Paul Reiser
Highest Rated: 97% Aliens (1986)
Lowest Rated: 3% The Darkness (2016)
Birthday: Mar 30, 1957
Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
Veteran stand-up comedian and actor Paul Reiser was best known for his role as Paul Buchman on the long-running sitcom "Mad About You" (NBC, 1992-99). Born in New York City in 1957, Reiser enrolled at Binghamton University as a music major, but it was his performances with his dorm's community theater program Hinman Little Theater that allowed him to explore his skills as an actor. Simultaneously, Reiser began practicing stand-up comedy at various New York clubs during his summer breaks, eventually resulting in a combination of skills that made him an ideal candidate for a comedic film-a trait noticed by casting director Ellen Chenowith when he auditioned for Barry Levinson's ensemble comedy "Diner" (1982). Reiser's charisma soon found him cast as detective Jeffrey Friedman in the action comedy "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984), and even more famously as the slippery corporate executive Burke in the smash hit "Alien" (1979) sequel "Aliens" (1986). The following year, he moved to the realm of television, taking on the role of Michael on the sitcom "My Two Dads" (NBC, 1987-1990) in 1987. Reiser married future clinical psychologist Paula Ravets the following year. He would appear with Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger in "The Marrying Man" (1991) shortly after the series wrapped in 1990, but by this time, Reiser was already planning his return to TV, writing, producing, and co-starring with Helen Hunt on the sitcom "Mad About You" starting in 1992. The show's simple premise about the everyday misadventures of a pair of Manhattan newlyweds proved an excellent showcase for Reiser's comedic voice, and he found even more content along this theme with his first book, a collection of humorous essays on committed relationships titled Couplehood, published in 1995. He would later expand upon these themes to include discussions about parenting in 1998's Babyhood. Meanwhile, the consistently popular "Mad About You" finally ending its run in 1999. The new millennium brought a role in the sleeper hit "One Night at McCool's" (2001) before Reiser wrote, produced, and starred with the legendary Peter Falk in the comedy "The Thing About My Folks" (2005). He would similarly write, produce, and star in the sitcom "The Paul Reiser Show" (NBC, 2011), though reportedly minimal promotion led to the show lasting just seven episodes. Undeterred, Reiser published another book, Familyhood, and took on the role of the thanklessly supportive father in the critically acclaimed "Whiplash" (2014). He would also become a regular face on comedy series like "Married" (FX, 2014-15) and "Red Oaks" (Amazon, 2014-17). After supporting turns in "Concussion" (2015) and "War on Everyone" (2016), Reiser began portraying government operative Sam Owens on the phenomenally popular series "Stranger Things" (Netflix, 2016-). The part left many critics praising not only Reiser's performance, but the subtle nod many felt his character made to his iconic role in "Aliens." Reiser would go on to join the cast of the cult hit comedy series "The Kominsky Method" (Netflix, 2018-) in 2019.
Photos
Highest Rated Movies
Filmography
Movies
| Credit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fatherhood | Paul (Character) | - | 2021 |
| 70% | 47% | Horse Girl | Gary (Character) | - | 2020 |
| 49% | 56% | The Spy Who Dumped Me | Arnie (Character) | $33.5M | 2018 |
| 28% | 38% | I Do... Until I Don't | Harvey (Character) | $279.3K | 2017 |
| 70% | 43% | Miles | Lloyd Bryant (Character) | $2.1K | 2016 |
| 81% | 54% | Joshy | Steve (Character) | - | 2016 |
| 3% | 19% | The Darkness | Unknown (Character) | $10.7M | 2016 |
| 8% | 64% | The Book of Love | Wendell (Character) | - | 2016 |
| 61% | 37% | Dirty Cops - War on Everyone | Lt. Gerry Stanton (Character) | - | 2016 |
| 59% | 74% | Concussion | Dr. Elliot Pellman (Character) | $33.8M | 2015 |
| 94% | 94% | Whiplash | Jim (Character) | $13.2M | 2014 |
| 44% | 31% | Life After Beth | Noah (Character) | $80.3K | 2014 |
| 95% | 71% | Behind the Candelabra | Mr. Felder (Character) | - | 2013 |
| 45% | 52% | The Thing About My Folks |
Ben Kleinman (Character), Writer, Producer |
$814.7K | 2005 |
| No Score Yet | 41% | Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy |
Writer, Executive Producer |
- | 2004 |
| No Score Yet | 67% | Women vs. Men | Bruce (Character) | - | 2002 |
| No Score Yet | 55% | Purpose | Ben Fisher (Character) | - | 2002 |
| No Score Yet | 82% | My Beautiful Son | Dr. Jerry Lipman (Character) | - | 2002 |
| 33% | 39% | One Night at McCool's | Carl (Character) | $6.3M | 2001 |
| 71% | 44% | Get Bruce! | Himself (Character) | $43.2K | 1999 |
| 26% | 58% | The Story of Us | Dave, Ben's Literary Agent (Character) | $27.1M | 1999 |
| 19% | 49% | Bye Bye, Love | Donny (Character) | $11.4M | 1995 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mr. Write | Charlie Fischer (Character) | - | 1994 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Family Prayers | Dan Linder (Character) | - | 1993 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Tower | Tony Minot (Character) | - | 1993 |
| 10% | 44% | The Marrying Man | Phil (Character) | $12.4M | 1991 |
| 37% | 62% | Crazy People | Stephen Bachman (Character) | - | 1990 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | You Ruined My Life | Dexter Bunche (Character) | - | 1987 |
| 47% | 57% | Beverly Hills Cop II | Det. Jeffrey Friedman (Character) | $151.7M | 1987 |
| 40% | 26% | Cross My Heart | Bruce Gaynor (Character) | $768.7K | 1987 |
| No Score Yet | 27% | Odd Jobs | Max (Character) | - | 1986 |
| 97% | 94% | Aliens | Carter J. Burke (Character) | $77.6M | 1986 |
| 83% | 82% | Beverly Hills Cop | Jeffrey (Character) | - | 1984 |
| No Score Yet | 40% | Sunset Limousine | Jay Neilson (Character) | - | 1983 |
| 93% | 78% | Diner | Modell (Character) | - | 1982 |
TV
| Credit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Today 3rd Hour | Guest | 2019-2020 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Home & Family | Guest | 2020 |
| No Score Yet | 48% | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Guest | 2020 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Today With Hoda & Jenna | Guest | 2020 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tamron Hall | Guest | 2020 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Access Daily | Guest | 2020 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2020 2018 2011 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | etalk | Guest | 2019-2020 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Marilyn Denis Show | Guest | 2020 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Social | Guest | 2020 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The View | Guest | 2019 |
| 42% | 87% | Mad About You |
Paul Buchman (Character), Creator, Writer |
2019 |
| No Score Yet | 52% | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2019 2017 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Today | Guest | 2019 2016-2017 2011 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Guest | 2019 |
| 93% | 91% | Stranger Things | Dr. Owens (Character) | 2019 2017 |
| 81% | 84% | Fosse/Verdon | Cy Feuer (Character) | 2019 |
| 49% | 63% | The Romanoffs | Bob Isaacson (Character) | 2018 |
| 83% | 72% | The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2018 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Last Call With Carson Daly | Guest | 2017 |
| 83% | 71% | There's ... Johnny! |
Executive Producer, Creator |
2017 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tavis Smiley | Guest | 2017 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Conan | Guest | 2017 |
| 93% | 94% | Red Oaks | Getty (Character) | 2014-2017 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rachael Ray | Guest | 2017 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Celebrity Page | Guest | 2017 |
| No Score Yet | 38% | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Guest | 2016 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Real Time With Bill Maher | Guest | 2015 |
| No Score Yet | 35% | Late Night With Seth Meyers | Guest | 2015 |
| No Score Yet | 100% | The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson | Guest | 2014 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Joy Behar Show | Guest | 2011 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Gayle King Show | Guest | 2011 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Paul Reiser Show |
Paul Reiser (Character), Executive Producer |
2011 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Live With Regis and Kelly | Guest | 2011 |
| 92% | 95% | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Himself (Guest Star) | 2002 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mad About You |
Paul Buchman (Character), Writer |
1992-1999 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Saturday Night Live | Host | 1995 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | My Two Dads | Michael Taylor (Character) | 1987-1990 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Johnny Carson | Guest | 1989 1987 1982 |
QUOTES FROM Paul Reiser CHARACTERS
Simon Richards says: Sometimes the answer you're looking for is in the place you're not looking.
Jim says: Dying broke and drunk and full of heroin at the age of 34 is not exactly my idea of success.
Andrew Neyman says: I'd rather die drunk, broke at 34 and have people at a dinner table talk about me than live to be rich and sober at 90 and nobody remember who I was.
Carter Burke says: I made a bad call.
Carter Burke says: How about we make a campfire, sing a couple of songs?
Esther Lipman says: Jerry: Toxteth, Mother, Toxteth. Sort of a combination of toxic and death. Esther: so it's a slum? Jerry: It aspires to be a slum.
Dr. Jerry Lipman says: Toxteth, Mother, Toxteth. Sort of a combination of toxic and death.
Esther Lipman says: So it's a slum?
Dr. Jerry Lipman says: It aspires to be a slum.
Ellen Ripley says: You're going out there to destroy them, right? Not to study. Not to bring back, but to wipe them out?
Carter Burke says: That's the plan.
Pvt. Hudson says: Game over man! Game over! What the fuck are we going to do now? What are we gonna do?
Carter Burke says: Maybe we can build a fire, sing a couple of songs, huh?
Carter Burke says: Ripley...! You know, I... I expected more from you. I thought you'd be smarter than this.
Carter Burke says: Ripley! You know, I... I expected more from you. I thought you'd be smarter than this.
Ellen Ripley says: I'm happy to disappoint you.
Carter Burke says: Maybe we could build a fire and sing couple of songs, huh? Why don't we try that?!