Paul Reiser | |
---|---|
Born |
New York City, New York, United States |
March 30, 1957
Education |
East Side Hebrew Institute Stuyvesant High School |
Alma mater | Binghamton University |
Occupation | Comedian, actor, television writer, author, musician and Model |
Years active | 1982–present |
Organization | Hinman Production Company Nuance Productions |
Spouse(s) | Paula Ravets (m. 1988) |
Children | 2 |
Parent(s) | Sam and Helen Reiser |
Relatives |
Will Reiser (cousin), Richard Epstein (first cousin) |
Paul Reiser (born March 30, 1957) is an American comedian, actor, television personality and writer, author and musician. He is best known for his role in the 1990s TV sitcom Mad About You. He is ranked 77th on Comedy Central's 2004 list of the "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time". The name of Reiser's production company, Nuance Productions, is inspired by one of his lines in the film Diner (1982), in which his character explains his discomfort with the word "nuance".
Reiser was born in New York City, the son of Helen, a homemaker, and Sam Reiser, a wholesale health food distributor. His family is Jewish. Reiser attended the East Side Hebrew Institute and graduated from Stuyvesant High School. He earned his bachelor's degree at Binghamton University, where he majored in music (piano, composition).
During his university years, Reiser was active in student theater productions at the Hinman Little Theater, an on-campus community theater organization located in Hinman College, Reiser's dorm community. It was later renamed the Hinman Production Company. He found his calling as a comedian while performing in New York clubs during university summer breaks.
After developing his skills as a stand-up comedian, Reiser had a breakout film role in 1982 when he appeared in Diner, a coming-of-age film directed by Barry Levinson. Reiser's character, Modell, a closet stand-up comedian, effectively brought Reiser's abilities to the attention of Hollywood. He followed this success by playing a detective in Beverly Hills Cop (1984), a role he reprised in its sequel, Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). Reiser also had roles in James Cameron's Aliens (1986), in which he played the corrupt Carter Burke; The Marrying Man (1991) and Bye Bye Love (1995).