Raye Birk
Raye Birk (born May 27, 1943, Flint, Michigan) is an American film and television actor best known for playing the role of Pahpshmir in the first and last of the Naked Gun movies. He was the main villain in Naked Gun 331⁄3: The Final Insult. He has also 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 the X-Files and Babylon 5. 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 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. While generally antagonist, a more sympathetic role on the show was seen in the award winning episode "Goodbye" where he confides in Kevin that he is Kevin's new math teacher as Kevin's hardnosed algebra teacher has just died. He was also on a pair of Home Improvement episodes as one of Tim's poker buddies. Raye appeared in several episodes on the TV series Night Court. He appeared twice on The Golden Girls, both times playing a wedding caterer.
Furthermore, in 1985, 1986 and 1992, he appeared on 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 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.
In 2004–2008, he played Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
Raye has been married to his wife Candace Barrett for 41 years. They have one son, Joshua, who is a professor of medieval history.
Acted in
New Neighbors
2016
A Serious Man
2009
as Dr. Shapiro
Sweet Land
2005
as Postal Clerk
Factotum
2005
as Heathercliff
Black Scorpion
2001
as Dr. Phineas Phoenix
Futurama
1999
as (voice)
Star Trek: Insurrection
1998
as Son'a Doctor
After Jimmy
1996
as John Davies
3rd Rock from the Sun
1996
as Jeweler
Caroline in the City
1995
as Danny
Ned and Stacey
1995
as Earl
Illegal in Blue
1995
as Gary Dedmarch
Nowhere Man
1995
as Tobe Alder
My Brother's Keeper
1995
as Dr. Roth
Cries from the Heart
1994
Due South
1994
as Francis Bolt
Touched by an Angel
1994
as Mr. McFarlane
ER
1994
as Mr. Hartley
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
1994
as Papshmir
Babylon 5
1994
as William
Frasier
1993
as Walt Twitchell
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
1993
as Superintendent Stoneman
The X-Files
1993
as Dr. Jeff Eckerle
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
1993
as Prosecuting Attorney
Caught in the Act
1993
as Sterling
Class Act
1992
as Principal Kratz
Silk Stalkings
1991
as Atticus Dunn
Home Improvement
1991
as Fred
Doc Hollywood
1991
as Simon Tidwell, First Patient
Aftermath: A Test of Love
1991
as Dr. Frenzel
Under Cover
1991
as Grimbach
Under Cover
1991
as Grimbach
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
1990
as Judge Brown
Wings
1990
as Prince Restivon
Challenger
1990
as Joseph Kilminster
Snoops
1989
as Mr. Nelson
Seinfeld
1989
as Mr. Pless
Coach
1989
as Riley Pringle
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson
1989
as Sam Morgan
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1988
as Pahpshmir
Murphy Brown
1988
as Barney
Empty Nest
1988
as Judge Talmadge
Empty Nest
1988
as Albert
Dear John
1988
as Dr. Hendricks
Eisenhower and Lutz
1988
as Bjorn
The Wonder Years
1988
as Mr. Diperna
Throw Momma from the Train
1987
as Pinsky
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987
as Wrenn
The Popcorn Kid
1987
as Leonard Brown
Burglar
1987
as The Jogger
The Stepford Children
1987
as George Larson
Fresno
1986
as Mr. Loats
ALF
1986
as Lenny Scott
ALF
1986
as Officer Griswald
L.A. Law
1986
as Judge Steven Lang
Matlock
1986
as Simon Le Simple
The Twilight Zone
1985
The Golden Girls
1985
as Caterer
Deadly Messages
1985
as Harding
Best Defense
1984
as Sonny
Mister Roberts
1984
as Dowdy
Night Court
1984
as Dworkin
Night Court
1984
as God #1
Night Court
1984
as Ward
Night Court
1984
as Frank Pepitone
Cheers
1982
as Walt Twitchell
A Christmas Carol
1981
as Marley's Ghost
The Taming of the Shrew
1976
as Gremio
Columbo
1971
as Howard Seltzer
Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It.
1970
as Mort Catafalque
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Parole Officer