Paul Reiser (born March 30, 1957) is an American actor, author and stand-up comedian, best known for his role in Mad About You.

Biography

Born to a Jewish-American family, Reiser graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City and earned his bachelor's degree at Binghamton University, where he majored in music (piano, composition). He was active in campus theater productions, and founded "The Little Theater That Could", an on-campus community theater organization located in Hinman College, Reiser's dorm community. It was later renamed Hinman Production Company. ^* Reiser eventually found his calling when he performed in New York City comedy clubs during university summer breaks.

Reiser married Paula Ravets in 1988; they have two sons together, Ezra (born 1995), and Leon, born in 2000.

Career

Reiser's TV credits include My Two Dads and the British TV drama My Beautiful Son.

Reiser played a treacherous company executive in James Cameron's 1986 movie Aliens, but rose to fame as the creator and star of Mad About You, a long running sitcom co-starring Helen Hunt. The show was so successful that in the final 1999 season, he and Hunt were paid $1 million (USD) per episode.

Reiser has written two books: Couplehood, about the ups and downs of being in a committed relationship, and Babyhood, about the toils and joys of having a baby. Couplehood was unique in the fact it started on page 145. Reiser explains this is to give the reader a false sense of accomplishment.

Trivia

• Number 77 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.
• Reiser was the focus of a Family Guy segment in which Peter Griffin heckles his simplistic stand up routine by explaining the fundamentals of the American economy. In response to Reiser's statement: "And what's with all those Starbucks, huh?. They're everywhere!" Peter responds: "Uh, a lot of people want coffee. It's supply and demand. It's the foundation of our entire economy, Paul."
• In May 1996, Reiser appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman in the middle of writing his second book. Since he didn't have a title yet (it would later be called Babyhood), he showed a prop book with the same cover as his first book Couplehood. The title was simply called "Book", a name Whoopi Goldberg used for her 1997 publication.

Filmography

• The Aristocrats (2005)
• The Thing About My Folks (2005)
• Purpose (2002)
• One Night at McCool's (2001)
• Pros and Cons (1999)
• The Story of Us (1999)
• Get Bruce (1999)
• Bye Bye, Love (1995)
• Mr. Write
• Family Prayers (1993)
• 3 1/2 Blocks From Home (1992)
• The Marrying Man (1991)
• Crazy People (1990)
• Cross My Heart (1987)
• Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
• Aliens (1986)
• Odd Jobs (1984)
• Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
• Diner (1982)

External link

• Hinman Production Company

1957 births | Living people | Alien film series actors | American film actors | American songwriters | American television actors | Jewish American actors | Jewish American comedians | Jewish American writers | Stuyvesant High School alumni

Paul Reiser | Paul Reiser | Paul Reiser