Biography
Prolific actor of the stage and screen Raye Birk gained celebrity as the villainous Papshmir in the irreverent police spoof "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" A lifelong acting enthusiast, Birk received a degree in theater in the late '60s, and taught his craft at Southern Methodist University and the University of Southern California over the course of his career. He appeared in Hollywood in the '70s, scoring guest spots on popular police series like "Hill Street Blues" and "Remington Steele," and supporting roles in sci-fi oddballs "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" and "Amazon Women on the Moon." His eclectic and often bizarre taste saw him gravitate toward series like the '80s revival of "The Twilight Zone" and the extraterrestrial sitcom "ALF." By the end of the decade, Birk had landed a recurring role as the antagonistic assistant principal Mr. Diperna on the nostalgia series "The Wonder Years," and portrayed postal employee Walt Twitchell on three episodes of bar-bound comedy "Cheers" and its spin-off, "Frasier." Birk also portrayed recurring characters on the sports sitcom "Coach
