Paul Reiser | |
|---|---|
 Reiser at the 2024WonderCon | |
| Born | (1956-03-30)March 30, 1956 (age 68) New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Binghamton University |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
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| Website | paulreiser |
Paul Reiser (/ˈraɪzər/; born March 30, 1956)[1] is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He played the roles of Michael Taylor in the 1980s sitcomMy Two Dads, Paul Buchman in theNBC sitcomMad About You, Modell in the 1982 filmDiner, and Detective Jeffrey Friedman in theBeverly Hills Cop franchise. He has gained recognition for his roles as Jim Neiman in the 2014 filmWhiplash andDr. Sam Owens in theNetflix seriesStranger Things.
Reiser portrayed Carter Burke in James Cameron'sAliens. He appeared in the second and third seasons ofThe Kominsky Method as Martin, Mindy Kominsky's boyfriend.
Reiser is ranked 77th onComedy Central's 2004 list of the "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time". The name of hisproduction company, Nuance Productions, is inspired by one of his lines in the filmDiner, where his character explains his discomfort with the word "nuance".
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 fromBaruch College; and Samuel H. Reiser (1914–1989), a wholesale health food distributor who served in the military.[2][3] His family is ofRomanian Jewish descent. He has three sisters. He attended theEast Side Hebrew Institute and graduated fromStuyvesant High School.[4] He earned hisbachelor's degree atBinghamton 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-campuscommunity theater organization in Hinman College, Reiser's dorm community.[5] He found his calling as a comedian while performing in New York clubs during university summer breaks.
After developing his skills as a stand-up comedian, Reiser had a breakout film role in 1982 when he appeared inDiner, acoming-of-age film directed byBarry Levinson. Reiser's character, Modell, a closet stand-up comedian, effectively brought Reiser's abilities to the attention ofHollywood. He followed this success playing a detective inBeverly Hills Cop (1984), a role he reprised in its sequelBeverly Hills Cop II (1987), and again inBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F.[6] Reiser also appeared inJames Cameron'sAliens (1986), in which he played the villainous Carter Burke; and inThe Marrying Man (1991) andBye Bye Love (1995).
Reiser starred as one of two possible fathers of a teenage girl in the TV sitcomMy Two Dads (1987–90), and later came to prominence in North America as Paul Buchman inMad About You (1992–99), a comedy series he co-created, in whichHelen Hunt co-starred as his on-screen wife. He was also the co-composer of the show's theme song, "The Final Frontier" (withDon Was),[7] and performed the piano for the theme's recording. Reiser's role inMad About You earned nominations for anEmmy, aGolden Globe, anAmerican Comedy Award and aScreen Actors Guild Award for him. For the show's final season, Reiser and Hunt received $1 million ($1.9 million today) per episode.[8] After signing onto aMad About You revival in 2018,[9] it was picked up as a 12-episode limited series bySpectrum Originals in March 2019, which became available for members ofAmazon Prime Video as of fall 2020.[10]
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 filmMy Beautiful Son. In 2002, Reiser made a guest appearance as himself onLarry David'sHBO sitcom,Curb Your Enthusiasm.[11] In the TV comedy filmAtlanta (2007), Reiser appears as one half of a couple who, after meeting at a funeral, are unable to stay away from each other.[12] In 2010, Reiser collaborated with the singerJulia Fordham to create a CD album titledUnusual Suspects, which includes the song "UnSung Hero", dedicated to American soldiers serving inAfghanistan. The two embarked on an acoustic tour after its release. Reiser also co-wrote the song, "No There There" withMelissa Manchester for her 2015 album,You Gotta Love the Life.[13] 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 theConcord Hotel in the chapter "Don't Worry if They Suck" inI Killed: True Stories of the Road from America's Top Comics (2010), by Ritch Shydner and Mark Schiff.[14]
Reiser scripted and starred in the semi-autobiographical comedy seriesThe Paul Reiser Show, which aired onNBC as amid-season replacement during the 2010–11 TV season.[15] "This is nice", commented Reiser on theStephanie Miller radio program, "because you get to sit around and root for other shows to fail." However, due to the lack oflead time andpromotion by NBC prior to its debut (as well aspoor scheduling),[16][17] the low-rated show was canceled on April 22, 2011, with only two episodes aired.[18][19][20] He co-created (but did not star in) the 2017 dramedyThere's... Johnny!, set backstage atThe Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1972. Originally created forSeeso, the seven-episode season was released onHulu after Seeso's collapse.[21] In recent years Reiser has appeared in films such asWhiplash and TV series such asRed Oaks,Stranger Things andThe Boys.
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; andFamilyhood (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 onLate Show with David Letterman in the middle of writingBabyhood. Since he had not yet decided on a title, he presented a prop book, titled simply "Book" and with the same cover as that ofCouplehood. The termolive theory was first coined inCouplehood.[22]
In 2022, Reiser appeared in thethird season ofThe Boys asThe Legend, and will reprise his role in the fifth season.
In 2024, Reiser will revisit hisAliens character for a newMarvel comic titledAliens: What If...? which will explore what could have happened if Carter Burke survived the events of Hadley's Hope. The book is co-written by his son, Leon Reiser, with art by Guiu Vilanova.[23]
Reiser married Paula Ravets on August 21, 1988. They have two sons: born in 1995 and 2000. His older son hascerebral palsy, which Reiser has spoken about publicly at fundraisers and other events.[24]
Reiser is the cousin of screenwriter and producerWill Reiser,[25] who wrote the semi-autobiographical comedy-drama film50/50 (2011).
Reiser's first cousin is the legal scholarRichard Epstein.[26]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Diner | Modell | |
| 1984 | Beverly Hills Cop | Det. Jeffrey Friedman | |
| 1986 | Odd Jobs | Max | |
| Aliens | Carter Burke | ||
| 1987 | Beverly Hills Cop II | Det. Jeffrey Friedman | |
| Cross My Heart | Bruce Gaynor | ||
| 1990 | Crazy People | Stephen Bachman | |
| 1991 | The Marrying Man | Phil Golden | |
| 1993 | Family Prayers | Dan Linder | |
| 1994 | Mr. Write | Charlie Fisher | |
| 1995 | Bye Bye Love | Donny | |
| 1999 | Get Bruce | Unknown | |
| The Story of Us | Dave | Uncredited | |
| Pros & Cons | Prison Man #1 | ||
| 2001 | One Night at McCool's | Carl | |
| Purpose | Ben Fisher | ||
| 2005 | The Thing About My Folks | Ben Kleinman | Also writer and producer |
| The Aristocrats | Himself | ||
| 2009 | Funny People | ||
| 2014 | Whiplash | Jim Neiman | |
| Life After Beth | Noah Orfman | ||
| 2015 | Concussion | Dr. Elliot Pellman | |
| 2016 | Joshy | Steve | |
| Miles | Lloyd Bryant | ||
| War on Everyone | Lt. Gerry Stanton | ||
| The Book of Love | Wendell | ||
| The Darkness | Simon Richards | ||
| 2017 | The Little Hours | Ilario | |
| I Do... Until I Don't | Harvey Burger | ||
| 2018 | The Spy Who Dumped Me | Arnie Freeman | |
| 2020 | Horse Girl | Gary | |
| 2021 | Fatherhood | Howard | |
| Scenes From An Empty Church | The Dad | ||
| 2023 | The Problem with People | Barry | Also co-writer[27] |
| 2024 | The Gutter | Angelo | |
| Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F | Deputy Chief Jeffrey Friedman | [6] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Remington Steele | Ivan Turbell | Episode: "A Good Night's Steele" |
| 1983 | Sunset Limousine | Jay Neilson | Television film |
| 1987 | The Disney Sunday Movie | Dexter Bunche | Episode: "You Ruined My Life" |
| 1987–1990 | My Two Dads | Michael Taylor | 60 episodes |
| 1987 | Paul Reiser: Out on a Whim | Himself | Stand-up special |
| 1991 | Paul Reiser: 3½ Blocks from Home | ||
| 1992–1999, 2019 | Mad About You | Paul Buchman | 174 episodes; also creator, writer, and executive producer Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series Nominated—American Comedy Award for Funniest Male Performer in a Television Series Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy(1995–98) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series(1994–97) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series(1994–99) Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series(1995–96) Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series(1995–98) Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series |
| 1993 | The Tower | Tony Minot | Television movie |
| 1995 | 37th Annual Grammy Awards | Himself (host) | TV special |
| Saturday Night Live | Episode: "Paul Reiser/Annie Lennox" | ||
| 2001 | My Beautiful Son | Jerry Lipman | Television movie; AKAStrange Relations |
| 2002 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Paul Reiser | Episode: "The Terrorist Attack" |
| Women vs. Men | Bruce | Television movie | |
| 2011 | The Paul Reiser Show | Paul Reiser | 7 episodes; also creator, writer, and executive producer |
| 2013 | Behind the Candelabra | Mr. Felder | Television movie |
| 2014–16 | TripTank | Gary (voice) | 10 episodes |
| 2014–15 | Married | Shep | |
| 2014–17 | Red Oaks | Doug Getty | Main role |
| 2017–present | Stranger Things | Dr. Sam Owens | 14 episodes Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
| 2018 | The Romanoffs | Bob Isaacson | Episode: "House of Special Purpose" |
| 2019 | Fosse/Verdon | Cy Feuer | 2 episodes |
| 2019–21 | The Kominsky Method | Martin Schneider | 12 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series(2020, 2022) |
| 2022; 2025 | The Boys | The Legend | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Reboot | Gordon Gelman | Main cast |
Manchester: I didn't know that Paul's a musician. I went to a concert and it turned out that he had co-written several of the lovely songs that the artist was doing. He was there and I asked him if he would like to write (with me) and he said, "Sure." I went to his home and we knocked it out.
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