Editing Andy Dick (section)

== Early life and education ==
Andy Dick was born on December 21, 1965,{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} in [[Charleston, South Carolina]], as Andrew Thomlinson. He was adopted at birth by Allen and Sue Dick, and was named Andrew Roane Dick. He was brought up as a [[Presbyterian]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Steven |last=Lawson |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Movies/2003/05/Andy-Dick-Finds-God-The-Hard-Way.aspx |title=Andy Dick Finds God the Hard Way |website=Beliefnet.com |access-date=November 20, 2010 |date=May 2003 |archive-date=September 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922004354/http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Movies/2003/05/Andy-Dick-Finds-God-The-Hard-Way.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref> His father was in the Navy.<ref name="O'Brien">{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/12/13/humor-in-the-extreme/ |first=Ken |last=O'Brien |title=Humor in the Extreme |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=December 13, 1998 |access-date=May 23, 2017 |archive-date=February 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228021657/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-12-13/features/9812130118_1_andy-dick-drama-classes-reality-bites |url-status=live}}</ref>

As a child, Dick lived with his family in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, and [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] before moving to Chicago in 1979.<ref name="LATimesJul1997">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-26-ca-16285-story.html |title=What's the Frequency, Andy? |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 26, 1997 |last=Crisafulli |first=Chuck |access-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107131013/http://articles.latimes.com/1997/jul/26/entertainment/ca-16285 |url-status=live}}</ref> He attended [[George Walton Comprehensive High School]] in [[Cobb County, Georgia]]. Dick appeared in numerous theater productions during his high-school years, and was elected [[homecoming king]] of his senior year in 1983. He graduated from [[Joliet West High School]] in [[Joliet, Illinois]], in 1984.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andy Dick |url=http://www.biography.com/people/andy-dick-21194465 |website=biography.com |access-date=November 13, 2016 |archive-date=June 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610190212/http://www.biography.com/people/andy-dick-21194465 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

While in high school, Dick used his surname as a joke; one day, he dressed in a homemade superhero costume and presented himself at school as "Super Dick".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1120AF3DD7E5A918&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |first=Lucio |last=Guerrero |date=June 4, 2006 |title=The Chicago Connection: They're ours – a surprising look at celebs' ties to the Windy City |access-date=May 23, 2017 |archive-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913144922/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1120AF3DD7E5A918&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |url-status=live}}</ref> Dick has been a friend of actor [[Anthony Rapp]] since childhood.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/21/DDGU9GJ8SC1.DTL |work=[[The San Francisco Chronicle]] |title=From musical to memoir, actor Anthony Rapp comes up with dramatic making-of 'Rent' story and moving personal one |first=David |last=Wiegand |date=February 21, 2006 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629055832/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2006%2F02%2F21%2FDDGU9GJ8SC1.DTL |url-status=live}}</ref>

After high school, Dick joined Chicago-based theater group [[The Second City]] and attended [[Illinois Wesleyan University]] for a semester before attending [[Columbia College Chicago]], where he spent most of his university career,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iwu.edu/aboutiwu/DidYouKnow.shtml |title=Did You Know? |publisher=[[Illinois Wesleyan University]] | access-date=November 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124040113/http://iwu.edu/aboutiwu/DidYouKnow.shtml |archive-date=November 24, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="O'Brien" /> and took [[improvisational theater]] (improv) comedy classes at [[iO Theater]].