Paul Reiser (; born March 30, 1956)
is an American actor, comedian, and television writer. He is known for his roles as Michael Taylor in the 1980s sitcom ''
My Two Dads
''My Two Dads'' is an American sitcom television series that was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions in association with Tri-Star Television (later Columbia Pictures Television) and distributed by TeleVentures. It starred Paul Reiser, Greg ...
'', Paul Buchman in the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
sitcom ''
Mad About You
''Mad About You'' is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City. It initially aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999, winning numerous awards including four Golden Glob ...
'', Modell in the 1982 film ''
Diner,'' Carter Burke in the 1986 film ''
Aliens'', and as Detective Jeffrey Friedman in ''
Beverly Hills Cop
''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr., and starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop ...
'' (1984), ''
Beverly Hills Cop II
''Beverly Hills Cop II'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tony Scott, written by Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren, and starring Eddie Murphy. It is the sequel to the 1984 film ''Beverly Hills Cop'' and the second ins ...
'' (1987), and ''
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley''.
More recently, he has gained recognition for his roles as Jim Neiman in the 2014 film ''
Whiplash
Whiplash may refer to:
* The long flexible part of a whip
* Whiplash (medicine), a neck injury
** Whiplash Injury Protection System (WHIPS), in automobiles
Film and television
* ''Whiplash'' (1948 film), a US film noir about a boxer
* ''Whiplas ...
'' and
Dr. Sam Owens in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
series ''
Stranger Things''.
Reiser is ranked 77th on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...
's 2004 list of the "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time". The name of his
production company
A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and v ...
, Nuance Productions, is inspired by one of his lines in the film ''Diner'', where his character explains his discomfort with the word "nuance".
Reiser is arguably best known for his role as greedy, slimy company man Carter Burke in James Cameron's ''
Aliens'', in which he went against his casting type and showcased his acting range. He appeared in the second and third seasons of ''
The Kominsky Method
''The Kominsky Method'' is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Chuck Lorre, that premiered on November 16, 2018, on Netflix. It stars Michael Douglas, Alan Arkin, Sarah Baker, Nancy Travis, Paul Reiser, and Kathlee ...
'' as Martin, Mindy Kominsky's boyfriend.
Early life
Reiser was born in New York City in 1956, the son of Helen Hollinger Reiser (1919–2012), a homemaker who was one of the first women to graduate from
Baruch College
Baruch College (officially the Bernard M. Baruch College) is a public college in New York City. It is a constituent college of the City University of New York system. Named for financier and statesman Bernard M. Baruch, the college operates unde ...
; and Samuel H. Reiser (1914–1989), a wholesale health food distributor who served in the military. His family is 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. He has three sisters. He attended the
East Side Hebrew Institute and graduated from
Stuyvesant High School. He earned his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
at
Binghamton University, where he majored in music (piano, composition).
During his university years, Reiser was active in student theater productions at the Hinman Little Theater, an on-campus
community theater Community theatre refers to any theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a community with no outside hel ...
organization in Hinman College, Reiser's dorm community. He found his calling as a comedian while performing in New York clubs during university summer breaks.
Career
After developing his skills as a stand-up comedian, Reiser had a breakout film role in 1982 when he appeared in ''
Diner'', a
coming-of-age film directed by
Barry Levinson
Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); ''The Natural'' (1984); '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987); ...
. Reiser's character, Modell, a closet stand-up comedian, effectively brought Reiser's abilities to the attention of
Hollywood. He followed this success playing a detective in ''
Beverly Hills Cop
''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr., and starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop ...
'' (1984), a role he reprised in its sequel ''
Beverly Hills Cop II
''Beverly Hills Cop II'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tony Scott, written by Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren, and starring Eddie Murphy. It is the sequel to the 1984 film ''Beverly Hills Cop'' and the second ins ...
'' (1987), and will play again in the upcoming ''
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley''.
Reiser also appeared in
James Cameron's ''
Aliens'' (1986), in which he played the villainous Carter Burke; and in ''
The Marrying Man
''The Marrying Man'' (known as ''Too Hot to Handle'' in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Philippines) is a 1991 American romantic comedy film, directed by Jerry Rees, written by Neil Simon, and starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. The f ...
'' (1991) and ''
Bye Bye Love'' (1995).
Reiser starred as one of two possible fathers of a teenage girl in the TV sitcom ''
My Two Dads
''My Two Dads'' is an American sitcom television series that was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions in association with Tri-Star Television (later Columbia Pictures Television) and distributed by TeleVentures. It starred Paul Reiser, Greg ...
'' (1987–90), and later came to prominence in North America as Paul Buchman in ''
Mad About You
''Mad About You'' is an American television sitcom starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a married couple in New York City. It initially aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999, winning numerous awards including four Golden Glob ...
'' (1992–99), a comedy series he co-created, in which
Helen Hunt co-starred as his on-screen wife. He was also the co-composer of the show's theme song, "The Final Frontier" (with
Don Was
Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was, is an American musician, record producer and record executive. Primarily a bass player, Was co-founded the funk-rock band Was (Not Was). In later years he produced so ...
), and performed the piano for the theme's recording. Reiser's role in ''Mad About You'' earned nominations for an
Emmy, a
Golden Globe, an
American Comedy Award
The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films. They began in 1987, billed as the "f ...
and a
Screen Actors Guild Award for him. For the show's final season, Reiser and Hunt received $1 million ($ million today) per episode. After signing onto a ''Mad About You'' revival in 2018, it was picked up as a 12-episode limited series by
Spectrum Originals
Spectrum is a trade name of Charter Communications, used to market consumer and commercial cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the company.
The brand was first introduced in 2014; prior to that, these serv ...
in March 2019, which became available for members of
Amazon Prime Video as of fall 2020.
In 2001, Reiser played a dramatic role as a man desperate to locate his biological mother, after learning he has a serious illness, in the British TV film ''My Beautiful Son''. In 2002, Reiser made a guest appearance as himself on
Larry David
Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer. He and Jerry Seinfeld created the television sitcom ''Seinfeld'', on which David was head writer and executive producer for the first seve ...
's
HBO sitcom, ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm.'' In the TV comedy film ''Atlanta'' (2007), Reiser appears as one half of a couple who, after meeting at a funeral, are unable to stay away from each other. In 2010, Reiser collaborated with the singer
Julia Fordham to create a CD album titled ''
Unusual Suspects'', which includes the song "UnSung Hero", dedicated to American soldiers serving in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. The two embarked on an acoustic tour after its release. Reiser also co-wrote the song, "No There There" with
Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been carried by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage.
Early l ...
for her 2015 album, ''
You Gotta Love the Life
''You Gotta Love The Life'' is an album by the Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter Melissa Manchester in 2015. Her 20th studio album, and her first since ''When I Look Down That Road'' (2004), the fourteen-track album is primarily written by ...
''.
Early in his career, Reiser was the opening act for Manchester, who warned him that music audiences can be rough on comedians and that the last comedian that opened for her left the stage in tears. Reiser reflects about this warning and on how he then bombed at the
Concord Hotel in the chapter "Don't Worry if They Suck" in ''I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America's Top Comics'' (2010), by Ritch Shydner and Mark Schiff.
Reiser scripted and starred in the semi-autobiographical comedy series ''
The Paul Reiser Show'', which aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
as a
mid-season replacement
In American network television scheduling, a mid-season replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after a ...
during the 2010–11 TV season.
"This is nice", commented Reiser on the
Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Catherine Miller (born September 29, 1961) is an American political commentator, comedian, and host of '' The Stephanie Miller Show'', a Progressive talk radio program produced in Los Angeles, California, by WYD Media Management and s ...
radio program, "because you get to sit around and root for other shows to fail." However, due to the lack of
lead time and
promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
by NBC prior to its debut (as well as
poor scheduling), the low-rated show was canceled on April 22, 2011, with only two episodes aired.
He co-created (but did not star in) the 2017 dramedy ''
There's... Johnny!'', set backstage at ''
The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, 1 ...
'' in 1972. Originally created for
Seeso, the seven-episode season was released on
Hulu after Seeso's collapse. In recent years Reiser has appeared in films such as ''
Whiplash
Whiplash may refer to:
* The long flexible part of a whip
* Whiplash (medicine), a neck injury
** Whiplash Injury Protection System (WHIPS), in automobiles
Film and television
* ''Whiplash'' (1948 film), a US film noir about a boxer
* ''Whiplas ...
'' and TV series such as ''
Red Oaks'' and ''
Stranger Things''.
Reiser has written three books: ''Couplehood'', about the ups and downs of being in a committed relationship;
''Babyhood'', about his experiences as a first-time father; and ''Familyhood'' (released in May 2011), a collection of humorous essays. ''Couplehood'' is unique in that it starts on page 145; Reiser explained this as his method of giving the reader a false sense of accomplishment. In 1996, Reiser appeared on ''
Late Show with David Letterman'' in the middle of writing ''Babyhood''. Since he had not yet decided on a title, he presented a prop book, titled simply "Book" and with the same cover as that of ''Couplehood''.
In 2022, Reiser appeared in season three of ''
The Boys'' as
The Legend.
Personal life
Reiser married Paula Ravets on August 21, 1988. They have two sons: born in 1995 and 2000. His oldest son has
cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sens ...
, which Reiser has spoken about publicly at fundraisers and other events. Reiser is the cousin of screenwriter and producer
Will Reiser, who is known for writing the semi-autobiographical comedy-drama film ''
50/50'' (2011).
Reiser's first cousin is the legal scholar
Richard Epstein.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reiser, Paul
1956 births
20th-century American comedians
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American pianists
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians
Male actors from New York City
Alumni of Jewish day schools in the United States
East Side Hebrew Institute alumni
American comedy writers
American family and parenting writers
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male television actors
American mass media company founders
American relationships and sexuality writers
American male stage actors
American stand-up comedians
Television personalities from New York City
American television writers
American people of Romanian-Jewish descent
American male television writers
Binghamton University alumni
Jewish American male actors
Jewish American comedy writers
Jewish American songwriters
Jewish American writers
Living people
Musicians from New York City
Songwriters from New York (state)
Stuyvesant High School alumni
Writers from New York City
21st-century American poets
American male essayists
20th-century American essayists
21st-century American essayists
Comedians from New York City
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers
20th-century American pianists
Screenwriters from New York (state)
American male pianists
Jewish American male comedians
21st-century American Jews
American male songwriters