David Lander
| David Lander | |
|---|---|
| Born |
David Leonard Landau June 22, 1947 Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Actor, composer, musician, comedian, baseball scout |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Spouse(s) | Kathy Fields (m. 1979) |
| Children | Natalie (b. 1983) |
David Leonard Lander (born June 22, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, composer, musician, and baseball scout. He has also worked as the Goodwill Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He is best known for his portrayal of Squiggy on the sitcom Laverne & Shirley. David Lander is also the father of Natalie Lander.
Biography
Lander was born David Leonard Landau in Brooklyn, New York, to schoolteacher parents.[1] He is best known for his role of Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman on the situation comedy Laverne & Shirley from 1976 to 1982 along with sitcom sidekick Lenny, played by Michael McKean. He also played "Tanning Intruder" in "Christmas with the Kranks."
Lander's partnership with McKean began during their acting classes at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh where they developed the characters of Lenny and Squiggy. After Pittsburgh they teamed up in the Los Angeles-based comedy ensemble The Credibility Gap. The duo released an album as Lenny and the Squigtones in 1979 featuring Christopher Guest on guitar, credited as Nigel Tufnel, a name Guest would later reuse in the spoof rock band Spinal Tap. Lander and McKean also appeared together in the 1979 Steven Spielberg comedy 1941, and the 1980 Kurt Russell film Used Cars. Lander and McKean lent their vocal talents to the animated TV series Oswald, which ran from 2001-2004. Lander and McKean voiced the characters of the penguin cousins Henry and Louie, respectively.
Lander has also appeared in numerous other TV shows and movies including The Bob Newhart Show, Barney Miller, Happy Days, Viva Valdez, Married... with Children, Twin Peaks, On the Air, The Weird Al Show, Mad About You, Pacific Blue, and The Drew Carey Show. His film roles were more sparse but still memorable; these included the part of a minor league baseball radio announcer in the film, A League of Their Own and a bit part of the minister officiating the marriage ceremony in Say It Isn't So. Lander created the starring role of the demented fast food franchise clown Bruce Burger in the cult film Funland directed by Michael A. Simpson.
Lander also has experience as a voice actor, with a resume dating back to 1969 where he "dramatically reproduced" Elvis Presley quotations for the Pop Chronicles music documentary[2] and 1970 when he was the voice of Jerry Lewis in the Filmation series Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down. Later voice roles included The Big Bang, A Bug's Life, The Garfield Show, Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills, Oswald, Titan A.E., Tom and Jerry: The Movie and the animated TV series Galaxy High as the six-armed Milo de Venus. He also reprised his role as Squiggy in the animated sitcom, The Simpsons. Lander also provided the voice of Smart Ass, the chief weasel of Judge Doom's Toon Patrol in the 1988 Disney film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Lander reprised his role for Smart Ass on the related ride, but his character was renamed Wiseguy. He was credited as Stephen Lander in Boo, Zino and the Snurks. His latest voice role is that of Ch'p in the DC Comics animated movie, Green Lantern: First Flight.
Lander suffers from multiple sclerosis. Officially diagnosed on 15 May 1984 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he went public in 1999 and regularly speaks at related conventions. In 2002, his autobiography was published, Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody (ISBN 1-58542-052-2), written with Lee Montgomery.
In addition to acting, Lander, a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, has a small stake in the Portland Beavers. He has worked as a baseball talent scout since 1997, first for the Anaheim Angels, and later for the Seattle Mariners.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Cracking Up | Various Characters | Credited as The Credibility Gap |
| 1979 | 1941 | Joe | |
| 1980 | Wholly Moses! | The Beggar | |
| Used Cars | Freddie Paris | ||
| 1982 | Pandemonium | Pepe | |
| 1985 | The Man with One Red Shoe | Stemple | |
| 1987 | The Big Bang | Fred (voice) | English version |
| Steele Justice | Army Guard | ||
| Funland | Bruce Burger | ||
| 1988 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Smart Ass (voice) | |
| 1990 | Masters of Menace | Squirt | |
| 1991 | Steel and Lace | Schumann | |
| 1992 | A League of Their Own | Radio Sportscaster | Uncredited |
| Tom and Jerry: The Movie | Frankie da Flea (voice) | ||
| 1993 | Betrayal of the Dove | Norman | |
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | Thumper (voice) | |
| Ava's Magical Adventure | The Mayor | ||
| The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Mayor Burgabom | ||
| 1999 | Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure | Bernie | Direct-to-video |
| 2000 | Titan A.E. | The Mayor (voice) | |
| Scary Movie | Principal "Squiggy" Squiggman | ||
| The Tangerine Bear | Theodore, Store Clerk (voice) | Direct-to-video | |
| 2001 | Say It Isn't So | Reverend Stillwater | |
| Dr. Dolittle 2 | Bird (voice) | ||
| Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | Yokian Guard, Gus (voice) | ||
| 2002 | Jane White Is Sick & Twisted | Gerry King | |
| 2004 | Christmas with the Kranks | Tanning Intruder | |
| 2006 | Zoom | Wendy's Employee | |
| Tomoko's Kitchen | Gene | Short film | |
| 2009 | Green Lantern: First Flight | Ch'p (voice) | Direct-to-video |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Department S | Lorio | Episode: "Who Plays the Dummy?" |
| 1970–72 | Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down | Jerry Lewis (voice) | 18 episodes |
| 1972 | Love, American Style | Additional voices | Episode: "Love and the Old-Fashioned Father" |
| The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie | Jud | Episode: "Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection" | |
| 1973 | Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter | Magnus (voice) | 40 episodes, English version |
| 1974 | The Bob Newhart Show | Milt the Delivery Boy | Episode: "Ship of Shrinks" |
| 1975 | Rhoda | Mel Towers | Episode: "Call Me Grandma" |
| Barney Miller | David Gordon | Episode: "Hot Dogs" | |
| 1976 | Viva Valdez | Harry | Episode: "Weekend" |
| 1976–83 | Laverne & Shirley | Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggman | 156 episodes |
| 1979 | Happy Days | Andrew 'Squiggy' Squiggman | Episode: "Fonzie's Funeral: Part 2" |
| 1984 | The Love Boat | Arnold Herlick | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Highway to Heaven | Ed | Episode: "The Smile in the Third Row" |
| George Burns Comedy Week | Episode: "The Honeybunnies" | ||
| 1986 | Tall Tales & Legends | Mr. Sylvester | Episode: "My Darlin' Clementine" |
| Galaxy High | Milo de Venus (voice) | 13 episodes | |
| 1987 | Matlock | Eli Walsh | Episode: "The Convict" |
| A Garfield Christmas | Doc Boy (voice) | TV special | |
| 1988 | Simon & Simon | Alvie 'The Weasel' Hortsnagel | Episode: "Bad Betty" |
| 1989 | Father Dowling Mysteries | Eric Becker | Episode: "What Do You Call a Call Girl Mystery" |
| Monsters | James Self | Episode: "Their Divided Self" | |
| Married... with Children | Eli | Episode: "Married... with Prom Queen: The Sequel" | |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation | Tactician | Episode: "Peak Performance" | |
| Knight & Daye | Episode: "Stalk Radio" | ||
| Freddy's Nightmares | Lenny Nordhoff | Episode: "Lucky Stiff" | |
| 1990 | Head of the Class | Mr. Freelik | Episode: "Alan Goes Crimson" |
| TaleSpin | Weazel (voice) | Episode: "Vowel Play" | |
| A Pup Named Scooby-Doo | Additional voices | 3 episodes | |
| Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone | Additional voices | 13 episodes | |
| 1990–91 | Twin Peaks | Tim Pinkle | 3 episodes |
| 1991 | ProStars | Additional voices | |
| 1991–93 | Tom & Jerry Kids | Bernie the Swallow (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | On the Air | Valdja Gochktch | 7 episodes |
| Camp Candy | Additional voices | Episode: "When It Rains... It Snows" | |
| Batman: The Animated Series | Nitro (voice) | Episode: "Appointment in Crime Alley" | |
| The Little Mermaid | Da Shrimp (voice) | 3 episodes | |
| 1993 | Matrix | Freddy Flanagan | Episode: "False Witness" |
| Family Album | Mr. DeVito | Episode: "Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall All You Gotta Do Is Call..." | |
| 1994 | Getting By | Sid Smollen | Episode: "Sell It Like It Is" |
| 1994–95 | Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills | Lechner (voice) | 26 episodes |
| 1994–96 | Saturday Night Live | Squiggy | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Family Matters | Oliver | |
| Dream On | The Other Norman Mailer | Episode: "Significant Author" | |
| The Nanny | The Landlord | Episode: "Val's Apartment" | |
| 1996 | Homeboys in Outer Space | Inspector 17 | Episode: "House Party or, Play That Funky White Music Droid" |
| The Tick | Filth #4 (voice) | Episode: "The Tick vs. Filth" | |
| Superman: The Animated Series | Sqweek (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| Hey Arnold! | Sewer King (voice) | Episode: "The Sewer King" | |
| 1996–97 | Pacific Blue | Elvis Kryzcewski | 14 episodes |
| 1996–98 | Jungle Cubs | Arthur (voice) | 20 episodes |
| 1997 | L.A. Heat | Cecil Rusk | Episode: "In Transit" |
| Nash Bridges | Norman Guilfoyle | Episode: "Gun Play" | |
| Johnny Bravo | Christopher, Beaver (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Himself | Episode: "Boobookitty" | |
| The Weird Al Show | Miner | Episode: "Mining Accident" | |
| 1997–98 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Dr. Martin 'Marty' Guthrie | 12 episodes |
| 101 Dalmatians: The Series | Horace Badun (voice) | 28 episodes | |
| 1998 | Diagnosis: Murder | Willie Andrews | Episode: "Food Fight" |
| 1999 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Postmaster | Episode: "Sabrina, the Teenage Writer" |
| Mad About You | Announcer #1 | Episode: "Separate Beds" | |
| Arliss | Wrestling Promoter | Episode: "To Thine Own Self Be True" | |
| Recess | Leonard Weems (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| 2000 | 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd | Caesar (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Black Scorpion | Eugene Gardner/Greenthumb | Episode: "Roses Are Red, You're Dead" |
| 2001–03 | Oswald | Henry (voice) | 22 episodes |
| 2002 | The Simpsons | Squiggy (voice) | Episode: "Helter Shelter" |
| 2004 | The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy | Brain (voice) | Episode: "The Nerve" |
| 2005 | Hopeless Pictures | Les (voice) | |
| 2007 | The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy | Curtis (voice) | Episode: "Wrath of the Spider Queen" |
| 2009–11 | The Garfield Show | Doc Boy (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Break a Hip | Charlie | Pre-production |
| 2016 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Donnie the Shark | Episode: "Sharks vs. Pods" |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Lego Island | The Brickster, Shark, Gideon Worse |
| Zork: Grand Inquisitor | Voice of the Inquisition, Bickering Torch |
References
- ↑ "David L. Lander Biography (1947-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
- ↑ "Show 7 - The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 1] : UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. 1969-03-23. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
External links
- David Lander at the Internet Movie Database
- David Lander at AllMovie
- Lenny and the Squigtones at allmusic
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society