David Paymer was born on August 30, 1954 in Oceanside, New York, USA. He is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor.

Paymer's acting career began in 1979 with the film The In-Laws. Paymer has appeared in over 90 films in his career. He has also appeared in many popular television shows, including Taxi, Happy Days, L.A. Law, and Entourage.

He has had recurring roles on Cheers, Murphy Brown, and The Larry Sanders Show. He has also appeared in such films as Amistad, City Hall, RFK, and Into the West.

Paymer has directed episodes of several popular television series, including Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, and Everwood.

Another his roles in future films include School of Life (2005), Checking Out (2005) and Resurrecting the Champ (2007).

Filmography

• Redbelt (2008)
• Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
• "Brothers & Sisters" (1 episode, 2007)
• Resurrecting the Champ (2007)
• Payback: Straight Up - The Director's Cut (2006)
• "Ghost Whisperer" (1 episode, 2006)
• "Entourage" (1 episode, 2006)
• "Into the West" (2005)
• Checking Out (2005)
• Warm Springs (2005)
• My Suicidal Sweetheart (2005)
• The Fix (2005)
• School of Life (2005)
• Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005)
• In Good Company (2004)
• Balto III: Wings of Change (2004)
• "Jack & Bobby" (2 episodes, 2004)
• "Line of Fire" (13 episodes, 2003-2004)
• "Century City" (1 episode, 2004)
• Capital City (2004)
• Spartan (2004)
• Alex & Emma (2003)
• Candor City Hospital (2003)
• The Burial Society (2002)
• "Without a Trace" (1 episode, 2002)
• RFK (2002)
• Joe and Max (2002)
• "Justice League" (1 episode, 2002)
• Focus (2001)
• "Night Visions" (1 episode, 2001)
• Bartleby (2001)
• Destiny (2001)
• For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000)
• Bounce (2000)
• Enemies of Laughter (2000)
• Bait (2000)
• State and Main (2000)
• From Where I Sit (2000)
• Partners (2000)
• The Hurricane (1999)
• Mumford (1999)
• Chill Factor (1999)
• Dash and Lilly (1999)
• Payback (1999)
• Mighty Joe Young (1998)
• Outside Ozona (1998)
• "The Wild Thornberrys" (1 episode, 1998)
• "Godzilla: The Series" (1 episode, 1998)
• The Lesser Evil (1998)
• "The New Batman Adventures" (1 episode, 1998)
• "The Larry Sanders Show" (6 episodes, 1992-1998)
• Amistad (1997)
• Gang Related (1997)
• The Sixth Man (1997)
• "Channel Umptee-3" (1997)
• "Santo Bugito" (1995)
• Crime of the Century (1996)
• Carpool (1996)
• Unforgettable (1996)
• City Hall (1996)
• Nixon (1995)
• The American President (1995)
• Get Shorty (1995)
• Cagney & Lacey: Together Again (1995)
• Cagney & Lacey: The Return (1994)
• In Search of Dr. Seuss (1994)
• Quiz Show (1994)
• "Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man" (1 episode, 1994)
• City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994)
• "Tales from the Crypt" (1 episode, 1993)
• Heart and Souls (1993)
• Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
• Mr. Saturday Night (1992)
• "The Commish" (1991)
• City Slickers (1991)
• "Jake and the Fatman" (1 episode, 1991)
• "Murphy Brown" (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
• "Cop Rock" (1 episode, 1990)
• "Mancuso, FBI" (1 episode, 1990)
• Sunset Beat (1990)
• "Sunset Beat" (1 episode, 1990)
• Crazy People (1990)
• Sky High (1990)
• "L.A. Law" (1 episode, 1990)
• "Matlock" (1 episode, 1989)
• No Holds Barred (1989)
• "Hooperman" (1 episode, 1989)
• "Who's the Boss?" (1 episode, 1988)
• The Absent-Minded Professor (1988)
• "Simon & Simon" (1 episode, 1988)
• "Cagney & Lacey" (11 episodes, 1982-1988)
• "St. Elsewhere" (2 episodes, 1988)
• Rock 'n' Roll Mom (1988)
• "It's Garry Shandling's Show." (1 episode, 1987)
• No Way Out (1987)
• "21 Jump Street" (1 episode, 1987)
• "Rags to Riches" (1 episode, 1987)
• "Downtown" (1986)
• Night of the Creeps (1986)
• Howard the Duck (1986)
• "The Paper Chase" (5 episodes, 1984-1986)
• "Cheers" (3 episodes, 1985-1986)
• "Moonlighting" (1 episode, 1986)
• Pleasures (1986)
• "Diff'rent Strokes" (2 episodes, 1986)
• Love, Mary (1985)
• "Hardcastle and McCormick" (1 episode, 1985)
• Perfect (1985)
• "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" (1 episode, 1985)
• "Family Ties" (2 episodes, 1985)
• Irreconcilable Differences (1984)
• Best Defense (1984)
• Her Life as a Man (1984)
• "Hill Street Blues" (1 episode, 1984)
• "The Jeffersons" (1 episode, 1983)
• Grace Kelly (1983)
• "The Powers of Matthew Star" (1 episode, 1983)
• "Gloria" (1 episode, 1983)
• "The Greatest American Hero" (1 episode, 1983)
• Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)
• "Taxi" (1 episode, 1982)
• "Fame" (1 episode, 1982)
• "Hart to Hart" (1 episode, 1981)
• This House Possessed (1981)
• "Happy Days" (1 episode, 1981)
• "Lou Grant" (1 episode, 1980)
• "Barney Miller" (1 episode, 1980)
• The In-Laws (1979)
• "ABC Afterschool Specials" (1 episode, 1979)

Awards

• Florida Film Critics Circle Award Best Ensemble "State and Main" 2000
• Online Film Critics Society Award Best Ensemble "State and Main" 2000