David Paymer
| David Paymer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 30, 1954 Oceanside, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse(s) | Liz Georges (1988–present; 2 children) |
David Paymer (born August 30, 1954) is an American actor and television director. He has been in films such as Mr. Saturday Night, Quiz Show, Searching for Bobby Fischer, City Slickers, Crazy People, State and Main, Payback, Get Shorty, Carpool, The American President, Ocean's Thirteen, and Drag Me to Hell. Paymer was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1992 for Mr. Saturday Night. He played the lead role as the Boss in Bartleby, an adaptation of Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener." He played a mob boss in the television series Line of Fire.
Personal life
Paymer was born in Oceanside, New York, the son of Sylvia, a travel agent, and Marvin Paymer, a pianist and musical director[1] who originally worked in the scrap metal business. The two divorced in 1973.[2] Paymer is Jewish; his mother was born in Belgium and left for the United States because of the Nazi occupation.[3] Paymer has a brother, Steve, and graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in theater and psychology. Paymer is married to Liz Georges, with whom he has two children.
Career
Paymer's acting career began in 1979 with the film The In-Laws. Paymer has appeared in over 90 films in his career. He has also appeared in many popular television shows, including Taxi, Happy Days, L.A. Law, Ghost Whisperer, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Entourage. He has had recurring roles on Cheers, Murphy Brown, and The Larry Sanders Show. He has also appeared in such films as Amistad, City Hall, RFK, and Into the West. Paymer has also dabbled into the world of animation, lending his voice to the character "Sheldon" in the Kids' WB cartoon series Channel Umptee-3 and in Balto 3: Wings of Change as neurotic Welsh Terrier Mel.
Paymer has directed episodes of several popular television series, including Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, Melrose Place, Everwood, Brothers & Sisters, and Bunheads. He also appears in a cameo for an AT&T commercial in 2011.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The In-Laws | Cab Driver | |
| 1981 | This House Possessed | Pasternak | Television film |
| 1982 | Airplane II: The Sequel | Court Photographer | |
| 1983 | Grace Kelly | Jay Kanter | Television film |
| 1984 | Best Defense | Kurly | |
| 1984 | Irreconcilable Differences | Alan Sluiser | |
| 1985 | Perfect | Managing Editor | |
| 1986 | Howard the Duck | Larry | |
| 1986 | Night of the Creeps | Young scientist | |
| 1987 | No Way Out | David | |
| 1988 | Rock 'n' Roll Mom | Boris | |
| 1989 | No Holds Barred | Unger | |
| 1990 | Crazy People | George | |
| 1991 | City Slickers | Ira Shalowitz | |
| 1992 | Mr. Saturday Night | Stan | Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture |
| 1993 | Searching for Bobby Fischer | Kalev | |
| 1993 | Heart and Souls | Hal the driver | |
| 1994 | City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Ira Shalowitz | |
| 1994 | In Search of Dr. Seuss | Ad Man | |
| 1994 | Quiz Show | Dan Enright | |
| 1994 | Cagney & Lacey: The Return | Feldberg | Television film |
| 1995 | Cagney & Lacey: Together Again | Feldberg | Television film |
| 1995 | Get Shorty | Leo Devoe | Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 1995 | The American President | Leon Kodak | |
| 1995 | Nixon | Ron Ziegler | Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 1996 | Unforgettable | Curtis Avery | |
| 1996 | City Hall | Abe Goodman | |
| 1996 | Carpool | Daniel Miller | |
| 1996 | Crime of the Century | David Wilentz | Television movie Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1997 | The Sixth Man | Pederson | |
| 1997 | Gang Related | Elliot Goff | |
| 1997 | Amistad | John Forsyth | |
| 1997 | Channel Umptee-3 | Sheldon S. Cargo (voice) | |
| 1998 | The Lesser Evil | George | |
| 1998 | Outside Ozona | Alan Defaux | |
| 1998 | Mighty Joe Young | Dr. Harry Ruben | |
| 1999 | Payback | Stegman | |
| 1999 | Chill Factor | Dr. Richard Long | |
| 1999 | Mumford | Dr. Ernest Delbanco | |
| 1999 | The Hurricane | Myron Bedlock | |
| 2000 | State and Main | Marty Rossen | Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast National Board of Review Award for Best Cast Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast |
| 2000 | Bait | Agent Wooly | |
| 2000 | For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story | Embassy interviewer | |
| 2000 | Partners | Bob | Television film |
| 2000 | Bounce | Prosecuting Attorney Mandel | Uncredited |
| 2000 | Enemies of Laughter | Paul Halpern | |
| 2001 | Focus | Mr. Finkelstein | |
| 2001 | Bartleby | The Boss | |
| 2002 | Joe and Max | Joe Jacobs | Television film |
| 2002 | RFK | Dick Goodwin | Television film |
| 2003 | Alex & Emma | John Shaw | |
| 2004 | In Good Company | Morty | |
| 2004 | Spartan | TV News Anchor | Uncredited |
| 2005 | School of Life | Matt Warner | Television film |
| 2005 | Warm Springs | Louis Howe | Television film |
| 2005 | Checking Out | Ted Applebaum | |
| 2007 | Resurrecting the Champ | Whitley | |
| 2007 | Ocean's Thirteen | V.U.P. | |
| 2008 | Redbelt | Richard | |
| 2009 | Drag Me to Hell | Mr. Jacks | |
| 2011 | Twixt | Sam Malkin | |
| 2012 | The Five-Year Engagement | Pete Solomon | |
| 2014 | Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit | Dixon Lewis[4] | |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Cagney & Lacey | Vinnie | Episode: "You Call This Plain Clothes?" |
| 1982 | Fame | The Salesman | Episode: "The Sell-Out" |
| 1983 | The Greatest American Hero | The Gatekeeper | Episode: "Wizards and Warlocks" |
| 1984–1986 | The Paper Chase | Myslesky | 6 episodes |
| 1984 | Hill Street Blues | Attorney Michael Shapiro | Episode: "The Other Side of Oneness" |
| 1984–1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Todd Feldberg | 10 episodes |
| 1985 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Dr. Fronan | Episode: "DOA: Delirious on Arrival" |
| 1985 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Patrick Burke | Episode: "The Yankee Clipper" |
| 1985 | Cheers | Reporter | Episode: "King of the Hill" |
| 1986–1987 | Downtown | Captain David Kiner | 14 episodes |
| 1986 | Diff'rent Strokes | Mr. Wallace | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Moonlighting | Camille's PR | Episode: "Camille" |
| 1986 | Cheers | Phil Schumacher | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | 21 Jump Street | Mike Ferris | Episode: "16 Blown to 35" |
| 1988 | St. Elsewhere | Mr. Bickle | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Simon & Simon | Brian Sadler | Episode: "Ain't Gonna Get It from Me, Jack" |
| 1988 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Boris | Episode: "Rock 'n Roll Mom" |
| 1988 | Who's the Boss? | Jack | Episode: "A Jack Story" |
| 1988 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Mr. Oliphant | Episode: "The Absent-Minded Professor" |
| 1989 | Matlock | Lenny Marcus | Episode: "The Prisoner: Part 1" |
| 1990–1991 | Murphy Brown | Dr. Bishop | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | L.A. Law | Joey Paul | Episode: "Whatever Happened to Hannah?" |
| 1990 | Cop Rock | Homeless Man | Episode: "Oli of Ol' Lay" |
| 1991–1992 | The Commish | Arnie Metzger | 10 episodes |
| 1991 | Jake and the Fatman | Henry Stocker | Episode: "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" |
| 1992–1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Norman Litkey | 6 episodes |
| 1993 | Tales from the Crypt | Andy Conway | Episode: "Two for the Show" Nominated—CableACE Award for Actor in a Dramatic Series |
| 1994–1995 | Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Murray | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Rocket Power | Director | Episode: "The Wrath of Don/Safety Patrol Sam" |
| 2002 | Without a Trace | Mr. Freedman | Episode: "Birthday Boy" |
| 2003–2004 | Line of Fire | Jonah Malloy | 13 episodes Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama |
| 2004 | Jack & Bobby | Adam Chasen | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Entourage | Sammy Kane | Episode: "I Wanna Be Sedated" |
| 2006 | Ghost Whisperer | Adam Godfrey | Episode: "A Grave Matter" |
| 2007 | Brothers & Sisters | Donald Dudley | Episode: "All in the Family" |
| 2008 | October Road | Dr. Dough Levy | Episode: "Dancing Days Are Here Again" |
| 2008 | My Name Is Earl | Clark Clark | Episode: "Monkeys Take a Bath" |
| 2009–2015 | The Good Wife | Judge Richard Cuesta | 8 episodes |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Stephen Elroy | Episode: "Ace" |
| 2011 | The Mentalist | James Panzer | Episode: "Blinking Red Light" |
| 2013–2014 | Perception | Rueben Bauer | 4 episodes |