Raye Birk
Raye Birk (born May 27, 1943, Flint, Michigan) is an American film and television actor best known for playing the role of Pahpshmir in the first and last of the Naked Gun movies. He was the main villain in Naked Gun 331⁄3: The Final Insult. He has also 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 the X-Files and Babylon 5. 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 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. 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. He was also on a pair of Home Improvement episodes as one of Tim's poker buddies. Raye appeared in several episodes on the TV series Night Court. He appeared twice on The Golden Girls, both times playing a wedding caterer. Furthermore, in 1985, 1986 and 1992, he appeared on 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 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. In 2004–2008, he played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Raye has been married to his wife Candace Barrett for 41 years. They have one son, Joshua, who is a professor of medieval history.
Known For
Credits
- 2016 · New Neighbors as
- 2009 · A Serious Man as Dr. Shapiro
- 2005 · Sweet Land as Postal Clerk
- 2005 · Factotum as Heathercliff
- 2001 · Black Scorpion as Dr. Phineas Phoenix
- 1999 · Futurama as (voice)
- 1998 · Star Trek: Insurrection as Son'a Doctor
- 1996 · After Jimmy as John Davies
- 1996 · 3rd Rock from the Sun as Jeweler
- 1995 · Caroline in the City as Danny
- 1995 · Ned and Stacey as Earl
- 1995 · Nowhere Man as Tobe Alder
- 1995 · Illegal in Blue as Gary Dedmarch
- 1995 · My Brother's Keeper as Dr. Roth
- 1994 · Cries from the Heart as
- 1994 · Due South as Francis Bolt
- 1994 · Touched by an Angel as Mr. McFarlane
- 1994 · ER as Mr. Hartley
- 1994 · Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult as Papshmir
- 1994 · Babylon 5 as William
- 1993 · Frasier as Walt Twitchell
- 1993 · Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Superintendent Stoneman
- 1993 · The X-Files as Dr. Jeff Eckerle
- 1993 · The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. as Prosecuting Attorney
- 1993 · Caught in the Act as Sterling
- 1992 · Class Act as Principal Kratz
- 1991 · Silk Stalkings as Atticus Dunn
- 1991 · Home Improvement as Fred
- 1991 · Doc Hollywood as Simon Tidwell, First Patient
- 1991 · Aftermath: A Test of Love as Dr. Frenzel
- 1991 · Under Cover as Grimbach
- 1991 · Under Cover as Grimbach
- 1990 · Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again as Judge Brown
- 1990 · Wings as Prince Restivon
- 1990 · Challenger as Joseph Kilminster
- 1989 · Snoops as Mr. Nelson
- 1989 · Seinfeld as Mr. Pless
- 1989 · Coach as Riley Pringle
- 1989 · Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson as Sam Morgan
- 1988 · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! as Pahpshmir
- 1988 · Murphy Brown as Barney
- 1988 · Empty Nest as Judge Talmadge
- 1988 · Empty Nest as Albert
- 1988 · Dear John as Dr. Hendricks
- 1988 · Eisenhower and Lutz as Bjorn
- 1988 · The Wonder Years as Mr. Diperna
- 1987 · Throw Momma from the Train as Pinsky
- 1987 · Star Trek: The Next Generation as Wrenn
- 1987 · The Popcorn Kid as Leonard Brown
- 1987 · Burglar as The Jogger
- 1987 · The Stepford Children as George Larson
- 1986 · Fresno as Mr. Loats
- 1986 · ALF as Officer Griswald
- 1986 · ALF as Lenny Scott
- 1986 · L.A. Law as Judge Steven Lang
- 1986 · Matlock as Simon Le Simple
- 1985 · The Twilight Zone as
- 1985 · The Golden Girls as Caterer
- 1985 · Deadly Messages as Harding
- 1984 · Best Defense as Sonny
- 1984 · Mister Roberts as Dowdy
- 1984 · Night Court as Dworkin
- 1984 · Night Court as God #1
- 1984 · Night Court as Ward
- 1984 · Night Court as Frank Pepitone
- 1982 · Cheers as Walt Twitchell
- 1981 · A Christmas Carol as Marley's Ghost
- 1976 · The Taming of the Shrew as Gremio
- 1971 · Columbo as Howard Seltzer
- 1970 · Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It. as Mort Catafalque
- 1968 · Hawaii Five-O as Parole Officer