David Paymer

David Emmanuel Paymer (born August 30, 1954) is an American actor and television director. He is known for his character actor roles on stage and screen. He has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Awards, a Grammy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Paymer was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing a caring brother and exhausted agent in the showbiz drama Mr. Saturday Night (1992). He is also known for his comedic roles in Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Crazy People (1990), City Slickers (1991), Get Shorty (1995), The American President (1995), Carpool (1996), State and Main (2000), and In Good Company (2004) as well as dramatic roles in Quiz Show (1994), Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), Nixon (1995), Amistad (1997), The Hurricane (1999), Ocean's Thirteen (2007), and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014).

Early life and education Paymer was born in Oceanside, New York on August 30, 1954. He is the son of Sylvia, a travel agent, and Marvin Paymer, a pianist and musical director who originally worked in the scrap metal business. They divorced in 1973. Paymer is Jewish. He has a brother, Steve. His mother was born in Belgium and left for the United States to escape the Nazi occupation.

Paymer graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in theater and psychology.

Career Paymer played a cab driver in his film debut The In-Laws. He has appeared in over 90 films in his career. He has also appeared in many popular television shows, including Taxi, Happy Days, L.A. Law, Cheers, Ghost Whisperer, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Entourage, Diff'rent Strokes, The Good Wife, and Family Ties. He has had recurring roles on Cheers, Murphy Brown, and The Larry Sanders Show. He has also appeared in such films as Amistad, City Hall, RFK, and Into the West. He received an Academy Award nomination for Mr. Saturday Night. His voice-over work includes Sheldon in the Kids' WB cartoon series Channel Umptee-3, and neurotic Welsh Terrier Mel in Balto 3: Wings of Change.

Paymer has directed episodes of several popular television series, including Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, Melrose Place, Everwood, Brothers & Sisters, and Bunheads.

Personal life He is married to Liz Georges. They have two children.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1979 The In-Laws Cab Driver 1982 Airplane II: The Sequel Court Photographer 1984 Best Defense Kurly 1984 Irreconcilable Differences Alan Sluiser 1985 Perfect Managing Editor 1986 Howard the Duck Larry 1986 Night of the Creeps Young scientist 1987 No Way Out David 1988 Rock 'n' Roll Mom Boris 1989 No Holds Barred Unger 1990 Crazy People George 1991 City Slickers Ira Shalowitz 1992 Mr. Saturday Night Stan Young 1993 Searching for Bobby Fischer Kalev 1993 Heart and Souls Hal the driver 1994 City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold Ira Shalowitz 1994 In Search of Dr. Seuss Ad Man 1994 Quiz Show Dan Enright 1995 Get Shorty Leo Devoe 1995 The American President Leon Kodak 1995 Nixon Ron Ziegler 1996 Unforgettable Curtis Avery 1996 City Hall Abe Goodman 1996 Carpool Daniel Miller 1997 The 6th Man Coach Pederson 1997 Gang Related Elliot Goff 1997 Amistad John Forsyth 1998 The Lesser Evil George 1998 Outside Ozona Alan Defaux 1998 Mighty Joe Young Dr. Harry Ruben 1999 Payback Arthur Stegman 1999 Chill Factor Dr. Richard Long 1999 Mumford Dr. Ernest Delbanco 1999 The Hurricane Myron Bedlock 2000 State and Main Marty Rossen 2000 Bait Agent Wooly 2000 Bounce Prosecuting Attorney Mandel Uncredited 2000 Enemies of Laughter Paul Halpern 2001 Focus Mr. Finkelstein 2001 Bartleby The Boss 2002 The Burial Society Morry Zimmer 2003 Alex & Emma John Shaw 2004 In Good Company Morty 2004 Spartan TV News Anchor Uncredited 2004 Balto III: Wings of Change Mel (voice) Direct-to-video 2005 Checking Out Ted Applebaum 2005 Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School Rafael Horowitz 2005 My Suicidal Sweetheart Max, Sr. 2005 School of Life Matt Warner 2007 Resurrecting the Champ Whitley 2007 Ocean's Thirteen V.U.P. 2008 Redbelt Richard 2009 Drag Me to Hell Mr. Jacks 2011 Twixt Sam Malkin 2012 The Five-Year Engagement Pete Solomon 2014 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Dixon Lewis 2014 Two-Bit Waltz The Lawyer 2016 The Pickle Recipe Uncle Morty 2017 Lemon Dr. Gold 2018 Accident Man Milton 2019 The Sunlit NightLevi 2019 Where'd You Go, Bernadette Jay Ross 2020 Horse Girl Doctor 2020 Bad TherapyDr. Edward Kingsley 2024 Bad Shabbos Richard

Television Year Title Role Notes 1979 ABC Afterschool Special Ralph Episode: "Make Believe Marriage" 1980 Barney Miller Felix Morrissey Episode: "Guns" 1980 Lou Grant Roy Episode: "Nightside" 1981 Happy Days Dwayne Episode: "If You Knew Rosa" 1981 House Calls Johnny Vance Episode: "No Balls, One Strike" 1981 This House Possessed Pasternak Television film 1981 Hart to Hart Orderly Episode: "Hart of Darkness" 1982 Cagney & Lacey Vinnie Episode: "You Call This Plain Clothes?" 1982 Open All Night Punker Episode: "Sitting Ducks" 1982 Taxi Ned Episode: "Alex the Gofer" 1982 Fame The Salesman Episode: "The Sell-Out"1983The Greatest American HeroThe GatekeeperEpisode: "Wizards and Warlocks" 1983 Grace Kelly Jay Kanter Television film 1983 Gloria Robber Episode: "Gloria on the Couch" 1983 The Powers of Matthew Star Dr. Benson Episode: "Matthew Star D.O.A." 1983 The Jeffersons David Episode: "I Do, I Don't" 1984 Hill Street Blues Attorney Michael Shapiro Episode: "The Other Side of Oneness" 1984 Her Life as a Man Ted Television film 1984–1986 The Paper Chase Myslesky 6 episodes 1984–1988 Cagney & Lacey Todd Feldberg 10 episodes 1985 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Dr. Fronan Episode: "DOA: Delirious on Arrival" 1985 Hardcastle and McCormick Patrick Burke Episode: "The Yankee Clipper" 1985 Family Ties Larry Harris Episodes 58 & 66 "Oh Donna" & "Cold Storage" 1985 Cheers Reporter Episode: "King of the Hill" 1985 Love, Mary David Lewis Television film 1986 Diff'rent Strokes Mr. Wallace 2 episodes 1986 Moonlighting Camille's PR Episode: "Camille" 1986 Cheers Phil Schumacher 2 episodes 1985 Pleasures Stanley Television film 1986–1987 Downtown Captain David Kiner 14 episodes 1987 21 Jump Street Mike Ferris Episode: "16 Blown to 35" 1987 Rags to Riches Arnie Episode: "Born to Ride" 1987 My Sister Sam Bob Episode: "And They Said It Would Never Last" 1987 Private Eye Archie Hammond Episode: "Blue Hotel" 1987 It's Garry Shandling's Show Richard Kimble Episode: "The Fugitive" 1988 St. Elsewhere Mr. Bickle 2 episodes 1988 Simon & Simon Brian Sadler Episode: "Ain't Gonna Get It from Me, Jack" 1988 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Boris Episode: "Rock 'n Roll Mom" 1988 Who's the Boss? Jack Episode: "A Jack Story" 1988 A Year in the Life Defense Attorney Episode: "Fathers and Other Strangers"" 1988 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Mr. Oliphant Episode: "The Absent-Minded Professor" 1988 Duet Andy Episode: "One Man Out" 1989 Matlock Lenny Marcus Episode: "The Prisoner: Part 1" 1989 Hooperman Leonard Episode: "The Sure Thing" 1990 L.A. Law Joey Paul Episode: "Whatever Happened to Hannah?" 1990 Mancuso, F.B.I. Lloyd Episode: "Adamant Five" 1990 Cop Rock Homeless Man Episode: "Oli of Ol' Lay" 1990–1991 Murphy Brown Dr. Bishop 2 episodes 1991 Jake and the Fatman Henry Stocker Episode: "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" 1991 Equal Justice Stuey Episode: "Sleeping with the Enemy" 1991–1992 The Commish Arnie Metzger 10 episodes 1992–1998 The Larry Sanders Show Norman Litkey 6 episodes 1993 Tales from the Crypt Andy Conway Episode: "Two for the Show" 1994 Cagney & Lacey: The Return Feldberg Television film 1994–1995 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Murray (voice) 2 episodes

Directorial credits Year Title Notes 2004–2005 Everwood 4 episodes 2004–2006 One Tree Hill 2 episodes 2005 Jack & Bobby Episode: "Stand by Me" 2005 Inconceivable Episode: "Face Your Demon Semen" (unaired) 2006 Windfall Episode: "Crash Into You" 2006 Grey's Anatomy Episode: "Break on Through" 2006 Pepper Dennis Episode: "Dennis, Bulgari, Big Losers at ACoRNS" 2006, 2010 Medium 2 episodes 2007 Brothers & Sisters Episode: "All in the Family" 2007 What About Brian Episode: "What About the Exes..." 2007 Gilmore Girls Episode: "Will You Be My Lorelai Gilmore?" 2007 Heartland Episode: "Domino Effect" 2007 Side Order of Life Episode: "Coming Out" 2007–2009 Brothers & Sisters 4 episodes 2008 The Unit Episode: "Inquisition" 2008–2009 Privileged 4 episodes 2009 Melrose Place Episode: "June" 2009–2012 Make It or Break It 7 episodes 2010 Men of a Certain Age Episode: "Powerless" 2010 Life Unexpected Episode: "Bride Unbridled" 2010 Hellcats Episode: "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother" 2010 No Ordinary Family Episode: "No Ordinary Visitors" 2011 90210 Episode: "The Enchanted Donkey" 2011–2015 Hart of Dixie 11 episodes 2011–2015 Switched at Birth 6 episodes 2012–2013 Bunheads 2 episodes 2013 The Carrie Diaries Episode: "Endgame" 2013 Mistresses Episode: "A Kiss Is Just a Kiss?" 2013 The Mentalist Episode: "Red and Itchy" 2013 The Fosters Episode: "Vigil" 2013 Franklin & Bash Episode: "Shoot to Thrill" 2016 Recovery Road Episode: "My Loose Thread" 2016 Lucifer Episode: "Favorite Son"

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Work Result 1992 Academy Awards Best Supporting ActorMr. Saturday Night Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture 1995Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Get Shorty 1995 Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Nixon 2000 Florida Film Critics Circle Best Cast State and Main National Board of Review Best Cast Online Film Critics Society Best Cast 1993 CableACE Awards Actor in a Dramatic Series Tales from the Crypt 1996 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Crime of the Century 2003 Satellite Award Best Actor – Television Series Drama Line of Fire 2023 Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album Mr. Saturday Night