Terry Kiser

Terry Kiser
Kiser in 2015
Born	(1939-08-01)August 1, 1939 Elmhurst, Illinois,US
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1963–present
Spouse	Sylvie Marmet ​ ​ (m.1987;div.2004)​
Children	1

Terry Kiser(born August 1, 1939)is an American actor. Besides portraying the deceased title character of the comedyWeekend at Bernie'sand its sequel,Weekend at Bernie's II,he has more than 140 acting credits to his name, with a career spanning more than 50 years. He is the co-founder of the now defunct acting school The Actors Arena inAustin,Texas.

Early life and education

Kiser was born on August 1, 1939, inElmhurst,Illinois.He attended theUniversity of Kansason both football and dramatic scholarships. He graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering and worked for three years in this profession in Omaha.

A few years later, on the advice of a drama teacher, he made the decision to quit engineering to pursue acting full-time and moved to New York City in 1965. He joined theActors Studioand worked withLee Strasberg.

Career

After college, Kiser returned to his hometown Omaha and worked as an engineer for three years while acting in amateur productions; more than fifty plays. His first two years in New York City included an array of small parts, ranging from theater to television to commercials. By 1967, Kiser gained significant recognition for his work, winning both anObie AwardandTheater World AwardforFortune and Men's Eyes.

Becoming a life member ofThe Actors Studio,Kiser was a regular on severalsoap operas,The Secret StormandThe Doctors.In 1978, he starred on the short-lived sitcomsThe Roller Girls,andSugar Time!.It was during the 1970s and early 1980s that Kiser appeared inThree's Company,"Hardcastle and McCormick",One Day at a Time,The Love Boat,Night Court,227,MaudeandThe Golden Girls.

One of his roles was on the TV dramaHill Street Blues,playing comedian Vic Hitler ( "Vic theNarcolepticComic "). He was a cast member on the syndicated sketch comedy showOff the Walland a part of the ensemble onCarol Burnett'sCarol & Company,which aired in 1990. In the 1990s, he appeared onWalker, Texas Ranger,The Golden Girls,The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman(asH. G. Wells) andWill & Grace.

His film appearances includeFast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider(1979),Rich Kids(1979),Steel(1979),An Eye for an Eye(1981),Making Love(1982),Six Pack(1982),Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land(1983),Surf II(1984),From a Whisper to a Scream(1987) andFriday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood(1988).

Kiser starred inWeekend at Bernie's(1989), in the title role of Bernie Lomax, a corrupt insurance executive who is dead for most of the film. Bernie's young employees, played byJonathan SilvermanandAndrew McCarthy,attempt to convince people that Bernie is still alive. He reprised the role inWeekend at Bernie's II(1993). Since 2012, several YouTube videos featuring "The Bernie Dance" generated more than 17 million views collectively by April 2016. Other film appearances includeMannequin Two: On the Move(1991),Into the Sun(1992),The Pledge(2011), andA Christmas Tree Miracle(2013).

In 2013, Kiser moved toAustin, Texas,where he founded an acting school, The Actors Arena, which closed in 2016.Instruction was open to students of all ages and experience levels, and served approximately 300 students during its three-year run.

Filmography

Movies

• Rachel Rachel(1968) as Preacher
• Lapin 360(1972) as Bernard Lapin
• Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider(1979) as Lester Neal
• Rich Kids(1979) as Ralph Harris
• Steel(1979) as Valentino
• Seven(1979) as Senator
• All Night Long(1981) as Ultra-Save day manager
• An Eye for an Eye(1981) as Dave Pierce
• Looker(1981) as Commercial Director
• Making Love(1982) as Harrington
• Six Pack(1982) as Terk Logan
• Surf II(1984) as Mr. O'Finlay
• Young Lust(1984)
• From a Whisper to a Scream(1987) as Jesse Hardwick
• Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood(1988) as Dr. Crews
• Weekend at Bernie's(1989) as Bernie Lomax
• Side Out(1990) as Uncle Max
• Mannequin Two: On the Move(1991) as Count Gunther Spretzle / Sorcerer
• Into the Sun(1992) as Mitchell Burton
• Weekend at Bernie's II(1993) as Bernie Lomax
• Tammy and the T-Rex(1994) as Dr. Wachenstein
• Pet Shop(1994) as Joe Yeagher
• Loving Deadly(1994) as Walter
• Forest Warrior(1996) as Travis Thorne
• Divorce: A Contemporary Western(1998) as Gary
• Flamingo Dreams(2000) as Gus
• See Jane Run(2001)
• Dead Start(2009) as Mort Maxwell
• Maskerade(2011) as Mr. Peck
• The Pledge(2011) as Joe
• Speed Demons(2012)
• A Christmas Tree Miracle(2013) as Henry Banks
• Spoilers: The Movie(2014) as Mr. Stoyanovich
• Almosting It(2016) as Mort

Television

• The Doctors(1967-1968) as Dr. John Rice
• The Secret Storm(1970-1971) as Cory Boucher
• Emergency!(1976) "Fair Fight" - Wes Hubbard
• Barnaby Jones(1976) "Eyes of Terror" - Arlie
• The Bionic Woman(1976) "Mirror Image" - Matthews
• Hawaii Five-O(1977) "Blood Money is Hard to Wash" - Augie
• All in the Family(1978) "Stale Mates" as Bob
• Maude(1978) as Reggie
• WKRP in Cincinnati(1979) as Jason Realli
• One Day at a Time(1979) as Parsons
• Three's Company(1981-1982) as Mr. Canon/Max
• The Fall Guy (1982) as Nick Trainer
• Hardcastle and McCormick(1983) as Larry Singer
• Hill Street Blues(1983) as Vic Hitler
• Scarecrow & Mrs. King(1984) as Keene
• Night Court(1984) as Al Craven
• The Golden Girls(1986) as Santa Claus/Don
• Knight Rider(1986) as Royal Davis
• Murder, She Wrote(1988) as Wally Bryce
• Carol & Company(1990-1991) as various characters
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(1993) as Mr. Hosek
• Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman(1995-1996) asH. G. Wells
• Caroline in the City(1997) as Taxicab Driver
• Walker, Texas Ranger(1997) as Charlie Brooks / Maxwell 'Iceman' Kronert
• Will & Grace(1999) as Carl
• The Norm Show(2000) as Councilman Wilkinson

External links

• Terry KiseratIMDb
• Terry Kiserat theInternet Broadway Database
• Terry Kiserat theInternet Off-Broadway Database
• Terry KiseratAllMovie