David Paymer was born August 30, 1954 in Long Island’s hamlet of Oceanside. In college at the University of Michigan, he double-majored in Theater and Psychology, which may go towards explaining his predilection for playing neurotic characters and their therapists.
After honing his craft in summer stock theater, including the national tour for Grease in 1975, he was cast in his first movie role in 1979′s The In-Laws.
Since then, he has appeared in more than 90 films, including mainstream and indie productions. He’s also worked steadily in television series, both in front of and behind the camera.