
Raye Birk
Biography
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.
Acting (28 movies)

Class Act
1992

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1988

The Taming of the Shrew
1976

Caught in the Act
1993

Aftermath: A Test of Love
1991

Throw Momma from the Train
1987

Burglar
1987

Mister Roberts
1984

The Stepford Children
1987

Cries from the Heart
1994

Under Cover
1991

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult
1994

Best Defense
1984

Doc Hollywood
1991

Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It.
1970

Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
1990

Challenger
1990

Sweet Land
2005

Deadly Messages
1985

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson
1989

Star Trek: Insurrection
1998

Factotum
2005

New Neighbors
2016

A Serious Man
2009

Illegal in Blue
1995

North Country
2005

The Big Squeeze
1996

Barbarians at the Gate
1993
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