David Paymer Biography

David Paymer (born 30 August 1954) is an American actor, seen in such films as Crazy People, State and Main, Payback, Get Shorty, City Hall, and Into the West.

Paymer was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1992 for Mr. Saturday Night.

In the television series Angel, there is a running gag about Cordelia Chase socializing with Paymer and his brother, Steve. He also played exceptionally against type as a Mob boss in the short-lived series Line of Fire.
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Has made his career playing less-than-desirable politicos, businessmen and low-level professionals. After honing his chops in dinner theater and summer stock while attending the University of Michigan—where he double majored in Theater and Psychology—Paymer landed the role of Sonny Latieri in the national touring company of "Grease", which he later reprised on Broadway. As Sonny, he was seen on stage by producers who were casting the comedy feature "The In-Laws" (1979). The producers wanted an authentic New Yorker to play a cab driver, and the Long Island-born and raised Paymer was ideal for the part. His turn in the Arthur Hiller screwball comedy was small but memorable.

In Los Angeles, Paymer teamed up with older brother, Steve, to write and perform stand-up comedy at noted clubs, including the Improv and Comedy Store. Meanwhile, he worked regularly on television sitcoms, dramas, and cop shows, and alternated between small roles in features, guest appearances on series and a number of TV-movies. Paymer's small screen gigs include stints as the recurring character Mr. Wallace on "Diff'rent Strokes" and as Asst. D.A. Feldberg "Cagney and Lacey"; a regular on the short-lived cop drama "Downtown" (CBS, 1986-87), as Michael Nouri's boss, and on the first season of "The Commish" (ABC) as Michael Chiklis' nervous, freeloading brother-in-law. He was hilariously miscast as Richard Kimble in a spoof of "The Fugitive" on a 1988 guest shot on "It's Garry Shandling's Show"; he later guest starred as Norman Litkey on several episodes of “The Larry Sanders Show" (HBO, 1992-1998). Television would have played an even larger role in Paymer's career if fate had not intervened. In 1982, he was cast as Dr. Wayne Fiscus in the pilot for NBC's hit medical drama "St. Elsewhere" but was replaced at the last minute by Howie Mandel.

Paymer gained widespread notice and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Billy Crystal's underrated fictional showbiz biopic "Mr. Saturday Night" (1992). As Stan Yankelman, the sweet, admirable brother and manager of the acerbic Buddy Young Jr. (Crystal), he ages from a vigorous youth to a long-suffering old man whose life has been devoted to his brother's mediocre comic career. Paymer's previous feature credits included "Airplane II" (1982), "Howard the Duck" (1986), "No Way Out" (1987) and "City Slickers" (1991). In the latter—his first collaboration with Crystal—Paymer and Josh Mostel portrayed ice cream moguls Ira and Barry Shalowitz. They reprised the roles for the obligatory sequel "City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold" (1994).

After the Oscar nomination, Paymer received more unique opportunities for work. He earned excellent notices for his performance in Robert Redford's "Quiz Show" (1994), playing an unapologetic Dan Enright, creator and producer of the hit TV game show "Twenty One" who rigs the game to deliver telegenic winners to his sponsors. Paymer followed “Quiz Show” with three notable performances in 1995: as a small-time money launderer who makes a big score in Barry Sonnenfeld's "Get Shorty"; as a presidential pollster in Rob Reiner's "The American President"; and as beleaguered press secretary Ronald Ziegler in Oliver Stone's underrated "Nixon". The following year found him supporting Al Pacino's charismatic mayor in "City Hall" as a yarmulke-wearing, poker-playing political fixer. A small role as an assistant medical examiner in John Dahl's "Unforgettable", and a workaholic ad-man forced to drive a bank-robber Tom Arnold and a van full of kids in "Carpool" rounded out 1996.

After playing the thankless part of Coach Pederson in the little-watched basketball fantasy, “The Sixth Man” (1997), Paymer was given too little to do in Steven Spielberg’s historical drama, “Amistad” (1997). In “Mighty Joe Young” (1998), the remake of the 1949 action movie, Paymer was serviceable as Harry Reuben in this family adventure about a 15-foot gorilla loose on the streets of Los Angeles. Paymer had a banner year in 1999, appearing in several high-profile movies: in the relentless crime thriller, “Payback”, starring a sociopathic Mel Gibson, he played Stegman, a weaselly small-time hood; as Dr. Ernest Delbanco in “Mumford”, he was a rival psychologist losing business to the title character; as Myron Beldock in the Oscar-nominated biography, “The Hurricane”; and in the little-seen and unappreciated action thriller, “The Chill Factor”, Paymer played a chemical weapons scientist trying to live the good life after causing the deaths of 18 soldiers in an experiment ten years before.

Paymer teamed up for the first time with famed playwright, David Mamet, for his satire about Hollywood clashing with small town Vermont in “State and Main” (2000). He earned good notices as a smarmy producer (is there any other kind?) who will do anything to get the money needed to finish the movie, including agreeing to product placement for a website in a 19th Century historical drama. The actor returned to television as Dick Goodwin, advisor and speechwriter for the Kennedy clan, in the made-for-TV movie, “RFK” (FX, 2002). An inauspicious return to series television came and went with “Line of Fire” (ABC, 2003-2004). Paymer played Jonah Malloy, a big city crime boss doing battle with FBI agents trying to maintain law and order. Though the series made it through its first season, it did not return for a second. Meanwhile, Paymer went back to film, appearing in “Alex and Emma”, a failed romantic comedy loosely based—oddly enough—on the Fyodor Dostoevsky short novel, “The Gambler.” He also appeared alongside Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson in the corporate comedy-drama, “In Good Company” (2004).

DAVID PAYMER PICTURES

DAVID PAYMER BIOGRAPHY