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Raye Birk

Raye Birk (born May 27, 1943) is an American film and television actor. He appeared as Pahpshmir in the first and last of the Naked Gun movies, and his television appearances include The Wonder Years, The Golden Girls, Wings, and Cheers, where he portrayed the mailman Walt Twitchell.

Raye Birk
Born (1943-05-27) May 27, 1943 (age 81)
Flint, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1970–present
Known forVarious roles in the Naked Gun film series

Career

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Birk appeared as a villain in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) and Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994). His other film credits include roles in Best Defense (1984), Amazon Women on the Moon (1987), Throw Momma from the Train (1987), Doc Hollywood (1991) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998).

In addition to these roles, he had a frequently occurring role as the assistant principal Mr. Diperna on The Wonder Years; starting with the pilot episode, when he had a conference with Kevin Arnold's parents for throwing food in the cafeteria. (He originally read for the role of Coach Ed Cutlip).[1] While generally antagonist, a more sympathetic role on the show was seen in the award winning episode "Goodbye" where he confides in Kevin that he is Kevin's new math teacher as Kevin's hardnosed algebra teacher has just died.

Furthermore, in 1985, 1986 and 1992, he appeared in three episodes of Cheers as Walt Twitchell, a mailman who got into minor altercations with Cliff Clavin. Birk reprised the role of Twitchell in a 2002 episode of the Cheers spinoff series, Frasier, in which the title character (played by Kelsey Grammer) returned to Boston and re-acquainted himself with old friends from the bar. He also appeared three times on ALF as Lenny Scott and Officer Griswald. Raye appeared in several episodes on the TV series Night Court. He was also on a pair of The Golden Girls episodes, both times playing a wedding caterer. He played a recurring role on Coach as university band director Riley Pringle from 1989 to 1993. He also appeared in an episode of Mr. Belvedere as an accordion player.

Birk has also guest starred in Due South as the terrorist Francis Bolt in the Episodes "All the Queens Horses", "Red, White and Blue", "Call of the Wild Part One" and "Call of the Wild Part Two". He also had roles in Wings, The X-Files and Babylon 5. He was also on an episode of Home Improvement as one of Tim's poker buddies. His other appearances include Seinfeld, Touched by an Angel, ER, and the soap opera Days of Our Lives.

From 2004 to 2008, he played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.[2]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1970 Gas-s-s-s Mort Catafalque
1984 Best Defense Sonny, Dynatechnics
1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Reporter
1987 Burglar The Jogger
1987 Amazon Women on the Moon Vanya
1987 Throw Momma from the Train Pinsky
1987 Jake's M.O. Det. Bushkin
1988 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Pahpshmir
1989 Martians Go Home Speaker on TV
1991 Doc Hollywood Simon Tidwell
1992 Class Act Principal Kratz
1993 Josh and S.A.M. Hotel Manager
1994 Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult Pahpshmir
1995 Illegal in Blue Gary Dedmarch
1996 The Big Squeeze Contractor
1998 Star Trek: Insurrection Son'a Doctor
2005 Factotum Heathercliff
2005 North Country Tom Motel Clerk
2005 Sweet Land Postal Clerk
2009 A Serious Man Dr. Shapiro

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1976 The Taming of the Shrew Gremio Television film
1976 Hawaii Five-O Parole Officer Episode: "Target - A Cop"
1981 A Christmas Carol Marley's Ghost Television film
1983, 1984 Remington Steele Cecil Cosgrove / Maitre d' 2 episodes
1984 Hill Street Blues Singer Episode: "The End of Logan's Run"
1984 Blue Thunder Martin C. Sharp Episode: "Clipped Wings"
1984 Mister Roberts Dowdy Television film
1984 Earthlings Vince Martoni
1984 Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Harry Stark Episode: "Torch Song"
1984, 1989 Newhart Dean Dackman / Whitley McVeigh 2 episodes
1985 Deadly Messages Harding Television film
1985 Off the Rack Crimmins Episode: "Here Comes the Bribe"
1985 Stir Crazy Caterer Herbert Episode: "Where's Mary"
1985, 1986 The Twilight Zone Bearded Man / Time-Traveller 2 episodes
1985, 1988 Mr. Belvedere Mr. Grant / Earl
1985–1991 Night Court Frank Pepitone / Ward / God No. 1 5 episodes
1985–1992 Cheers Walt Twitchell 3 episodes
1986 Mary Waiter Episode: "Table for Two"
1986 Fresno Mr. Loats 4 episodes
1987 The Stepford Children George Larson Television film
1987 The Popcorn Kid Leonard Brown 6 episodes
1987 Throb John Episode: "Moving In"
1987 Hunter Lt. Fifer Episode: "City of Passion: Part 1"
1987 Amen Mr. Evans Episode: "Thelma's Reunion"
1987 Star Trek: The Next Generation Wrenn Episode: "Haven"
1987–1988 ALF Officer Griswald / Lenny Scott 3 episodes
1987, 1989 Duet Dr. Dellerton / Vladimir Horowitz 2 episodes
1988 Marblehead Manor Hansel Episode: "Tea for Tuba"
1988 Beauty and the Beast Edmonton Episode: "Fever"
1988 Eisenhower and Lutz Bjorn Episode: "Blast from the Past"
1988 My Sister Sam Dave Carmichael Episode: "Good Neighbor Sam"
1988, 1989 The Golden Girls Caterer 2 episodes
1988–1991 The Wonder Years Mr. Diperna 10 episodes
1988, 1993 Empty Nest Judge Talmadge / Albert 2 episodes
1988–1993 L.A. Law Judge Steven Lang 7 episodes
1989 Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson Sam Morgan Television film
1989 Matlock Simon Le Simple Episode: "The Clown"
1989 Snoops Mr. Nelson Episode: "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Malady"
1989–1993 Coach Riley Pringle 5 episodes
1990 Challenger Joseph Kilminster Television film
1990 Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again Judge Brown
1990 Perfect Strangers McNulty Episode: "Safe at Home"
1990–1992 Dear John Dr. Hendricks 4 episodes
1990, 1995 Murphy Brown Judge Quinn / Barney 2 episodes
1991 Aftermath: A Test of Love Dr. Frenzel Television film
1991 True Colors Mr. Warner Episode: "A Matter of Principal"
1991 Morton & Hayes Butler / Reginald 2 episodes
1991 Under Cover Grimbach 13 episodes
1992 Home Improvement Fred Episode: "Luck Be a Taylor Tonight"
1992 Sisters Carlton Brunell Episode: "Empty Rooms"
1992 Picket Fences Mike Caton Episode: "Pilot"
1992, 1993 Nurses Chaplain / Mr. Eckworth 2 episodes
1993 Life Goes On Dr. Bryant Episode: "Bedfellows"
1993 Barbarians at the Gate Travis Gaines Television film
1993 Shaky Ground Derek Episode: "Toupee or Not Toupee"
1993 Caught in the Act Sterling Television film
1993–1995 Silk Stalkings Atticus Dunn / Earl Elliott 7 episodes
1994 The George Carlin Show Inspector Driscoll Episode: "George Speaks His Mind"
1994 The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Prosecuting Attorney Episode: "High Treason: Part 1"
1994 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Superintendent Stoneman Episode: "Belding's Prank"
1995 M.A.N.T.I.S. Mayor Episode: "Fast Forward"
1995 My Brother's Keeper Dr. Roth Television film
1995 Seinfeld Mr. Pless Episode: "The Face Painter"
1995 Nowhere Man Tobe Adler Episode: "The Enemy Within"
1996 The X-Files Dr. Jeff Eckerle Episode: "War of the Coprophages"
1996 Wings Prince Restivon Episode: "A Tale of Two Sister Cities"
1996 Due South Francis Bolt Episode: "Red, White or Blue"
1996 After Jimmy John Davies Television film
1996 ER Mr. Hartley Episode: "Let the Games Begin"
1997 3rd Rock from the Sun Jeweler Episode: "A Dick on One Knee"
1997 Caroline in the City Danny Episode: "Caroline and the Critics"
1997 Baywatch William Lanning Episode: "Trial By Fire"
1997 Columbo Howard Seltzer Episode: "A Trace of Murder"
1997 Babylon 5 William Episode: "Intersections in Real Time"
1997 Ned and Stacey Earl Episode: "I Like Your Moxie"
1998 Mike Hammer, Private Eye Gustav Granville-Dawes Episode: "The Art of Murder"
1999–2003 Days of Our Lives Various roles 6 episodes
2000 Touched by an Angel Mr. McFarlane Episode: "Monica's Bad Day"
2001 Black Scorpion Dr. Phineas Phoenix 6 episodes
2002 My Sister's Keeper Justice of the Peace Television film
2002 Frasier Walt Twitchell Episode: "Cheerful Goodbyes"

References

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  1. ^ "Location Station". Facebook.
  2. ^ Hewitt, Chris (January 1, 2015). "9 questions with veteran Twin Cities actor Raye Birk". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
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