Rich Wilkes (born 1966) is an American screenwriter, actor, filmmaker and musician. His work is noted for its rooting in contemporary music and youth culture.
Works As Screenwriter Wilkes' major-studio debut was as screenwriter of the 1994 film Airheads. The story revolves around a group of loser musicians called The Lone Rangers who take a radio station hostage to get their song played on the radio. Airheads was directed by Michael Lehmann and distributed by 20th Century Fox.
This was followed by a co-writer credit (alongside director James Melkonian) for the 1994 comedy The Stoned Age, set in the stoner subculture of Southern California during the year 1980.
The same writing and directing team then collaborated with The Jerky Boys to create the 1995 production The Jerky Boys: The Movie, featuring the eponymous comedians (self-described as "low-lifes from Queens") as New York City youths who get into trouble with the Mafia when one of their prank calls leads them into a money laundering business.
Wilkes is credited as the sole screenwriter for the 2002 action-adventure film XXX and has a "based on characters created by" credit for the XXX film series.
Wilkes co-wrote the Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt, based on the New York Times bestselling book by Neil Strauss and Mötley Crüe. The film took 17 years to get made. David Fincher was initially attached to direct in 2004, followed by Larry Charles in 2008.
Wilkes has collaborated repeatedly with David Fincher, including co-writing an HBO television series set in the world of 1980s music videos.
As Writer/Director In 1995, Wilkes debuted as a director with Glory Daze, a semi-autobiographical tale based on his experiences as a student at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Other Film Work Wilkes has also appeared as an actor in the majority of his productions, primarily in minor roles. He has also appeared as himself in several documentaries, including the 1998 production Independent's Day, 2003's The Blockbuster Imperative and 2006's Punk Like Me.
As Musician Wilkes was the lead singer of the "world's original punk rock mariachi band" Carne Asada. The band was put together as a prank to get on the Vans Warped Tour. The story of Carne Asada was told in the award winning music documentary Punk Like Me.
Personal life Wilkes was born in Princeton, New Jersey. He attended El Camino High School in Oceanside, California. He obtained a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz, then studied screenwriting at the American Film Institute.
Humanitarian Work Wilkes has been involved in humanitarian efforts in support of Ukraine during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. In January 2026, he joined a volunteer convoy and drove a truck 1,300 miles across Europe from Oxfordshire, England to Lviv, Ukraine, where it was donated to Ukrainian soldiers.
Filmography Films Year Title Role Notes2020Bulletproof 2Co-Writer and Story by2019The DirtCo-Writer 2017 XXX: Return of Xander Cage Writer (characters) 2013 XXX (short) Writer (characters) 2008 Art House, Vol. 1: Basic Shapes and Animals Executive Producer 2006 Punk Like Me Self, Rico Suave Actor, Writer, Executive Producer 2005 XXX: State of the Union Writer (characters) 2003 Men of Action (short) The Director Actor 2002 XXX Tall Guy Creator, Writer, Actor1995 Glory Daze Writer, Director The Jerky Boys: The Movie Co-Writer1994 The Stoned Age Co-Writer, Actor Airheads Corduroy RockerWriter, Actor
Television Year Title Role Notes 2003 Vegas Dick (pilot) Writer, Executive Producer 2001 Beer Money (movie) Nick the Hollywood Snake Writer, Actor, Executive Producer 1999 Fear of a Punk Planet (series) Director (pilot)
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