David Birney obit

 

David Birney, Who Starred on TV’s ‘Bridget Loves Bernie,’ Dies at 83

The sitcom, about an interfaith marriage, drew criticism from Jewish groups and was canceled after one season. He fared better onstage than in television.

He was not on the list.

David Birney, an actor known for his roles in TV's St. Elsewhere and Bridget Loves Bernie, has died. He was 83.

The stage and television performer passed away of Alzheimer's disease on Friday at his home in Santa Monica, California, his life partner Michele Roberge confirmed to The New York Times.

In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Birney's ex-wife Meredith Baxter remembered the late star.

"I was very saddened by the death of David Birney. My heart goes out to our children, Kate, Peter and Mollie. David was a dominant influence in their lives and the loss of him will be deeply felt," the Family Ties actress said. "And I send love and support to Michele Roberge, David's life-partner, who so lovingly cared for him for many many years."

The former couple got married in 1974 and divorced in 1989. Baxter accused her ex-husband of abuse in her 2011 book Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame and Floundering. He denied the allegations at the time, calling her claims "an appalling abuse of the truth."

The pair starred together as on the short-lived 1970s sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie. The show chronicled the interfaith marriage between an Irish Catholic teacher (Baxter) from a wealthy family and a Jewish cab driver (Birney).

The show received criticism from Jewish groups for its portrayal of interfaith marriage and Jewish stereotypes, according to The New York Times, and was canceled after one season.

"One segment of the protesters is truly concerned about the dilution of their faith," Mr. Birney told the New York Daily News, per the Times, several months after the cancellation. "But intermarriage is on the rise, nevertheless. The threat doesn't come from a harmless show such as ours, but from within."

Birney went on to play John Quincy Adams in the PBS production of The Adams Chronicles and took on the role of Frank Serpico in an NBC adaptation of Sidney Lumet's 1973 film Serpico.

He drew acclaim for his role as Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus on Broadway. He was part of the original cast of St. Elsewhere on NBC before leaving for the stage role, according to The New York Post.

Birney also appeared on Broadway in The Good Woman of Setzuan (1970), The Playboy of the Western World (1971), An Enemy of the People (1971), Antigone (1971) and Benefactors (1985), according to Deadline.

He held a B.A. degree from Dartmouth College with "High Distinction" in English literature, English Honors. At the University of California, Los Angeles, Birney earned an M.A. in theatre arts, acting and directing, studying with Ralph Freud and William Melnitz. He held a teaching assistant fellowship and was awarded an honorary Ph.D. in Humanities from Southern Utah University.

Birney recorded numerous audiobook bestsellers, including works by Dean Koontz, Paul Theroux, Annie Dillard, and Orson Scott Card. He was conferred the Audie Award for his reading of Julie Salomon's The Christmas Tree, and was also bestowed several AudioFile Magazine Earphone Awards. He played Anakin Skywalker in the radio adaptation of Return of the Jedi.

Aside from his title role in Bridget Loves Bernie, Birney appeared frequently on television, building a career in TV movies, regular series and miniseries. He starred in such series as Live Shot, Cannon, St. Elsewhere, The Adams Chronicles, Glitter, Serpico, Fantasy Island, Hawaii Five-O, McMillan & Wife, The F.B.I., Murder, She Wrote, and he starred in the episode "The Nomads" from the 1977 series Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected, known in the United Kingdom as Twist in the Tale. His miniseries credits include Testimony of Two Men, Valley of the Dolls, Night of the Fox, and Master of the Game.

Birney also appeared in leading roles in many television films, including Long Journey Home and The Deadly Game. He also appeared in the soap operas The Best of Everything and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.

Birney edited and adapted for the stage a two-character play based on some of Mark Twain’s shorter works and letters. The piece, Mark Twain's The Diaries of Adam and Eve, was presented on the PBS series American Playhouse.

 

Filmography

 

Film

Caravan to Vaccarès (1974) - Bowman

Trial by Combat (1976) - Sir John Gifford

Bye, See You Monday (1979) - Frank

Oh, God! Book II (1980) - Don Richards

Prettykill (1987) - Larry Turner

Nightfall (1988) - Aton

The Naked Truth (1992) - Fed. #2

The Comedy of Errors (2000) - The Duke

 

Films for television

Ghost Story (1972 pilot) - John Travis

Someone's Watching Me! (1978) - Paul Winkless

OHMS (1980)[32][38] - Jack Coker

ABC Afterschool Special (1981, Episode: "I Think I'm Having a Baby") - Mr. Fenning

The Long Journey Home (1987) - Carter Wells

Night of the Fox (1990) - Hugh Kelso

Always Remember I Love You (1990) - Philip Mendham

Keeping Secrets (1991) - Alan

 

TV Mini Series

The Adams Chronicles (1976) - John Quincy Adams

Testimony of Two Men (1977) - Jonathan 'Jon' Ferrier

Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981) - Lyon Burke

Master of the Game (1984) - David Blackwell