Raye Birk
Prolific actor of the stage and screen Raye Birk gained celebrity as the villainous Papshmir in the irreverent police spoof "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" A lifelong acting enthusiast, Birk received a degree in theater in the late '60s, and taught his craft at Southern Methodist University and the University of Southern California over the course of his career. He appeared in Hollywood in the '70s, scoring guest spots on popular police series like "Hill Street Blues" and "Remington Steele," and supporting roles in sci-fi oddballs "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" and "Amazon Women on the Moon." His eclectic and often bizarre taste saw him gravitate toward series like the '80s revival of "The Twilight Zone" and the extraterrestrial sitcom "ALF." By the end of the decade, Birk had landed a recurring role as the antagonistic assistant principal Mr. Diperna on the nostalgia series "The Wonder Years," and portrayed postal employee Walt Twitchell on three episodes of bar-bound comedy "Cheers" and its spin-off, "Frasier." Birk also portrayed recurring characters on the sports sitcom "Coach
Photos
Raye Birk
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
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No Score Yet |
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Morgue | Unknown (Character) | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Columbo: A Trace of Murder | Howard Seltzer (Character) | - | 1997 |
43% |
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The Big Squeeze | Contractor (Character) | $23.6K | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cries From the Heart | Unknown (Character) | - | 1994 |
71% |
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Barbarians at the Gate | Travis Gaines (Character) | - | 1993 |
17% |
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Class Act | Principal Kratz (Character) | $11.1M | 1992 |
67% |
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Doc Hollywood | Simon Tidwell (Character) | $51.8M | 1991 |
No Score Yet |
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Aftermath: A Test of Love | Dr. Frenzel (Character) | - | 1991 |
No Score Yet |
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Challenger | Unknown (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
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Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again | Judge Brown (Character) | - | 1990 |
86% |
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The Naked Gun | Pahpshmir (Character) | $77.9M | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Stepford Children | George Larson (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet |
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Gas-s-s-s | Mort Catafalque (Character) | - | 1970 |
TV
Credit | ||||
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95% | 95% | Frasier | Walt Twitchell (Guest Star) | 2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Black Scorpion | Dr. Phineas Phoenix (Character) | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Touched by an Angel | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
No Score Yet | 92% | Babylon 5 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | 81% | Columbo | Howard Seltzer (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Caroline in the City | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | 85% | ER | Mr. Hartley (Guest Star) | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wings | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1996 |
74% | 85% | The X-Files | Dr. Jeff Eckerle (Guest Star) | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nowhere Man | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Murphy Brown | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
89% | 92% | Seinfeld | Mr. Pless (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nurses | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Coach | Riley Pringle (Guest Star) | 1989-1990 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dear John | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1992 |
87% | 95% | Cheers | Walt Twitchell (Guest Star) | 1992 |
No Score Yet | 88% | The Wonder Years | Mr. Diperna (Guest Star) | 1988-1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Perfect Strangers | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Matlock | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Newhart | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1984 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mr. Belvedere | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1985 1988 |
No Score Yet | 86% | Beauty and the Beast | Edmonton (Guest Star) | 1988 |
No Score Yet | 79% | ALF | Lenny Scott (Guest Star) | 1987-1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hunter | Lt. Fifer (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mary | Waiter (Guest Star) | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | My Sister Sam | Unknown (Guest Star) |