.6962tcrw9w322sqsv84a00mvh)
4. [Actor's Death Raises a Disturbing Clamor, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 1999](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-30-ca-22310-story.html)
5. [Ruidoso News, May 19, 1999](https://archives.lincolncountynm.gov/wp-content/uploads/publications/RUIDOSO%20NEWS/1999-05-19.pdf)

---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Sm to Su*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license