Kenneth Lerner (born May 27, 1948) is an American television, stage and film actor. He played

Principal Flutie This article lists the major and recurring fictional characters created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. For detailed descriptions, see individual character pages. Cast Main cast The following characters we ...

in the first episodes of the

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

''.

Personal life

Lerner was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, of

Romanian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Romania concerns the Jews both of Romania and of Romanian origins, from their first mention on what is present-day Romanian territory. Minimal until the 18th century, the size of the Jewish population increased after ...

descent. His parents are Blanche and George Lerner, who was a fisherman and antiques dealer.Ken Lerner Biography at Film Reference.com((?)-)
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Career

Lerner is typically

typecast In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...

as whiny or unlucky characters, including an agent who is stabbed in the back with a pen by

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

's character Ben Richards in '' The Running Man''. One of his first roles was as one of the Malachi Brothers in the television series ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...

'' in 1975–76. In 2011, Lerner was seen in an American nationally televised commercial for

Wells Fargo Bank Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and inter ...

. In late 2013, Lerner starred in a commercial for

T-Mobile USA T-Mobile US, Inc. is an American wireless network operator headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas and Bellevue, Washington, U.S. Its largest shareholder is a multinational telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG, which , holds 48.4 perc ...

. In 2016, Lerner played a small role as a corrupt business manager named Arthur in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

television series ''Silicon Valley''.

Selected filmography

* 1977 '' Hot Tomorrows'' as Michael * 1977 ''

Grand Theft Auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones (video game developer), David Jones and Mike Dailly (game designer), Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan Hous ...

'' as Eagle I * 1979 ''

Gas Pump Girls ''Gas Pump Girls'' is a 1979 American comedy film. Directed by Joel Bender, it stars Kirsten Baker as June. Following their high school graduation, June and her friends take over the operation of her uncle's gasoline station, which faces stiff com ...

'' as 'Peewee', Member of The Vultures Motorcycle Gang * 1980 ''

Any Which Way You Can ''Any Which Way You Can'' is a 1980 American Action comedy film, action comedy film directed by Buddy Van Horn and starring Clint Eastwood, with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis (actor), Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith (actor), William Smith, and Ruth G ...

'' as Tony Paoli Jr. * 1984 ''

Irreconcilable Differences ''Irreconcilable Differences'' is a 1984 American comedy-drama film starring Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, and Drew Barrymore. The film was a minor box-office success, making over $12 million. For their performances, both Long and Barrymore were no ...

'' as Doctor * 1985 ''

Secret Admirer A secret admirer is an individual who feels adoration, fondness or love for another person without disclosing their identity to that person, and who might send gifts or love letters to their crush. Grade school The goal of a secret admirer is ...

'' as Waiter * 1985 '' Love on the Run'' as Aaron * 1985 ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court marti ...

'' (TV Series) as Steward * 1986 ''

Miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

'' as Stuart * 1986 ''

Jake Speed ''Jake Speed'' is a 1986 American action adventure comedy film directed and produced by Andrew Lane, with Wayne Crawford, and William Fay. It was written by Lane and Crawford, and starred Crawford in the title role, alongside Dennis Christopher, ...

'' as Ken * 1987 '' Project X'' as Finley * 1987 '' The Running Man'' as Agent * 1988 ''

Maniac Cop ''Maniac Cop'' is a 1988 American action slasher film directed by William Lustig, written by Larry Cohen, and starring Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, William Smith, Robert Z'Dar, and Sheree North. Z'Dar plays th ...

'' as Mayor Killium (uncredited) (Scenes not present in USA release, added in Japanese version as a subplot) * 1989 '' Hit List'' as Gravenstein * 1989 ''

Relentless Relentless may refer to: Film * ''Relentless'' (1948 film), an American film directed by George Sherman * ''Relentless'', a 1977 American television film starring Will Sampson * ''Relentless'' (1989 film), an American crime film starring Jud ...

'' as Arthur * 1989 ''

The Fabulous Baker Boys ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Steve Kloves. Primarily set in Seattle, Washington, the film follows a piano duo consisting of brothers, who hire an attractive singer to ...

'' as Ray * 1989 ''

Immediate Family The immediate family is a defined group of relations, used in rules or laws to determine which members of a person's family are affected by those rules. It normally includes a person's parents, siblings, spouse, and children. It can contain other ...

'' as Josh * 1990 ''

RoboCop 2 ''RoboCop 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Irvin Kershner and written by Frank Miller and Walon Green. It stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bauer, Tom Noonan and Gabriel Damon. It is the seq ...

'' as Tom Delaney * 1990 ''

The Exorcist III ''The Exorcist III'' is a 1990 American psychological horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty. It is the third installment in the ''Exorcist'' series, an adaptation of Blatty's ''Exorcist'' novel ''Legion'' (1983), and the fin ...

'' as Dr. Freedman * 1991 ''

Fast Getaway ''Fast Getaway'' is a 1991 Action film#Action comedy, action comedy film, starring Corey Haim, Cynthia Rothrock and Leo Rossi. A sequel ''Fast Getaway II'' was released in 1994. Plot Sixteen-year-old Nelson Potter is part of a bank robbing team wi ...

'' as Tony Bush * 1991 '' The Doctor'' as Pete * 1991 '' Diary of a Hitman'' as Optometrist * 1991 ''

And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird ''And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird'' is a 1991 science fiction family film written and directed by Tony Cookson; foreign language releases were titled ''RoboDad''. Plot Two boys, Joshua (Joshua John Miller) and Max (Edan Gross) attempt to ...

'' as Matthew Carson, Home Movies * 1992 ''

Unlawful Entry Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels, and trespass to land. Trespass to the person historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding ...

'' as Roger Graham * 1993 ''

Mother's Boys ''Mother's Boys'' is a 1993 American psychological thriller film starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Peter Gallagher, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer and Vanessa Redgrave. Plot Jude Madigan (Curtis) suddenly and inexplicably leaves her husband, Robert (Gallagher), ...

'' as Jude's Analyst * 1994 ''Rave Review'' as Saul Slobin * 1994 ''

Fast Getaway II ''Fast Getaway II'' is a 1994 direct-to-video action comedy/ adventure film, starring Corey Haim, Cynthia Rothrock and Leo Rossi. The film is a sequel to the popular ''Fast Getaway'', released in 1991. Plot Nelson Potter, now retired from bank r ...

'' as Tony Bush * 1994 '' Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes'' as Al Rosenberg * 1995 '' For Better or Worse'' as Sergeant Moss * 1995 ''

Bodily Harm Bodily harm is a legal term of art used in the definition of both statutory and common law offences in Australia, Canada, England and Wales and other common law jurisdictions. It is a synonym for injury or bodily injury and similar expressions, t ...

'' as Alex Shaw * 1996 '' Dead Girl'' as Producer * 1997 ''

'' (TV Series) as Principal Bob Flutie * 1997 ''

High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant spec ...

'' as Justice of The Peace (uncredited) * 1998 ''

Senseless ''Senseless'' is a 1998 American buddy comedy science fiction film directed by Penelope Spheeris and written by Greg Erb and Craig Mazin. The film stars Marlon Wayans, David Spade, and Matthew Lillard as college students. Plot Darryl Witherspoo ...

'' as Dean Barlow * 1998 ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...

'' as Teacher (uncredited) * 1999 '' The Story of Us'' as Dr. Rifkin * 2000 ''Boys Life 3'' as Judge Levin (segment "Inside Out") * 2001 ''The Woman Every Man Wants'' as Rosen * 2001 ''

They Crawl ''They Crawl'' is a 2002 American science fiction horror film directed by John Allardice, and written by Curtis Joseph and David Mason. The film stars Daniel Cosgrove, Tamara Davies, Dennis Boutsikaris and Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" ...

'' as Glen, The Coroner * 2001 ''Mafioso: The Father, the Son'' as Sid Freeman * 2003 ''

National Security National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...

'' as Hank's Lawyer * 2003 ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' (TV Series, in The One with the Soap Opera Party) as Professor Spafford * 2003 ''

Frankie and Johnny Are Married ''Frankie and Johnny Are Married'' is a 2003 American comedy film written and directed by Michael Pressman, starring Pressman, Lisa Chess and Alan Rosenberg. The film chronicles the troubles a producer has trying to mount a production of the Terren ...

'' as Rob, Production Manager * 2004 ''True Vinyl'' as Hotel Clerk * 2005 ''

Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...

'' (TV Series) as Charles James * 2005 ''Jesus, Mary and Joey'' as Saulley * 2006 ''All In'' as Rosenbloom * 2006 ''

NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...

'' (TV Series, in

Bloodbath Bloodbath is a Swedish death metal supergroup from Stockholm, formed in 1998. The band has released six full-length albums, two EPs and two DVDs depicting their performances at Wacken Open Air (in 2005) and Bloodstock Open Air (in 2010). The gro ...

) as Albert Hencheck (uncredited) * 2006 '' Undisputed II: Last Man Standing'' as Phil Gold * 2009 ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...

'' (TV Series) as Dr. Bernstein * 2009 ''

Two and a Half Men ''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, the ...

'' (TV Series) as Dr. Levine * 2011 ''

L.A. Noire ''L.A. Noire'' is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games. Set in 1947 Los Angeles, the game follows detective Cole Phelps's rise among the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department as he so ...

'' (Video Game) as Walter Mensch (voice) * 2011 ''

The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, the show fol ...

'' (TV Series) as Judge Markland * 2012 ''

The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...

'' (TV Series) as Dr. Schneider * 2013 ''

Anger Management Anger management is a psycho-therapeutic program for anger prevention and control. It has been described as deploying anger successfully.Schwarts, Gil. July 2006. Anger Management', July 2006 The Office Politic. Men's Health magazine. Emmaus, PA: ...

'' (TV Series) as Judge * 2016 ''

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...

'' (TV Series) as Arthur * 2017-2018 '' The Goldbergs'' (TV Series) as Lou Schwartz * 2018'' Bayou Caviar'' as Shlomo * 2022'' Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story'' as Joe Zilber

References

External links

*Golden Girls 1990 docto
Interview
at ''Watcher's Web'' * *http://www.kenlerner.com/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Lerner, Ken 1948 births American male film actors American male television actors American people of Romanian-Jewish descent Brooklyn College alumni Jewish American male actors Living people Male actors from New York City People from Brooklyn 21st-century American Jews