Raye Birk (born May 27, 1943) is an American film and television actor. He appeared as Pahpshmir in the first and third installments of the Naked Gun films, and his television appearances include The Wonder Years, The Golden Girls, Wings, and Cheers, where he portrayed the mailman Walt Twitchell.
Career Birk appeared as a villain in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) and Naked Gun : 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).
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, once as Lenny Scott and twice as 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.
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1970Gas-s-s-sMort Catafalque1984Best DefenseSonny, Dynatechnics1984The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th DimensionReporter1987BurglarThe Jogger1987Amazon Women on the MoonVanya1987Throw Momma from the TrainPinsky1987Jake's M.O.Det. Bushkin1988The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!Pahpshmir1989Martians Go HomeSpeaker on TV1991Doc HollywoodSimon Tidwell1992Class ActPrincipal Kratz1993Josh and S.A.M.Hotel Manager1994Naked Gun : The Final InsultPahpshmir1995Illegal in BlueGary Dedmarch1996The Big SqueezeContractor1998Star Trek: InsurrectionSon'a Doctor2005FactotumHeathercliff2005North CountryTom Motel Clerk2005Sweet LandPostal Clerk2009A Serious ManDr. Shapiro
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1976The Taming of the ShrewGremioTelevision film1976Hawaii Five-OParole OfficerEpisode: "Target - A Cop"1981A Christmas CarolMarley's GhostTelevision film1983, 1984Remington SteeleCecil Cosgrove / Maitre d'2 episodes1984Hill Street BluesSingerEpisode: "The End of Logan's Run"1984Blue ThunderMartin C. SharpEpisode: "Clipped Wings"1984Mister RobertsDowdyTelevision film1984EarthlingsVince Martoni1984Mickey Spillane's Mike HammerHarry StarkEpisode: "Torch Song"1984, 1989NewhartDean Dackman / Whitley McVeigh2 episodes1985Deadly MessagesHardingTelevision film1985Off the RackCrimminsEpisode: "Here Comes the Bribe"1985Stir CrazyCaterer HerbertEpisode: "Where's Mary"1985, 1986The Twilight ZoneBearded Man / Time-Traveller2 episodes1985, 1988Mr. BelvedereMr. Grant / Earl1985–1991Night CourtFrank Pepitone / Ward / God No. 15 episodes1985–1992CheersWalt Twitchell3 episodes1986MaryWaiterEpisode: "Table for Two"1986FresnoMr. Loats4 episodes1987The Stepford ChildrenGeorge LarsonTelevision film1987The Popcorn KidLeonard Brown6 episodes1987ThrobJohnEpisode: "Moving In"1987HunterLt. FiferEpisode: "City of Passion: Part 1"1987AmenMr. EvansEpisode: "Thelma's Reunion"1987Star Trek: The Next GenerationWrennEpisode: "Haven"1987–1988ALFOfficer Griswald / Lenny Scott3 episodes1987, 1989DuetDr. Dellerton / Vladimir Horowitz2 episodes1988Marblehead ManorHanselEpisode: "Tea for Tuba"1988Beauty and the BeastEdmontonEpisode: "Fever"1988Eisenhower and LutzBjornEpisode: "Blast from the Past"1988My Sister SamDave CarmichaelEpisode: "Good Neighbor Sam"1988, 1989The Golden GirlsCaterer2 episodes1988–1991The Wonder YearsMr. Diperna10 episodes1988, 1993Empty NestJudge Talmadge / Albert2 episodes1988–1993L.A. LawJudge Steven Lang7 episodes1989Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal LessonSam MorganTelevision film1989MatlockSimon Le SimpleEpisode: "The Clown"1989SnoopsMr. NelsonEpisode: "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Malady"1989–1993CoachRiley Pringle5 episodes1990ChallengerJoseph KilminsterTelevision film1990Archie: To Riverdale and Back AgainJudge Brown1990Perfect StrangersMcNultyEpisode: "Safe at Home"1990–1992Dear JohnDr. Hendricks4 episodes1990, 1995Murphy BrownJudge Quinn / Barney2 episodes1991Aftermath: A Test of LoveDr. FrenzelTelevision film1991True ColorsMr. WarnerEpisode: "A Matter of Principal"1991Morton & HayesButler / Reginald2 episodes1991Under CoverGrimbach13 episodes1992Home ImprovementFredEpisode: "Luck Be a Taylor Tonight"1992SistersCarlton BrunellEpisode: "Empty Rooms"1992Picket FencesMike CatonEpisode: "Pilot"1992, 1993NursesChaplain / Mr. Eckworth2 episodes1993Life Goes OnDr. BryantEpisode: "Bedfellows"1993Barbarians at the GateTravis GainesTelevision film1993Shaky GroundDerekEpisode: "Toupee or Not Toupee"1993Caught in the ActSterlingTelevision film1993–1995Silk StalkingsAtticus Dunn / Earl Elliott7 episodes1994The George Carlin ShowInspector DriscollEpisode: "George Speaks His Mind"1994The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.Prosecuting AttorneyEpisode: "High Treason: Part 1"1994Saved by the Bell: The New ClassSuperintendent StonemanEpisode: "Belding's Prank"1995M.A.N.T.I.S.MayorEpisode: "Fast Forward"1995My Brother's KeeperDr. RothTelevision film1995SeinfeldMr. PlessEpisode: "The Face Painter"1995Nowhere ManTobe AdlerEpisode: "The Enemy Within"1996The X-FilesDr. Jeff EckerleEpisode: "War of the Coprophages"1996WingsPrince RestivonEpisode: "A Tale of Two Sister Cities"1996Due SouthFrancis BoltEpisode: "Red, White or Blue"1996After JimmyJohn DaviesTelevision film1996ERMr. HartleyEpisode: "Let the Games Begin"19973rd Rock from the SunJewelerEpisode: "A Dick on One Knee"1997Caroline in the CityDannyEpisode: "Caroline and the Critics"1997BaywatchWilliam LanningEpisode: "Trial By Fire"1997ColumboHoward SeltzerEpisode: "A Trace of Murder"1997Babylon 5WilliamEpisode: "Intersections in Real Time"1997Ned and StaceyEarlEpisode: "I Like Your Moxie"1998Mike Hammer, Private EyeGustav Granville-DawesEpisode: "The Art of Murder"1999–2003Days of Our LivesVarious roles6 episodes2000Touched by an AngelMr. McFarlaneEpisode: "Monica's Bad Day"2001Black ScorpionDr. Phineas Phoenix6 episodes2002My Sister's KeeperJustice of the PeaceTelevision film2002FrasierWalt TwitchellEpisode: "Cheerful Goodbyes"
References
External links