Terry Kiser (born August 1, 1939) is an American actor. Besides portraying the deceased title character of the comedy '' Weekend at Bernie's'' and its sequel, '' Weekend at Bernie's II'', he has more than 140 acting credits to his name, with a career spanning more than 50 years. He is the co-founder of the now defunct acting school The Actors Arena in

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Early life and education

Kiser was born on August 1, 1939 in Elmhurst,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, and was raised in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ci ...

. He attended the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. ...

, where he received a football scholarship. He graduated in 1962 with a degree in

industrial engineering Industrial engineering is an engineering profession that is concerned with the optimization of complex processes, systems, or organizations by developing, improving and implementing integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information an ...

. A few years later, on the advice of a drama teacher, he made the decision to quit his engineering profession in order to pursue acting full-time and moved to New York City in 1965. He joined the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

and worked with

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, ...

Career

After college, Kiser returned to his hometown Omaha and worked as an engineer for three years while acting in amateur productions; more than 50 plays. His first two years in New York City included an array of small parts, ranging from theater to television to commercials. By 1967, Kiser gained significant recognition for his work, winning both an

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...

and Theater World Award for ''

Fortune and Men's Eyes ''Fortune and Men's Eyes'' is a 1967 play and 1971 film written by John Herbert about a young man's experience in prison, exploring themes of homosexuality and sexual slavery. Plot of the play The plot follows Smitty, a 17-year-old, after he ...

''. Becoming a life member of

The Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

, Kiser was a regular on several

soap operas A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

, ''

The Secret Storm ''The Secret Storm'' is an American soap opera that the CBS television network transmitted from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas '' Search for Tomorrow'' and '' Lo ...

'' and '' The Doctors''. In 1978, he starred on the short-lived sitcoms '' The Roller Girls'', and '' Sugar Time!''. It was during the 1970s and early 1980s that Kiser appeared in ''

Three's Company ''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom '' Man About the House''. The story revolves around three single room ...

'', "Hardcastle and McCormick", ''One Day At A Time'', ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'', ''

Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984 to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan municipal court presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone (portra ...

'', '' 227'', '' Maude'' and ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

''. One of his roles was on the TV drama ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station locat ...

'', playing comedian Vic Hitler ("Vic the

Narcoleptic Narcolepsy is a long-term neurological disorder that involves a decreased ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles. Symptoms often include periods of excessive daytime sleepiness and brief involuntary sleep episodes. About 70% of those affe ...

Comic"). He was a cast member on the syndicated sketch comedy show ''

Off the Wall ''Off the Wall'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 10, 1979, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's first album released through Epic Records, the label he recorded under until his death in 2009, and t ...

'' and a part of the ensemble on

Carol Burnett Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...

's ''

Carol & Company ''Carol & Company'' is an American comedy anthology television series starring Carol Burnett, Jeremy Piven, Meagen Fay, Terry Kiser, Anita Barone, Richard Kind and Peter Krause that aired for two seasons on NBC from March 31, 1990, to July 20, ...

'', which aired in 1990. In the 1990s, he appeared on ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the T ...

'', ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...

'', '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (as

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra Mess ...

''. His film appearances include '' Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider'' (1979), ''

Rich Kids Rich Kids were a short-lived new wave band from London, founded in 1977 by Glen Matlock following his departure from the Sex Pistols. The band also included future Ultravox member Midge Ure and Rusty Egan, who both later founded Visage toge ...

'' (1979), ''

Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resist ...

'' (1979), '' An Eye for an Eye'' (1981), '' Making Love'' (1982), '' Six Pack'' (1982), '' Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land'' (1983), '' Surf II'' (1984), '' From a Whisper to a Scream'' (1987) and '' Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood'' (1988). Kiser starred in '' Weekend at Bernie's'' (1989), in the title role of Bernie Lomax, the corrupt insurance executive who is dead for most of the film. Bernie's young employees, played by

Jonathan Silverman Jonathan Elihu Silverman (born August 5, 1966) is an American actor, known for his roles in the comedy films ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'', '' Weekend at Bernie's'', and its sequel '' Weekend at Bernie's II''. Early life and education Silverman w ...

and

Andrew McCarthy Andrew Thomas McCarthy (born November 29, 1962) is an American actor, travel writer, and television director. He is most known as a member of the Brat Pack, with roles in 1980s films such as '' St. Elmo's Fire'', '' Pretty in Pink'', and '' Les ...

, attempt to convince people that Bernie is still alive. He reprised the role in '' Weekend at Bernie's II'' (1993). Since 2012, several YouTube videos featuring "The Bernie Dance" generated more than 17 million views collectively by April 2016. Other film appearances include '' Mannequin Two: On the Move'' (1991), '' Into the Sun'' (1992), ''The Pledge'' (2011), and '' A Christmas Tree Miracle'' (2013). In 2013, Kiser moved to

where he founded an acting school, The Actors Arena, which closed in 2016. Instruction was open to students of all ages and experience levels, and served approximately 300 students during its three-year run.

Filmography

Movies

* '' Rachel Rachel'' (1968) as Preacher * ''Lapin 360'' (1972) as Bernard Lapin * '' Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider'' (1979) as Lester Neal * ''

'' (1979) as Ralph Harris * ''

'' (1979) as Valentino * '' Seven'' (1979) as Senator * '' All Night Long'' (1981) as Ultra-Save day manager * '' An Eye for an Eye'' (1981) as Dave Pierce * ''

Looker ''Looker'' is a 1981 American science fiction film written and directed by Michael Crichton and starring Albert Finney, Susan Dey, and James Coburn. The film is a suspense/science-fiction piece that comments upon and satirizes media, advertising ...

'' (1981) as Commercial Director * '' Making Love'' (1982) as Harrington * '' Six Pack'' (1982) as Terk Logan * '' Surf II'' (1984) as Mr. O'Finlay * '' Young Lust'' (1984) * '' From a Whisper to a Scream'' (1987) as Jesse Hardwick * '' Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood'' (1988) as Dr. Crews * '' Weekend at Bernie's'' (1989) as Bernie Lomax * ''

Side Out ''Side Out'' is a 1990 American comedy-drama sports film about a beach volleyball competition, featuring C. Thomas Howell, Peter Horton, Harley Jane Kozak and Courtney Thorne-Smith. It was the last film from Aurora Productions due to many fl ...

'' (1990) as Uncle Max * '' Mannequin Two: On the Move'' (1991) as Count Gunther Spretzle / Sorcerer * '' Into the Sun'' (1992) as Mitchell Burton * '' Weekend at Bernie's II'' (1993) as Bernie Lomax * '' Tammy and the T-Rex'' (1994) as Dr. Wachenstein * '' Pet Shop'' (1994) as Joe Yeagher * ''Loving Deadly'' (1994) as Walter * ''

Forest Warrior ''Forest Warrior'' is a 1996 American adventure film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Norris's brother Aaron Norris. The film was released on direct-to-video in the United States on November 5, 1996. The film is perhaps best known since late ...

'' (1996) as Travis Thorne * ''Divorce: A Contemporary Western'' (1998) as Gary * ''Flamingo Dreams'' (2000) as Gus * ''See Jane Run'' (2001) * ''Dead Start'' (2009) as Mort Maxwell * ''Maskerade'' (2011) as Mr. Peck * ''The Pledge'' (2011) as Joe * ''Speed Demons'' (2012) * '' A Christmas Tree Miracle'' (2013) as Henry Banks * ''Spoilers: The Movie'' (2014) as Mr. Stoyanovich * ''Almosting It'' (2016) as Mort

Television

* ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situat ...

'' (1976) "Fair Fight" - Wes Hubbard * ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was ...

'' (1976) "Eyes of Terror" - Arlie * ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel ''Cyborg'' by Martin Caidin, starring Lindsay Wagner that aired from January 14, 1976, to May 13, 1978. ...

'' (1976) "Mirror Image" - Matthews * ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'' (1977) "Blood Money is Hard to Wash" - Augie * ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in t ...

'' (1978) "Stale Mates" as Bob * '' Maude'' (1978) as Reggie * ''

WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio broadcasting, radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson (director), Hugh Wilson ...

'' (1979) as Mr. Elliot * '' One Day at a Time'' (1979) as Parsons * ''

'' (1981-1982) as Mr. Canon/Max * ''

Hardcastle and McCormick ''Hardcastle and McCormick'' is an American action crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 18, 1983, through May 5, 1986. The series stars Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and rac ...

'' (1983) * ''

'' (1983) as Vic Hitler * ''

'' (1984) as Al Craven * ''

'' (1986) as Santa Claus/Don * ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

'' (1988) as Wally Bryce * ''

'' (1990-1991) as Terry * ''

'' (1993) as Mr. Hosek * '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1995-1996) as

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Caroline in the City'' (1997) as Taxicab Driver * ''

'' (1997) as Charlie Brooks / Maxwell 'Iceman' Kronert * ''

The Norm Show ''The Norm Show'' is an American television sitcom that ran on ABC from March 24, 1999, to April 6, 2001. Starting in September 1999, the show's title was shortened to ''Norm''. The series starred Norm Macdonald, who created the series with Bru ...

(2000) as Councilman Wilkinson

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kiser, Terry 1939 births American male film actors American male television actors Living people Male actors from Omaha, Nebraska 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors University of Kansas alumni