image of Raye Birk
Birthday: May 27, 1943
Place of Birth: Flint, Michigan, USA

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 33​1⁄3: 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.

Filmography
Movie Cast Year
Class Act Principal Kratz 1992
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Pahpshmir 1988
The Taming of the Shrew Gremio 1976
Caught in the Act Sterling 1993
Aftermath: A Test of Love Dr. Frenzel 1991
Throw Momma from the Train Pinsky 1987
Burglar The Jogger 1987
Mister Roberts Dowdy 1984
The Stepford Children George Larson 1987
After Jimmy John Davies 1996
Cries from the Heart 1994
Under Cover Grimbach 1991
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult Papshmir 1994
Best Defense Sonny 1984
Doc Hollywood Simon Tidwell, First Patient 1991
Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It. Mort Catafalque 1970
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again Judge Brown 1990
Challenger Joseph Kilminster 1990
A Christmas Carol Marley's Ghost 1981
Sweet Land Postal Clerk 2005
Deadly Messages Harding 1985
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson Sam Morgan 1989
Star Trek: Insurrection Son'a Doctor 1998
Factotum Heathercliff 2005
New Neighbors 2016
A Serious Man Dr. Shapiro 2009
Illegal in Blue Gary Dedmarch 1995
My Brother's Keeper Dr. Roth 1995
Series Cast Year
Star Trek: The Next Generation Wrenn 1987
The Twilight Zone 1985
Wings Prince Restivon 1990
Frasier Walt Twitchell 1993
Babylon 5 William 1994
The X-Files Dr. Jeff Eckerle 1993
ALF Lenny Scott 1986
ALF Officer Griswald 1986
Under Cover Grimbach 1991
The Popcorn Kid Leonard Brown 1987
Columbo Howard Seltzer 1971
Home Improvement Fred 1991
The Wonder Years Mr. Diperna 1988
Night Court Dworkin 1984
Black Scorpion Dr. Phineas Phoenix 2001
Hawaii Five-O Parole Officer 1968
Nowhere Man Tobe Alder 1995
Seinfeld Mr. Pless 1989
Empty Nest Judge Talmadge 1988
Fresno Mr. Loats 1986
Night Court God #1 1984
Night Court Ward 1984
Dear John Dr. Hendricks 1988
Futurama (voice) 1999
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Prosecuting Attorney 1993
Due South Francis Bolt 1994
Murphy Brown Barney 1988
Matlock Simon Le Simple 1986
3rd Rock from the Sun Jeweler 1996
L.A. Law Judge Steven Lang 1986
Night Court Frank Pepitone 1984
Empty Nest Albert 1988
Silk Stalkings Atticus Dunn 1991
ER Mr. Hartley 1994
Eisenhower and Lutz Bjorn 1988
The Golden Girls Caterer 1985
Cheers Walt Twitchell 1982
Touched by an Angel Mr. McFarlane 1994
Caroline in the City Danny 1995
Saved by the Bell: The New Class Superintendent Stoneman 1993
Coach Riley Pringle 1989
Snoops Mr. Nelson 1989
Ned and Stacey Earl 1995
J.J. Starbuck 1987
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