David Paymer Biography

DAVID PAYMER

Date of Birth: August 30, 1954

"When I was about 22, I had a meeting with an agent and he took one look at me and said, 'You're the kind of actor who's going to have to grow into your face.' I'm still trying to grow."

This Long Island, New York, native uses that face he says he hasn't grown into yet to good effect. He's sort of the character actors' character actor, the guy who shows up and makes it all look so easy and is rememberd as "you know, that guy, what's his name?" "I guess I'm known as a character actor," Paymer says.

Trained at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, Paymer was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for one of his character parts—that of Billy Crystal's long-suffering brother in Mr. Saturday Night (1992). He then received another Golden Globe nomination for his role in the TV movie Crime of the Century (1996) and a Golden Satellite Award nomination in 2004 for his work in the TV Drama Series Line of Fire.

He has been married to Liz George since 1988 and they have a daughter.

Filmography:

Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Redbelt (2008)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Resurrecting the Champ (2007)
Checking Out (2005)
My Suicidal Sweetheart (2005)
The Fix (2005)
In Good Company (2005)
Max and Grace (2004)
School of Life (2003)
Candor City Hospital (2003)
Alex and Emma (2003)
The Burial Society (2002)
Focus (2001)
Bartleby (2000)
Enemies of Laughter (2000)
Partners(2000)
Bounce (2000)
State and Main (2000)
Bait (2000)
The Hurricane (1999)
Mumford (1999)
Chill Factor (1999)
Outside Ozona (1998)
Mighty Joe Young (1998)
Payback (1998)
The Lesser Evil (1998)
Gang Related (1997)
The Long Way Home (1997) [voice]
The Sixth Man (1997)
Amistad (1997)
Carpool (1996)
Unforgettable (1996)
City Hall (1996)
Nixon (1995)
The American President (1995)
Get Shorty (1995)
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994)
Quiz Show (1994)
Heart and Souls (1993)
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
Mr. Saturday Night (1992)
City Slickers (1991)
Crazy People (1990)
No Holds Barred (1989)
No Way Out (1987)
Howard the Duck (1986)
Night of the Creeps (1986)
Perfect (1985)
Best Defense (1984)
Irreconcilable Differences (1984)
Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)
The In-Laws (1979)