Paul Michael Glaser
Encyclopedia
Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor
and director
, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch
; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC
series Third Watch
.
, the son of Dorothy and Samuel Glaser, who was an architect
. Glaser attended the Buckingham Browne & Nichols
School. He then transferred to the Cambridge School of Weston, and went to Tulane University
, where he was roommates with film director
Bruce Paltrow
, and earned a Master's degree
in English and theater in 1966. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu
fraternity. He earned a second master's degree from Boston University
in acting and directing in 1967.
productions, Glaser appeared in his first feature film
in 1971
, playing Perchik in the film version of Fiddler on the Roof
. He first gained notice on television playing Dr. Peter Chernak on the daytime series Love is a Many Splendored Thing, and made guest appearances on shows such as The Waltons
and The Rockford Files
, but found fame playing Detective David Starsky opposite David Soul
in the television show Starsky and Hutch
, of which he directed several episodes. It ran for four seasons (1975–1979) on ABC
.
After the series, Glaser continued to act on television
and in films, and directed
the 1987 movie The Running Man
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
as well as the 1992 movie The Cutting Edge
. He also directed episodes of several well-known TV series, including Miami Vice
, Robbery Homicide Division
and Judging Amy
. Glaser returned to the big screen in 2003 in Something's Gotta Give, as Diane Keaton
's ex-husband, and with a brief cameo in the 2004 film version
of Starsky & Hutch, where his old role was reprised by Ben Stiller
. He also directed the children's film Kazaam
starring Shaquille O'Neal
. On November 30, 2007, Glaser starred as Captain Hook
in a pantomime
version of Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley
, Kent
, England
. He took the lead role in the 2008 pantomime season at Sunderland's Empire Theatre
. He guest starred in CBS's The Mentalist
on Thursday, Oct 1, 2009; episode "The Scarlet Letter."
In addition to television, film, and theater, Glaser is an avid photographer, writes poetry and is currently working on several children's novels.
, in 1980. In August 1981, Elizabeth contracted HIV
through a blood transfusion
while giving birth to the couple's first child, Ariel. Elizabeth did not find out about the virus until four years later, at which time both Ariel and son Jake (born October 1984) were also found to be HIV positive. Ariel Glaser died in August 1988; Elizabeth Glaser died in 1994, after founding the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
. After Elizabeth's death, Glaser served as chairman of the foundation until 2002 and remains Honorary Chairman, roles in which he has testified before the United States Congress
and met with national leaders, as well as headlining annual fundraisers for the organization.
Glaser married producer Tracy Barone in 1996; the couple had a daughter, Zoe, on 7 October 1997. Glaser filed for divorce in June 2007, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for ending his 10-year marriage. He was seeking joint legal and physical custody of their daughter.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
.
Early life
Glaser, the youngest of three children, was born Paul Manfred Glaser in Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, the son of Dorothy and Samuel Glaser, who was an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. Glaser attended the Buckingham Browne & Nichols
Buckingham Browne & Nichols
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, often referred to as BB&N, is a private school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by the Charles River. The school educates students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. It was established by a merge of two independent schools, the Buckingham School founded...
School. He then transferred to the Cambridge School of Weston, and went to Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
, where he was roommates with film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Bruce Paltrow
Bruce Paltrow
Bruce Weigert Paltrow was an American television and film director and producer. He was the husband of actress Blythe Danner, and was the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and director Jake Paltrow.-Life and career:...
, and earned a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in English and theater in 1966. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu
Sigma Alpha Mu
Sigma Alpha Mu , also known as "Sammy", is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Originally only for Jewish men, Sigma Alpha Mu remained so until 1953, when members from all backgrounds were accepted. Originally headquartered in New York, Sigma Alpha Mu has...
fraternity. He earned a second master's degree from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in acting and directing in 1967.
Career
After appearing in several BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions, Glaser appeared in his first feature film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
in 1971
1971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
, playing Perchik in the film version of Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
. He first gained notice on television playing Dr. Peter Chernak on the daytime series Love is a Many Splendored Thing, and made guest appearances on shows such as The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
and The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
, but found fame playing Detective David Starsky opposite David Soul
David Soul
David Soul is an American-British actor and singer, best known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television programme Starsky and Hutch . He gained British citizenship in 2004.-Early life:...
in the television show Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
, of which he directed several episodes. It ran for four seasons (1975–1979) on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
After the series, Glaser continued to act on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and in films, and directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
the 1987 movie The Running Man
The Running Man (film)
The Running Man is a 1987 American action film loosely based on Stephen King's 1982 novel of the same name. Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, the film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, María Conchita Alonso, Jesse Ventura, Jim Brown, and Richard Dawson....
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
as well as the 1992 movie The Cutting Edge
The Cutting Edge
The Cutting Edge is a 1992 romantic comedy film directed by Paul Michael Glaser and written by Tony Gilroy. The plot is about a very rich, spoiled figure skater who is paired with a has-been ice hockey player for Olympic figure skating...
. He also directed episodes of several well-known TV series, including Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
, Robbery Homicide Division
Robbery Homicide Division
Robbery Homicide Division was an American police procedural television series on CBS, created by Barry Schindel with executive producer Michael Mann.-Premise:...
and Judging Amy
Judging Amy
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
. Glaser returned to the big screen in 2003 in Something's Gotta Give, as Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
's ex-husband, and with a brief cameo in the 2004 film version
Starsky & Hutch (film)
Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips. The film stars Ben Stiller as David Starsky and Owen Wilson as Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson and is a film adaptation of the original television series of the same name from the 1970s....
of Starsky & Hutch, where his old role was reprised by Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
. He also directed the children's film Kazaam
Kazaam
Kazaam is a 1996 comedy film directed by Paul M. Glaser and stars Shaquille O'Neal as the title character Kazaam, a genie who appears from a magic boombox to grant a boy three wishes.-Plot:...
starring Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
. On November 30, 2007, Glaser starred as Captain Hook
Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and its various adaptations. The character is a villainous pirate captain of the Jolly Roger brig, and lord of the pirate village/harbour in Neverland, where he is widely feared. Most...
in a pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
version of Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He took the lead role in the 2008 pantomime season at Sunderland's Empire Theatre
Sunderland Empire
The Sunderland Empire Theatre is a large theatre venue located in High Street West in Sunderland, North East England. The theatre, which opened in 1907, is owned by City of Sunderland Council and operated by Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd, on behalf of Sunderland Empire Theatre Trust.-Background:The...
. He guest starred in CBS's The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
on Thursday, Oct 1, 2009; episode "The Scarlet Letter."
In addition to television, film, and theater, Glaser is an avid photographer, writes poetry and is currently working on several children's novels.
Personal life
Glaser has been married twice. He married his first wife, Elizabeth (Meyer) GlaserElizabeth Glaser
Elizabeth Glaser, born Elizabeth Meyer, , was a major American AIDS activist and child advocate married to actor and director Paul Michael Glaser. She contracted HIV very early in the modern AIDS epidemic after receiving an HIV-contaminated blood transfusion in 1981 while giving birth...
, in 1980. In August 1981, Elizabeth contracted HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
through a blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
while giving birth to the couple's first child, Ariel. Elizabeth did not find out about the virus until four years later, at which time both Ariel and son Jake (born October 1984) were also found to be HIV positive. Ariel Glaser died in August 1988; Elizabeth Glaser died in 1994, after founding the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing pediatric HIV infection and eliminating pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs...
. After Elizabeth's death, Glaser served as chairman of the foundation until 2002 and remains Honorary Chairman, roles in which he has testified before the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and met with national leaders, as well as headlining annual fundraisers for the organization.
Glaser married producer Tracy Barone in 1996; the couple had a daughter, Zoe, on 7 October 1997. Glaser filed for divorce in June 2007, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for ending his 10-year marriage. He was seeking joint legal and physical custody of their daughter.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Fiddler on the Roof Fiddler on the Roof (film) Fiddler on the Roof is the 1971 film adaptation of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name, with music composed by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, about Tevye and his Daughters. It was directed by Norman Jewison. The film won three... |
Perchik | Actor |
| 1972 | Butterflies Are Free Butterflies Are Free Butterflies Are Free is a 1972 film based on a play by Leonard Gershe. The 1972 film was produced by M.J. Frankovich, released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Milton Katselas and adapted for the screen by Gershe. It was released on 6 July, 1972 in the USA.Goldie Hawn and Edward Albert starred... |
Ralph | Actor |
| 1974 | Aces Up | Mover | Actor |
| 1974 | Trapped Beneath the Sea | Jack Beech | Actor |
| 1976 | The Great Houdini | Harry Houdini Harry Houdini Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts... (Erik Weisz) |
Actor |
| 1980 | Phobia Phobia (film) Phobia is a thriller film released in 1980. The film stars Paul Michael Glaser from TV's Starsky and Hutch. It was directed by John Huston for Paramount Pictures.- Synopsis :... |
Dr. Peter Ross | Actor |
| 1983 | Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home! Wait till Your Mother Gets Home! Wait till Your Mother Gets Home! was an NBC TV film of the week in 1983 about role reversal and support, based on a true story, which starred Paul Michael Glaser from TV's Starsky and Hutch, and Dee Wallace from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial... |
Coach Bob Peters | Actor |
| 1983 | Princess Daisy Princess Daisy (film) Princess Daisy is a 1983 film by Waris Hussein, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by Judith Krantz.-Plot:Princess Daisy tells the story of a young girl who is sent to England to live with her father, Prince Valenski, after her mother's death in a car crash... |
Fred North | Actor |
| 1984 | Single Bars, Single Women | Gabe | Actor |
| 1984 | Jealousy | Daniel | Actor |
| 1984 | Attack on Fear | Dave Mitchell | Actor |
| 1986 | Band of the Hand Band of the Hand Band of the Hand is an American 1986 crime film directed by Paul Michael Glaser.The film turned into a theatrical release after it failed as a television pilot.... |
n/a | Director |
| 1987 | The Running Man The Running Man (film) The Running Man is a 1987 American action film loosely based on Stephen King's 1982 novel of the same name. Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, the film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, María Conchita Alonso, Jesse Ventura, Jim Brown, and Richard Dawson.... |
n/a | Director |
| 1992 | The Cutting Edge The Cutting Edge The Cutting Edge is a 1992 romantic comedy film directed by Paul Michael Glaser and written by Tony Gilroy. The plot is about a very rich, spoiled figure skater who is paired with a has-been ice hockey player for Olympic figure skating... |
n/a | Director |
| 1994 | The Air Up There The Air Up There The Air Up There is a 1994 comedy film directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starring Kevin Bacon and Charles Gitonga Maina with Yolanda Vazquez as Sister Susan.-Plot:... |
n/a | Director |
| 1996 | Kazaam Kazaam Kazaam is a 1996 comedy film directed by Paul M. Glaser and stars Shaquille O'Neal as the title character Kazaam, a genie who appears from a magic boombox to grant a boy three wishes.-Plot:... |
n/a | Director |
| 2003 | Something's Gotta Give Something's Gotta Give (film) Something's Gotta Give is a 2003 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers for both Columbia Pictures and Warner Bros. It stars Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton as a successful 60-something and 50-something, who find love for each other at a different time of life,... |
Dave | Actor |
| 2004 | Starsky & Hutch | Original Dave Starsky | Actor |
Television
| Years | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–1973 | Love is a Many Splendored Thing | Dr. Peter Chernak | Actor |
| 1973 | The Waltons The Waltons The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television... (The Air Mail Man) |
Todd Cooper | Actor |
| 1975–1979 | Starsky and Hutch Starsky and Hutch Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC... |
Detective David Starsky | Actor, Writer, Director |
| 1984-1985 | Miami Vice Miami Vice Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989... |
None | Director (2 episodes in season one and 1 in season two) |
| 1984 | Amazons | n/a | Director |
External links
- Paul Michael Glaser official web site
- Paul Michael Glaser at Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation