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Raye Birk
Raye Birk
83 years (May 27, 1943)
Flint, Michigan, USA
17 Movies
38 TV Shows

Raye Birk

Time and sheer volume of work have made Raye Birk a veteran actor with a body of work built one job at a time. Roughly 55 titles carry his name. 'The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!' is the entry that tends to open any account of the career. He also turns up in 'Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult'. The career opened quietly, the way most long ones do.
Time and sheer volume of work have made Raye Birk a veteran actor with a body of work built one job at a time. Roughly 55 titles carry his name. 'The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!' is the entry that tends to open any account of the career. He also turns up in 'Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult'. The career opened quietly, the way most long ones do.
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A Serious Man
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A Serious Man
Full Filmography
A Serious Man
Dr. Shapiro
★ 6.7
2009
Film
Sweet Land
Postal Clerk
★ 6.5
2005
Film
Factotum
Heathercliff
★ 6.2
2005
Film
North Country
Tom Motel Clerk
★ 7.3
2005
Film
Black Scorpion
Dr. Phineas Phoenix · 1 episode
★ 5.9
2001–
TV
Star Trek: Insurrection
Son'a Doctor
★ 6.5
1998
Film
The Big Squeeze
Contractor
★ 3.8
1996
Film
3rd Rock from the Sun
Jeweler · 1 episode
★ 7.5
1996–
TV
Caroline in the City
Danny · 1 episode
★ 6.5
1995–
TV
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Raye Birk and where are they from?
Raye Birk is 83 years old, born on May 27, 1943 in Flint, Michigan, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Raye Birk?
Raye Birk is best known for roles in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, A Serious Man.
How many movies has Raye Birk been in?
Over a 56-year career (since 1970), Raye Birk has appeared in 17 movies and 37 TV shows.
What was Raye Birk's first movie?
The career of Raye Birk began with Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It. (1970).
What is Raye Birk's most recent movie or series?
Raye Birk's most recent release is New Neighbors, which premiered on September 15, 2016.
What TV shows has Raye Birk appeared in?
On television, Raye Birk has appeared in The X-Files, Seinfeld, Star Trek: The Next Generation, ALF.
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Raye Birk
Raye Birk
1943-05-27 · Flint, Michigan, USA

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 33​1⁄3: 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.

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