# Peter Dante
**Peter Dante** (Peter Francis Dante, born 1968) is an American actor, comedian, and musician known for playing offbeat supporting characters in [Adam Sandler](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-sandler) comedies, including Gee Grenouille in *The Waterboy* (1998), Tommy Grayton in *[Big Daddy](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-daddy-1999-film)* (1999), Peter in *Little Nicky* (2000), and Murph in *[Mr. Deeds](https://www.edgepedia.org/mr-deeds)* (2002).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200601/bio/) • [2](https://www.metacritic.com/person/peter-dante/) He also acted in and helped produce the 2006 comedy *Grandma's Boy*, in which he played a character named Dante.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/peter_dante)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA; birth name Peter Francis Dante; height 5′ 11½″ (1.82 m)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200601/bio/) |
| Signature films | *The Waterboy* (1998), *Big Daddy* (1999), *Little Nicky* (2000), *Mr. Deeds* (2002), *50 First Dates* (2004), *Grandma's Boy* (2006)[2](https://www.metacritic.com/person/peter-dante/) |
| Sandler collaborations | Co-starred with Adam Sandler in 12 films between 1998 and 2013[4](https://thefilmaholic.com/pairing/adam-sandler-and-peter-dante-films) |
| Production credit | Associate producer of *Grandma's Boy* (2006), in which he also played the character Dante[2](https://www.metacritic.com/person/peter-dante/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/peter_dante) |
| Music | Member of the group Rad Omen; first album *Peace, Love, and Freedom* released in 2011; has recorded with Adam Sandler and Buck Simmonds[5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/peter-dante) |
| Review scores | Metacritic career average of 34 across 19 films, from a high of 62 (*Stuck on You*) to a low of 9 (*Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star*)[2](https://www.metacritic.com/person/peter-dante/) |
| Last feature film | *The Pizza Joint* (2021), in which he played Bill[6](https://www.cinemagia.ro/actori/peter-dante-27480/) |
## Early life and education
Dante was born in 1968 in West Hartford, Connecticut, to Anthony and Joan Dante.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200601/bio/) He graduated from [Hofstra University](https://www.edgepedia.org/hofstra-university), where he played lacrosse, and in the 2011 season served as an assistant coach with the lacrosse team at [Loyola Marymount University](https://www.edgepedia.org/loyola-marymount-university).[5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/peter-dante)
## Acting career
**Television beginnings.** Dante's first television work came in 1995, with a small role in an episode of *The Jeff Foxworthy Show* and several roles across three episodes of the talk-show spoof *The Larry Sanders Show*.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/peter_dante) His career received a significant boost from his friendship with Adam Sandler, and he went on to appear in many of the former *Saturday Night Live* star's films.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/peter_dante) Dante and Sandler have co-starred in 12 films, though the two do not necessarily share scenes in every one of them.[4](https://thefilmaholic.com/pairing/adam-sandler-and-peter-dante-films)
**Recurring film roles.** Dante's film roles include the quarterback Gee Grenouille in *The Waterboy* (1998), the lawyer Tommy Grayton in *Big Daddy* (1999), Peter in *Little Nicky* (2000), Murph in *Mr. Deeds* (2002), a security guard in *50 First Dates* (2004), and Danny Gutierrez in *[Strange Wilderness](https://www.edgepedia.org/strange-wilderness)* (2008).[5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/peter-dante) • [2](https://www.metacritic.com/person/peter-dante/) In *Grown Ups 2* (2013) he played a character credited as Officer Dante, and in *[That's My Boy](https://www.edgepedia.org/thats-my-boy-2012-film)* (2012) he played Dante Spirou.[2](https://www.metacritic.com/person/peter-dante/) A recurring pattern in his casting is that many of his characters are named Dante, whether as a first name or a surname.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200601/bio/)
**Grandma's Boy.** In 2006 Dante both acted in and helped produce *Grandma's Boy*, a comedy in which he played a character named Dante, described in one account as a drug seller who keeps a chimpanzee, a lion, and an elephant as pets.[2](https://www.metacritic.com/person/peter-dante/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/peter_dante) • [5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/peter-dante) He also worked behind the camera on other projects, with credits in production departments and as a playback singer on *The Wedding Singer*.[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/peter-dante/credits/3000468987/)
**Later work.** Dante returned to series television briefly with a one-off role in the sitcom *The King of Queens* in 2007.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/peter_dante) His last feature film was the independent *The Pizza Joint*, released in 2021, in which he played Bill; he also appeared in episodes of *Typical Rick* and *Sugar and Toys*.[6](https://www.cinemagia.ro/actori/peter-dante-27480/)
## Reception
The films Dante appears in have generally drawn weak reviews. On Metacritic his 19 films average a score of 34, with one positive, five mixed, and thirteen negative scores; his highest-scoring film is *Stuck on You* (62) and his lowest *[Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star](https://www.edgepedia.org/bucky-larson-born-to-be-a-star)* (9).[2](https://www.metacritic.com/person/peter-dante/) On Rotten Tomatoes, his highest-rated film is *Big Daddy* at 39 percent and his lowest *Grown Ups 2* at 8 percent.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/peter_dante)
## Music
Dante performs as a musician, chiefly with his band Rad Omen, whose other members include Dirt Nasty, DJ Troublemaker, Steven Laing, and [Benji Madden](https://www.edgepedia.org/benji-madden).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/peter_dante) • [5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/peter-dante) He has recorded with Adam Sandler and Buck Simmonds, released his debut album *Peace, Love, and Freedom* in 2011, and appeared in a music video with [Afroman](https://www.edgepedia.org/afroman) in 2015.[5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/peter-dante) • [6](https://www.cinemagia.ro/actori/peter-dante-27480/)
## Personal life
Dante is married to Cynthia Pett-Dante, with whom he has a son, Jake.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200601/bio/) According to reports summarized by the Romanian film database CineMagia, he was arrested in Los Angeles on September 19, 2020, on a misdemeanor charge after an altercation with a neighbor over construction noise, and was released the same night after posting $50,000 bail; the same account reports an earlier arrest in 2013 after an incident at a hotel involving threats and racial slurs.[6](https://www.cinemagia.ro/actori/peter-dante-27480/)
## References
1. [Peter Dante – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200601/bio/)
2. [Peter Dante – Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/peter-dante/)
3. [Peter Dante Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/peter_dante)
4. [Adam Sandler & Peter Dante — All 12 Films Together, The Filmaholic](https://thefilmaholic.com/pairing/adam-sandler-and-peter-dante-films)
5. [Peter Dante Movies on Netflix, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/peter-dante)
6. [Peter Dante – Actor, CineMagia.ro](https://www.cinemagia.ro/actori/peter-dante-27480/)
7. [Peter Dante List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/peter-dante/credits/3000468987/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Character actors, B-movie and genre-circuit performers › American performers, recent era*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 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