David Edwin Birney April 23, β April 27, was an American actor and director whose career included performances in both contemporary and classical roles in theatre, film, and television. He is noted for having played the title role in the television series Serpico. He also starred in Bridget Loves Bernie , an early s TV series about an interfaith marriage that also starred Meredith Baxter , whom he married after the series ended.
He also portrayed Dr. Ben Samuels in St. Elsewhere from until Birney was born to an Irish Catholic family in Washington, D. Named to the National Honor Society , he lettered in basketball, football, and track. He held a B. He held a teaching assistant fellowship and was awarded an honorary Ph.
While in the U. Since the award was an equity contract with the Company for an entire season, he consequently spent the next season with the Barter Theatre , the State Theatre of Virginia, starring or appearing [ 1 ] in fifteen shows, directing two others. In the following two years he went on to perform with a range of companies and productions, off-Broadway and in several regional repertory theatres.
Birney worked continually in the theatre performing leading roles with some of the most important theatres in the country. His stage credits included starring roles on Broadway in Amadeus , [ 1 ] Benefactors , [ 3 ] [ 4 ] and Man and Superman.
Aside from his title role in Bridget Loves Bernie , Birney appeared frequently on television, [ 1 ] building a career in TV movies, regular series and miniseries. He starred in such series as Live Shot , Cannon , [ 32 ] St. Developing the play subsequently for the stage, Birney directed and starred in productions for regional theatres such as the Hartford Stage opening the Mark Twain Festival in Hartford , the Capital Repertory Theatre , and on tour in performing arts centers across the country.
