Cast & creator
Raye Birk
Best known for Seinfeld, The X-Files, Frasier
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.
Also known as: Ray Birk
33
film credits
47
television credits
80
1969–2016 · acting roles
6.6
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (80)
Showing 80 of 80 credits
Seinfeld
Mr. Pless
1989
The X-Files
Dr. Jeff Eckerle
1993
Frasier
Walt Twitchell
1993
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Wrenn
1987
Columbo
Howard Seltzer
1971
Cheers
Walt Twitchell
1982
ER
Mr. Hartley
1994
Hawaii Five-O
Parole Officer
1969
Babylon 5
William
1994
Touched by an Angel
Mr. McFarlane
1994
L.A. Law
Judge Steven Lang
1986
Home Improvement
Fred
1991
3rd Rock from the Sun
Jeweler
1996
Night Court
Dworkin
1984Night Court
God #1
1984Night Court
Ward
1984Night Court
Frank Pepitone
1984
St. Elsewhere
Irish Patient
1982
The Wonder Years
Mr. Diperna
1988
Matlock
Simon Le Simple
1986
Coach
Riley Pringle
1989
Wings
Prince Restivon
1990
The Golden Girls
Caterer
1985
The Twilight Zone
Time-Traveller (segment "Lost and Found")
1985
Murphy Brown
Barney
1988
Due South
Francis Bolt
1994
Newhart
Whitley McVeigh
1982
Silk Stalkings
Atticus Dunn
1991
Caroline in the City
Danny
1995
ALF
Lenny Scott
1986ALF
Officer Griswald
1986
Dear John
Dr. Hendricks
1988
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Superintendent Stoneman
1993
Empty Nest
Judge Talmadge
1988Empty Nest
Albert
1988
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Prosecuting Attorney
1993
Nowhere Man
Tobe Alder
1995
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Pahpshmir
1988
Black Scorpion
Dr. Phineas Phoenix
2001
Blue Thunder
Martin C. Sharp
1984
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
Papshmir
1994
J.J. Starbuck
1987
Snoops
Mr. Nelson
1989
North Country
Tom Motel Clerk
2005
Star Trek: Insurrection
Son'a Doctor
1998
A Serious Man
Dr. Shapiro
2009
The War of the Roses
Auctioneer (uncredited)
1989
Eisenhower and Lutz
Bjorn
1988
Doc Hollywood
Simon Tidwell, First Patient
1991
Fresno
Mr. Loats
1986
Throw Momma from the Train
Pinsky
1987Under Cover
Grimbach
1991
Working Girl
Mr. Dixon
1990
Best Defense
Sonny
1984
Class Act
Principal Kratz
1992
Burglar
The Jogger
1987
Barbarians at the Gate
Travis Gaines
1993
The Popcorn Kid
Leonard Brown
1987
Mister Roberts
Dowdy
1984
The Taming of the Shrew
Gremio
1976
Aftermath: A Test of Love
Dr. Frenzel
1991
Caught in the Act
Sterling
1993
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
Judge Brown
1990
Sweet Land
Postal Clerk
2005
Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It.
Mort Catafalque
1970
Factotum
Heathercliff
2005
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson
Sam Morgan
1989
The Big Squeeze
Contractor
1996My Brother's Keeper
Dr. Roth
1995
Beauty and the Beast
Edmonton
1987
Challenger
Joseph Kilminster
1990
Illegal in Blue
Gary Dedmarch
1995
The Stepford Children
George Larson
1987
Cries from the Heart
1994After Jimmy
John Davies
1996
New Neighbors
2016
Under Cover
Grimbach
1991
Deadly Messages
Harding
1985Seed of Doubt
Dr. Bill Larson
A Christmas Carol
Marley's Ghost
1981