Biography for
Paul Reiser More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

30 March 1957, New York City, New York, USA

Height

5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Biography

As a seasoned actor, writer, and stand-up comedian, Paul Reiser continues to add to his list of accomplishments. In addition to co-creating and starring in the critically acclaimed NBC series, "Mad About You," which garnered him Emmy, Golden Globe, American Comedy Award and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, his successes also include his book "Couplehood," which sold over two million copies and reached the number one spot on "The New York Times" best seller list and "Babyhood," his follow-up book which features his trademark humorous take on the adventures of being a first-time father, which also made "The New York Times" bestseller list.

Last year Paul made his theatrical debut in Woody Allen's "Writer's Block." The evening of one-act comedies marked Mr. Allen's first time out as a director for the stage.

Born and raised in New York City, Reiser went to college at the State University of New York at Binghamton where he majored in Music - Piano and Composition. (He co-wrote "The Final Frontier" - the theme song from "Mad About You" with Grammy-winning producer Don Was).

Remembered for notable performances in films such as "Diner," "Bye, Bye Love," "The Marrying Man," "Aliens," "One Night at McCool's" and "Beverly Hills Cop" ("I" and "II"), Reiser more recently starred in two original movies for Showtime - "Strange Relations," opposite Julie Walters, and Chazz Palminteri's "Men vs. Women," opposite Joe Mantegna and Christine Lahti.

His next film project, "The Thing About My Folks" - also his first original screenplay - will be released later this year. Starring along with Reiser is Peter Falk, Olympia Dukakis and Elizabeth Perkins.

Reiser's development company, Nuance Productions, is currently producing several projects for NBC television including, "My 11:30" starring Jeff Goldblum and Donna Murphy - which Reiser co-wrote with Steven Sater. Also in the works - for the Showtime cable network - is a mock-documentary about the Smothers Brothers and their battles with television network censorship in the late 1960s.

Mr. Reiser and his family live in Los Angeles.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Mini Biography

Paul Reiser is one of a handful of stand-up comedians who, in the the 1990s, were given the opportunity to create their own sitcoms. "Mad About You," which co-starred Emmy winner Helen Hunt as his wife, was a huge success and enjoyed a very long and very comfortable run, placing Paul squarely on the entertainment map.

Born and raised in New York City, he was drawn to Greenwich Village clubs, which featured, among others, George Carlin, Robert Klein, and David Steinberg. Reiser subsequently attended S.U.N.Y./Binghamton, where he majored in music and participated in drama classes, and later began performing at the Improv and Comic Strip.

While accompanying a friend to an audition, Paul unexpectedly got to read for director Barry Levinson and won a coveted role in the classic film Diner (1982), which sparked the careers of Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Steve Guttenberg and Mickey Rourke as well. Well-regarded as a comedic actor, Reiser was typically cast as amiable, excitable, neurotic, and self-effacing types; he also won roles in the "Beverly Hills Cops" movies and Aliens (1986).

His career hit a high note with his hit TV series, for which he was not only the star but also the co-creator and producer. Since then, he has maintained a lower profile, working more as a writer and executive producer than an actor.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net

Spouse

Paula Ravets

(21 August 1988 - present) 2 children

Trade Mark

His laugh

Trivia

Named his production company, Nuance, after a speech his character gives in the movie 'Diner'

Started out doing stand-up comedy.

Graduated from Stuyvesant H.S. in NYC and SUNY Binghamton

Plays a mean Rachmaninoff

Paul and his "Mad About You" tv series co-star, Helen Hunt, were each given $1,000,000 per episode for the 1999 season.

Majored in music at college (piano & composition)

Son, Ezra Samuel, born September 1995.

He and his wife, Paula, had a second son: Leon, born in 2000.

Was considered for the role of Danny Tanner on Full House, but he opted to take the role of Michael Taylor on My 2 Dads.

Best known by the public for his role as Burke in James Cameron's science-fiction epic Aliens (1986), as well as his starring roles as Michael Taylor in "My Two Dads" (1987) and as Paul Buchman in "Mad About You" (1992).

Personal Quotes

[on playing the villain in Aliens (1986)] I was just following the corporate manifest, but at the premiere my sister punched me in the stomach. I thought, 'This doesn't bode well for the public.'

Where Are They Now

(January 2005) Has been spending time with his two sons.

(January 2005) Recently reunited with Helen Hunt for a 'Mad About You' reunion.