David Birney Biography (1939-)

Full name, David Edwin Birney; born April 23, 1939, in Washington, DC; son ofEdwin B. (a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation) and Jeanne (maiden name, McGee) Birney; married Joan Concannon, 1961 (divorced); married Meredith Baxter (an actress), April 10, 1974 (divorced, 1989); children: (second marriage) Kathleen Jeanne, Peter David Edwin and Mollie Elizabeth (twins). Addresses: Agent: Bret Adams Ltd., 448 West 44th St., New York, NY 10036.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, director
Birth Details: April 23, 1939; Washington, District of Columbia

Famous Works

CREDITS
Stage Appearances
(Stage debut) Simon, Hay Fever, Barter Theatre, Abingdon, VA, 1965
Streetsinger, Threepenny Opera, Barter Theatre, 1965
Damis, Tartuffe, Barter Theatre, 1965
Narrator, Pictures in the Hallway, Barter Theatre, 1965
Cristoforov, The Public Eye, Barter Theatre, 1965
Tolar, The Knack, Barter Theatre, 1965
Never Too Late, Barter Theatre, 1965
Algernon, The Importance of Being Earnest, Barter Theatre, 1966
Orsino, Twelfth Night, Barter Theatre, 1966
Tony, You Can't Take It with You, Barter Theatre, 1966
Deschamps, Poor Bitos, Hartford Stage Company, Hartford, CT, 1966
Fedotik, The Three Sisters, Hartford Stage Company, 1966
Clov, Endgame, Hartford Stage Company, 1966
Chorus, Under the Gaslight, Hartford Stage Company, 1967
DiNolli, Enrico IV, Hartford Stage Company, 1967
Silvio, Servant of Two Masters, Hartford Stage Company, 1967
(Off-Broadway debut) Antipholus of Syracuse, The Comedy of Errors,Delacorte Theatre, 1967
Dauphin, King John, Delacorte Theatre, 1967
Chiron, Titus Andronicus, Delacorte Theatre, 1967
Chorus, Egg of Head, MacBird, Village Gate Theatre, New York City,1967
Edmund, Ceremony of Innocence, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1968
Young man, Summertree, Forum Theatre, New York City, 1968
Wilson, "The Ruffian on the Stair," Kenny, "The Erpingham Camp," Crimes of Passion, Astor Place Theatre, New York City, 1969, then University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1969
Cleante, The Miser, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York City, 1969
Andocides, The Long War, Triangle Theatre, New York City, 1969
Title role, Hamlet, University of Pennsylvania, 1970
Yang Sun, The Good Woman of Setzuan, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 1970
Christy Mahan, The Playboy of the Western World, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 1970
Mars and Haemon, Antigone, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 1970
Jan and Hovstad, An Enemy of the People, Vivian Beaumont Theatre,1970
Adolphus Cusins, Major Barbara, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1971
Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet, Arena Stage, Buffalo, NY, 1972
Valentine, You Never Can Tell, Arlington Park Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1973
Romeo, Romeo and Juliet, American Shakespeare Festival, Stratford,CT, 1974
King Arthur, Camelot, St. Louis Municipal Opera, St. Louis, MO, 1975
Kentridge, The Biko Inquest, Mark Taper Forum, 1979
Title role, Richard III, Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, NH, 1980
(Broadway debut) Antonio Salieri, Amadeus, Broadhurst Theatre, 1983
Title role, Hamlet, Solvang Theatre Festival, Solvang, CA, 1985
David, Benefactors, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1986
Adam, Diaries of Adam and Eve, Hopkins Center, 1987
John Tanner, Man and Superman, Union Square Theatre, New York City, 1987-88
Also appeared in Much Ado About Nothing; Love Letters; as Higgins, My Fair Lady; Gary, Present Laughter; title role, Richard II; title role, Macbeth, Orange County, CA.
Major Tours
Brecht and Strindberg, Strolling Players Company, U.S. cities, 1967
Sky Masterson, Guys and Dolls, U.S. cities, 1973
Henry Higgins, My Fair Lady, U.S. cities, 1979
Matt Friedman, Talley's Folly, U.S. cities, 1981
Stage Director
The Zoo Story, Barter Theatre, Abingdon, VA, 1965
Yanks 3, Detroit 0, Top of the Seventh, American Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1974
A Life in the Theatre, Matrix Theatre, Los Angeles, 1980
The Sorrow of Stephen, Dartmouth Repertory Theatre, Dartmouth, NH,1980
Diaries of Adam and Eve, Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth, NH, 1987
Film Appearances
(Film debut) Neil Bowman, Caravan to Vaccares (also known as Lepassager), Rank, 1974
Sir John Gifford, Trial by Combat (also known as A Choice of Arms, Choice of Weapons, and Dirty Knight's Work), Warner Bros., 1976
Frank, Good Bye, See You Monday (also known as Au revoir, a lundi; Bye, See You Monday; and See You Monday), 1979
Don Richards, Oh God! Book II, Warner Bros., 1980
Title role, Richard II, 1982
Larry Turner, Prettykill (also known as Tomorrow's a Killer), Lorimar, 1986
Aton, Nightfall, Concorde, 1988
Senator Scanzano, Touch and Die (also known as Chi tocca muore), 1991
Fed #2, The Naked Truth, 1992
The duke, The Comedy of Errors, 2000

Television Appearances
Series
(Television debut) Second Mark Elliot, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, CBS, 1968-69
Oliver Harrell, A World Apart, ABC, 1970-71
Bernie Steinberg, Bridget Loves Bernie, CBS, 1972-73
Officer Frank Serpico (title role), Serpico, NBC, 1976-77
Dr. Ben Samuels, St. Elsewhere, NBC, 1982-83
Sam Dillon, Glitter, ABC, 1984
Host, Beyond 2000, 1986
Host, The Great American TV Poll, Lifetime, 1991
Harry Chandler Moore, Live Shot, UPN, 1995
Miniseries
John Quincy Adams (age 36-48), The Adams Chronicles, PBS, 1976
Jonathan Ferrier, Testimony of Two Men, syndicated, 1977
Daniel, "Daniel in the Lion's Den," The Bible (also known as Greatest Heroes of the Bible), NBC, 1978
David, Master of the Game, CBS, 1984
Lyon Burke, Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (also known asValley of the Dolls), CBS, 1985
Thomas Strickland, Secrets (also known as Judith Krantz's "Secrets"), 1992
Movies
Dr. Peter Peterson, Murder or Mercy, ABC, 1974
Dave Andrews, Only with Married Men, ABC, 1974
Willy Harvey, Bronk, 1975
Paul Winkless, High Rise (also known as Someone's Watching Me!), NBC, 1978
Tony Gianetti, High Midnight, CBS, 1979
Jack Coker, OHMS, 1980
Theo Marker, Mom, the Wolfman and Me, syndicated, 1980
Henry Hawksworth, The Five of Me, CBS, 1981
Carter Wells, The Long Journey Home, CBS, 1987
Bill Landry, Love and Betrayal (also known as Throw Away Wives), Fox, 1989
Colonel Hugh Kelso, Night of the Fox (also known as Le complotdu renard), syndicated, 1990
Philip Mendham, Always Remember I Love You, CBS, 1990
Alan Hamel, Keeping Secrets, ABC, 1991
Also appeared in The Champions--A Love Story.
Pilots
John, "The New House," Ghost Story, NBC, 1972
Officer Frank Serpico, Serpico: The Deadly Game (also known as The Deadly Game), NBC, 1976
Sam Dillon, Glitter, ABC, 1984
Lucas Cord, Powers Play, CBS, 1986
Specials
Brother Martin, "Saint Joan," Hallmark Hall of Fame (also known asPlay of the Month: St. Joan), NBC, 1967
Mr. Fenning, I Think I'm Having a Baby, CBS, 1981
NBC team contestant, Battle of the Network Stars XIV, ABC, 1983
Dr. Bernard Lacey, Seal Morning, PBS, 1985
The Night of 100 Stars II, ABC, 1985
Host, Missing ... Have You Seen This Person? (documentary), NBC, 1985
Host, Diabetes: Update '86, Lifetime, 1986
Narrator, A Job to Be Done, PBS, 1987
Adam, The Diaries of Adam and Eve, PBS, 1988
Dr. Rolo DeVito, 15 and Getting Straight, CBS, 1989
Himself, The Perfect Pitch (documentary; also known as Brilliant But Cancelled: The Perfect Pitch), TRIO, 2002
Episodic
Michael Sander, "The Minerva Tapes," The F.B.I., ABC, 1971
Damage Controlman Third Class Dillon, "Follow the White Brick Road," Hawaii Five-O, CBS, 1972
Terry Alexander, "Cain's Mark," Cannon, CBS, 1972
Guest performer, "Episode #137," Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, NBC, 1973
Officer Joe Waldron, "Captain Hook," Police Story, NBC, 1974
Randy Murphy, "Love, Honor and Swindle," McMillan and Wife, NBC, 1975
MacDonald "Mac" Guthrie, "If Mine Eye Offends Me," Medical Center,CBS, 1975
Shawn Berry, "The Bloody Nose," Police Woman, NBC, 1975
Woody Waldron, "Murder--Eyes Only: Parts 1 & 2," Hawaii Five-O, CBS, 1975
Dr. Jeff Restin, "The Wrong Medicine," Cannon, CBS, 1975
Nick Matero, "A Touch of Sight," Medical Center, CBS, 1976
Neil Rugger, "Clown of Death," The Streets of San Francisco, ABC,1976
Officer Andrew Dooly, "Officer Dooly," Police Story, NBC, 1976
"The Ordeal," Bronk, CBS, 1976
Mike, "Marooned: Parts 1 & 2," The Love Boat, ABC, 1978
Sergeant Alan Boardman, "The Sheikh/The Homecoming," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1978
Congressman John Richard Carr, "The Silk Trap," Hawaii Five-O, CBS, 1978
Joe Alcott, "Malicious Mischief," Family, ABC, 1979
Paulo De Matzee, "Venetian Love Song/The Arrangement/Arriverderci, Gopher/The Gigolo: Parts 1 & 2," The Love Boat, ABC, 1982
Dr. Myron Mandel, "Tooth and Consequences," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1986
Franchesco, "Prediction: Murder," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1989
Jack McCarthy, "The Con Man," Matlock, NBC, 1989
Lawrence Erlich, "The Great Twain Robbery," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1990
Captain Williams, "The Earthman," The Ray Bradbury Theatre, USA Network, 1992
Earl Harper, "The Monte Carlo Murders," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1992
Lawrence Baker, "The Legacy of Borbey House," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1993
(In archive footage) Jack McCarthy, "The Murder Game," Matlock, ABC, 1994
Jim Deacon, "Who Killed the Motor Car Maverick?," Burke's Law, CBS, 1995
Buddy Pomus, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction," The Love Boat: The Next Wave, UPN, 1998
Cadmus, "Prophets and Loss," Sliders, Sci-Fi Channel, 1998
Senator Letant, "Tears of the Prophets," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, syndicated, 1998
Father Elias, "The Portents," Poltergeist: The Legacy, Sci-Fi Channel, 1999
Also appeared as Harry Langley, "The Ingenious Reporter," Great Mysteries, ITV; himself, "John Hiatt," Sidewalks Entertainment.
Television Work
Movies
Co-executive producer, The Long Journey Home, CBS, 1987
Specials
Stage production director and executive producer, The Diaries of Adamand Eve, PBS, 1988
RECORDINGS
Albums
The Miser, Caedmon, 1969
An Enemy of the People, Caedmon, 1971
Taped Readings
Life 1001 by John-Roger and Peter McWilliams, Dove, 1990
"The Imperial Icehouse," The Collected Stories by Paul Theroux, 1998
WRITINGS
Television Specials
The Diaries of Adam and Eve, PBS, 1988

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